Chi-Chang’s Corner

Moving Forward After Funding Issues Resolved

March 1, 2007

Chi-Chang Kao
NSLS Department Chair
kao@bnl.gov

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The NSLS and the Laboratory as a whole appear to once again be in good financial standing for fiscal year 2007. On February 15, President Bush signed the $464 billion continuing resolution, previously approved by the House and Senate, that includes an additional $200 million for Office of Science programs for the remainder of FY07. We now expect substantial funding to begin research and development work for NSLS-II as well as an increase in NSLS operations funding. While we don’t know the exact amount the NSLS will receive, we’re optimistic, and will start to move forward on projects outlined in the Five-Year Plan. We’ll also resume our hiring effort to replace those transferred to the NSLS-II project. I thank all of the NSLS staff and users who brought our budget problems to the attention of their elected officials, particularly those in the Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group, who made a significant impression on the Hill.

Andrew Ackerman has been named the NSLS Environment, Safety, Health & Quality (ESH&Q) Manager, replacing Bob Casey. One of Andrew’s major tasks at the moment is ensuring that the NSLS comes into compliance with “10 CFR Part 851,” a section in the federal code rules that incorporates many ESH standards into federal law applicable to the DOE. The incorporated ESH standards include requirements for working with electrical power, lasers, pressure systems, chemicals, biological materials, and nano-materials. Andrew and the NSLS Mechanical Engineering personnel are currently reviewing the facility’s pressure vessels for 851 compliance. The requirements apply to both pressure and vacuum systems with significant stored energy and are directed at personnel safety and assurance that these systems are adequately designed and maintained.

We’ve also finished reviewing and improving the Beam Line Operations and Safety Awareness Training (BLOSA) forms, which were previously very difficult to maintain and update. The new forms are beamline-specific and will be updated by beamline staff members when there is a change in procedure. This will ensure that training for users is sufficient and updated in a timely fashion.

Industrial research, which accounts for about 6-7 percent of the NSLS both in terms of the number of users as well as beam time usage, is an area that we’re investigating for possible expansion as part of the Five-Year Plan. Kathy Nasta, the head of the User Administration Office, is leading a group of industrial users and NSLS staff members to survey and analyze the needs of industrial users and potential areas of growth, and make recommendations to the department. Please contact Kathy if you are interested in the study.

Finally, as part of our ongoing effort to increase workforce diversity at the NSLS, we’ve signed a memorandum of understanding with Hampton University, a historically black university in southeastern Virginia. This partnership is meant to encourage collaborative research, staff exchanges, and joint appointments between the NSLS and Hampton. I hope that establishing similar research and educational relationships with universities across the country will help expand our user base and allow us access to a new talent pool of employees for both the NSLS and NSLS-II.