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* U N I V E R S I T Y F U S I O N A S S O C I A T I O N
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. FISCAL YEAR 2000 FUSION BUDGET PASSED BY CONGRESS
2. NSF/DOE PLASMA SCIENCE INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED
3. DOE PLASMA PHYSICS JUNIOR FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM POSTED
4. NEW UFA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS NAMED
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1. FISCAL YEAR 2000 FUSION BUDGET PASSED BY CONGRESS
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On Sept. 28, 1999, the House of Representatives approved the Conference Report on H.R. 2605, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for FY 2000. The Senate completed their work on the bill the following afternoon. House and Senate Conferees agreed on a fusion budget for FY 2000 of $250 million, $27.4 million above the President's request.
Here is the Conference Report's language on the fusion energy sciences program:
"Fusion Energy Sciences - The conference agreement includes $250,000,000, the same amount provided by the House instead of $220,614,000 as provided by the Senate. The conferees are pleased with the highly supportive recent report on fusion energy science from the Secretary of Energy's Advisory Board and with the comprehensive scientific plan developed by the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC). The FESAC plan should be used by the Department as guidance in the allocation of the resources provided for fusion energy sciences. "
The Conference Report also contains a total of $475,000,000 for inertial fusion, of which $248,100,000 is for NIF and $227,600,000 is for base program activities. The Conference Report contains the following language:
"Inertial Fusion - The agreement includes the additional $10,000,000 proposed by the House for the inertial fusion program to further the development of high average power lasers."
"National Ignition Facility - The conference agreement does not include the additional funding proposed by the Senate for the National Ignition Facility.
"The National Ignition Facillity has been described as one of the cornerstones of the Stockpile Stewardship Program. The conferees understand that the most recent internal review of the project has concluded that the projected cost to complete the project has increased and the completion date will be delayed. The conferees are very disappointed by this. Additional reviews will be performed in coming months to establish the appropriate future actions for proceeding with this project.
"The conferees direct that the Secretary of Energy complete and certify a new cost and schedule baseline for the National Ignition Facility and submit that certification to the Committees by June 1, 2000. If the secretary is unable too provide such a certification, the Department should prepare an estimate of the costs necessary to terminate the project."
Please take the time to write or call your Congressional office(s) to thank them for their assistance on achieving this very positive outcome for fusion energy sciences. Although in the end, it boils down to just a few key Members and staff, it took many people in the fusion community, on the Hill and in DOE to make this happen. The Members and staff on the Hill work particularly hard on this legislation and your understanding and personal vocal appreciation of that fact is VERY IMPORTANT.
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2. NSF/DOE Plasma Science Initiative
Letter of Intent due Nov. 1, 1999
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The Directorates for Engineering, Geosciences, and Mathematics
and Physical Sciences of the NSF and the Office of Science/Office
of Fusion Energy Sciences of the Department of Energy are
continuing in FY2000 the joint Partnership in Basic Plasma Science
and Engineering begun in FY1997.
The initiative (NSF 99-159) will address fundamental issues
in plasma
science and engineering that can have impact in other areas or
disciplines in which improved basic understanding of the plasma
state is needed.
The program solicitation is accessible electronically through
the
NSF web page at:
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf99159
Deadlines:
Letter of Intent Requested: November 1, 1999
Proposal Submission via FastLane: January 12, 2000.
(courtesy of Steve Dean, FPA)
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3. Plasma Physics Junior Faculty Development Program
DOE Notice 99-26
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The Department of Energy has announced a solicitation for grant
applications
for the DOE Plasma Physics Junior Faculty Development Program.
The deadline
for application is January 20, 1999.
Details of the announcement can be found on the DOE web page at:
http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/fr99_26.html
Some relevant info from that notice:
SUMMARY: The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES) of the
Office of
Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy hereby announces its interest
in
receiving grant applications for support under its Plasma Physics
Junior
Faculty Development Program. Applications should be from tenure-track
faculty investigators who are currently involved in experimental
or
theoretical plasma physics research and should be submitted through
a U.S.
academic institution. The purpose of this program is to support
the
development of the individual research programs of exceptionally
talented
scientists and engineers early in their careers.
DATES: Formal applications in response to this notice should
be received on or before
January 20, 2000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Ronald McKnight, U.S.
Department of
Energy, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, Science Division, SC-55
(GTN),
19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, Maryland 20874-1290. Telephone:
(301)
903-4597. E-mail: ronald.mcknight@science.doe.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Plasma Physics Junior Faculty
Development
Program was started in FY 1997. A principal goal of this program
is to
identify exceptionally talented plasma faculty members early in
their
careers and assist and facilitate the development of their research
programs. Eligibility for awards under this notice is, therefore,
restricted to tenure-track regular academic faculty investigators
who are
conducting experimental or theoretical plasma physics research.
Applications from Junior Faculty involved in any areas of plasma
physics
research, not only magnetic fusion, are welcomed and encouraged.
Emphasis
is to be placed on basic plasma science research. For applications
to be
considered for funding, certification of the status of the applicant
as a
tenure-track regular academic faculty member by the head of the
applicant's academic department or other university/college certifying
official will be required before the grant is awarded. Awards
made under
this program will help to maintain the vitality of university
plasma
physics research and assure continued excellence in the teaching
of plasma
physics and related disciplines.
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4. UFA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS NAMED
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The balloting for new Executive Committee members of the University
Fusion
Association has been completed. The Executive Committee membership
(with year
of term end noted) is now:
Derek Boyd Maryland dboyd@ipr.umd.edu 2000
Paul Drake Michigan rpdrake@r.imap.itd.umich.edu 2000
Jeff Freidberg MIT freidberg@psfc.mit.edu 2000
Herb Berk Texas berk@peaches.ph.utexas.edu 2000
Paul Bellan Caltech pmb@romeo.caltech.edu 2001
Mike Brown Swarthmore mbrown3@swarthmore.edu 2001
Tom Jarboe Washington jarboe@aa.washington.edu 2001
Stan Luckhardt UCSD sluckhardt@ucsd.edu, 2001
Liu Chen UC Irvine liuchen@cui.edu 2002
Steve Knowlton Auburn knowlton@physics.auburn.ecu 2002
Arnold Kritz Lehigh kritz@plasma.physics.lehigh.edu 2002
Scott Robertson U Colorado robertso@stripe.colorado.edu. 2002
Officers:
Ray Fonck (Pres.) fonck@engr.wisc.edu
Tom Jarboe (Vice-Pres) jarboe@aa.washington.edu
Roger Bengston (Secr/treas.) bengtson@peaches.ph.utexas.edu
Mike Mauel (Emer. Pres.) mauel@columbia.edu
Many thanks to our outgoing members (John Cary, Dave Hammer,
Bill Heidbrink,
and Paul Terry) for their service and contributions over the past
several years!
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Please send comments/inquiries to
Ray Fonck fonck@engr.wisc.edu
Dept. of Engineering Physics 608-263-7799
University of Wisconsin-Madison
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