[Eicpp_personnel] [EXTERNAL] EIC Update

[Yeck, Jim]

Sent on Behalf of Jim Yeck, EIC Project Director

Dear EIC Team:

The DOE Status Review supported proceeding with plans for DOE Critical Decision 3A, Long Lead Procurement Approval, in January 2024.  The DOE CD-3A review will be November 14-16, 2023 at BNL. There is much work to prepare for this review including preparing the CD-3A items, the continued preparation of the performance measurement baseline, and the steps needed to deliver a successful DOE review (documentation, presentations, director's review, etc.).  The CD-3A review will primarily focus on our proposed long lead procurement items while another review, a Status Review, will be scheduled in 2024 to assess progress on CD-2/3 preparation work.  The CD-2 and CD-3 approval review(s) will be in 2025.

Annual project funding continues to ramp-up in preparation for the RHIC shutdown scheduled for June 2025.  We look forward to the details in the President's Budget Request for 2024 and will manage the challenges of the uncertain federal appropriation process.  The Inflation Reduction Act funding of $138M provided the stability needed to pursue our hiring, institutional partnering, and contracting plans.  We must make the maximum technical progress with the funding available to the project.

Affordability remains a central challenge.  The cost and schedule scrutiny last year resulted in a more complete understanding of the scope of work and additional costs.  There are also costs and schedule impacts to be addressed from current inflation rates and supply chain issues.  We will perform value engineering, scrub and squeeze costs, and quantify uncertainties as we prepare the performance measurement baseline.  EIC stakeholders depend on us to be rigorous and demanding in our efforts to deliver the EIC cost-effectively.

The search started for the next EIC Technical Director.  The search committee is chaired by Sergei Nagaitsev, JLab (recently Fermilab).  Ferdinand Willeke will continue in the role until a successor is on board and he transitions to an essential senior advisor role.  Tim Michalski was selected to lead JLab's Engineering Division, congratulations Tim!  He will continue to fully support the EIC Project in the L2 role for Cryogenic Systems through the CD-3A DOE Review.  We are partnering with domestic and international laboratories in the design and construction of the accelerator.  The ePIC collaborators formed a collaboration and elected a Spokesperson, John Lajoie, and a Deputy Spokesperson, Silvia Dalla Torre.  We are executing an increasing number of contracts for R&D and design.  We are evaluating proposals for Architect/Engineering services and the acquisition of a construction management and general contractor firm will soon follow.  Hiring is ramping up quickly now.  The project current supports almost 160 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employees and will reach 200 FTEs by the end of the fiscal year.  BNL and JLab should be congratulated on supporting our aggressive hiring and procurement plans.

We are preparing the EIC governance and engagement in the facility in the manner expected for a facility that is "international in character."  The EIC Advisory Board is currently meeting 3-4 times a year as we clarify the roles of our partners.  The Resource Review Board will meet for the first time on April 3-4, 2023.  The function of these boards is closely connected to DOE's efforts to organize meetings with the international funding agencies.  We are also increasing efforts to help the host labs to be welcoming to EIC guests, visitors, and users while complying with evolving DOE guidance.

To be successful, we must prioritize schedule performance and consistently exhibit behavior that creates a "project culture."  Let's work together to secure DOE Critical Decision 3A, Long Lead Procurement Approval, in January 2024!

Sincerely,
Jim


Jim Yeck
Associate Laboratory Director & EIC Project Director
Electron-Ion Collider
Brookhaven National Laboratory
C: (608) 999-1740
Alyssa Petrone, Assistant, apetrone at bnl.gov<mailto:apetrone at bnl.gov>



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