Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

SLAC Users Organization MeetingJuly 6, 2004

Dr. Robin Staffin, Associate DirectorOffice of High Energy Physics

Office of Science, DOE

Perspectives from the DOE Office of High Energy Physics

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

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What are some of the things I have learned in the past year?

Design Build Maintain Take data Analyze Write & publish papers Public Outreach + What I missed

What is a User: a lot more than one who uses

A Great Partnership between theLaboratory and User Community

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

3

We’re just full of partnerships

Lab – Universities Lab – Lab Lab – DOE Lab – NSF DOE – NSF DOE – NASA DOE – NSF – White House DOE – NASA – White House DOE – NSF – NASA – White House Interests are not always initially aligned

Necessary for communication, consultation, and consensus

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

4

A few modest examples

Joint Dark Energy Mission DOE – NASA

Physics of the Universe Report White House – NSF – NASA – DOE

National Academy of Sciences Study of Elementary Particle Physics DOE – NSF

Governments and the Linear Collider UK – Germany – France – Italy – US – Canada – Japan – CERN – ?

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

5

Washington sees growing technical success at the HEP laboratories

• Tevatron Run II Peak Luminosities

• PEP-II Monthly Integrated Luminosities

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

6

How do we communicate that “we’re on the edge of something really big”?

Quantum Universe: a great start It is getting a lot of positive reviews It did what we asked for (and more) We intend to capitalize on it

Validation: Nothing like scientific discovery. Talk of discovery can get us only so far.

Priority of the broadest scientific community: NAS study, and YOUR efforts.

Dark energy, dark matter, neutrinos, EWSB, Supersymmetry…

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

7

Charting a Path for the Future

Well Known Fact: the HEP budget has not been keeping pace with inflation. Budgets are a year-to-year process.

Is there reason to believe this trend will not continue, absent extraordinary trends or national initiative?

Are there enough users for the experiments ongoing or on the way? (LHC, Run II, B Factory, BTeV, RSVP, JDEM…). Will users stay committed, will they vote with their feet, will it be overnight?

Is this community inclined to prioritize? To down-select? Will it, if asked by the funding agencies? Or, must government do it for the community? Figuring out the advisory process.

Community assistance to the funding agencies is essential for the long-term health and even the success of the field