JEFFERSON LAB DOUBLES INVESTMENT IN PROOF OF PRINCIPLE R&D

Investors often talk of the need to grow their portfolios and diversify their investments when planning for the future. These financially sound principles are also being applied to research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.

“Every year since 2013, the laboratory has committed to providing resources to pursue emerging scientific and technological opportunities that support DOE’s mission,” said Jefferson Lab Director Stuart Henderson. “This year, we’re doubling our investment in the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program, so that we can continue to strategically grow our research capabilities in promising new directions.”

The LDRD program supports small-scale research projects that expand on the lab’s core scientific capabilities. It encourages conception and exploration of exciting opportunities toward proof-of-concept development of new scientific ideas, devices and facilities; advancement of new hypotheses; and innovative approaches toward scientific or technical problems.

Of 19 proposals submitted to the program, seven were selected for funding through the program’s competitive review process. Three projects are continuations of previous awards, and four projects are newly funded for fiscal year 2021, which began Oct. 1.

The projects encompass a wide range of topics, leveraging the lab’s unique expertise in its core competencies and establishing new collaborations with Virginia universities. This year’s projects include topics in accelerator research and development, machine learning applications for nuclear physics and quantum information science and technology.