As announced previously, the National Science Foundation is
sponsoring a Town Meeting in Washington DC (November 2-4, 2007) to
discuss and develop the next phases of the study of a Deep
Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). The
site-independent scientific study group of Deep Underground Science
and Engineering (the so-called "S1" group) is organizing this event.
On Friday afternoon, November 2, we will hold an open meeting to
describe to interested federal officials and the press the scientific
and educational potential of DUSEL, and present the upcoming
site-specific technical design of the envisioned Homestake
laboratory. We hope that a large number of scientists will be present
to express their interest in the project.
From Saturday morning, November 3, to Sunday afternoon, November 4,
we are organizing a scientific workshop involving all underground
disciplines (Physics, Astrophysics, Biology, Earth Sciences and
Engineering) to focus on the next phases of the project.
The Saturday-Sunday meeting is critical in organizing the
conceptual/technical designs of the first suite of DUSEL experiments
for submission to the NSF Major Research Equipments and Facilities
program (MREFC) at the same time as the DUSEL facility. Such designs
will be supported by Solicitation 4, which will be discussed at
length during the week end. In addition we will give additional
technical input to the S3 design, further define the needed R&D,
explore the science and education before the MREFC approval and
during construction, and discuss coordination mechanisms with
existing national and international underground laboratories/sites,
national labs, funding agencies and other entities. This will be an
opportunity to further organize ourselves as a community and provide
input to the NSF process.
A web site is now up
http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/DUSEL/Town_meeting_DC07/
with practical information, a preliminary program, and a working group sign up page .
We have secured the venues
* Friday afternoon: National Academy of Sciences
* Saturday, Sunday: an hotel in central Washington DC, that
we will announce as soon as we have finished negotiation of the
contract.
As soon as this is done, we will open the registration and
accommodation page (target date October 1).
Meanwhile, it would help us greatly in our organization effort if you
signed up for working groups for the Scientific Workshop (if you plan
to come of course), and indicate whether you would like to give a
presentation and its tentative title. Note that this is not a
registration, you will have to come back to the web site after
October 1 (we will send a reminder). Please plan to come also to the
Friday afternoon event if at all possible.
We are currently discussing travel support with the NSF. Some will
definitely be available with priority to working group conveners and
younger scientists. We will also try to encourage a diverse
participation in the meeting. Further details will be available on
the web site very soon.
For questions or comments contact us at
inpac_response@cosmology.berkeley.edu or through the web site.
For the S1 team
Bernard Sadoulet