2006 News Release
Under New Contract: JSA Assumes Management and Operation of Jefferson Lab
JLab Director and JSA President Christoph Leemann (front, from left) and Scott Mallette, DOE Thomas Jefferson Site Office Chief Operating Officer, sit for a photo after the document signing ceremony on May 31. On hand to witness the event were (back, from left) Brad Tippens, DOE Office of Science Program Manager for Medium Energy Nuclear Physics, Jeff Purnell, JSA board member and Vice President for Finance for CSC Applied Technologies; and Jerry Draayer, JSA board member and Southeastern Universities Research Association President and CEO.
JSA is a joint venture between Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc., and CSC Applied Technologies Division, LLC, and brings the expertise of both companies to the management and operation of Jefferson Lab. SURA, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., brings a wealth of scientific expertise in the areas of nuclear physics and accelerator technology. CSC Applied Technologies Division, LLC, with an office in Fort Worth, Texas, brings a strong background in operations and business management systems.
The DOE announced in January 2004 that it would compete the Jefferson Lab management and operation contract and published a final RFP (request for proposal) on December 13, 2005. The Department of Energy announced that it had selected JSA for the new management and operation contract for Jefferson Lab on April 12, and the new contract was signed on April 14. A 45-day transition period from SURA to JSA management and operation of the Lab ensued.
A small JSA/Jefferson Lab management team comprised of dedicated and experienced personnel began the process of transitioning the management and operation contract to JSA immediately after the DOE contract announcement was made. The team followed a detailed plan and master schedule, which outlined specific roles, responsibilities, milestones and actions that needed to be performed for a successful transition.
During a Lab tour before the signing ceremony, Sarah Phillips, a JLab user, explains her doctoral work with the G-Zero experiment collaboration in Hall C, one of JLab’s three experiment halls. Here she explains equipment for (from left) Joseph Scarcello, Vice President for Contract Administration for CSC Applied Technologies; Jeff Purnell, JSA board member and Vice President for Finance for CSC Applied Technologies; and JSA President and JLab Director Christoph Leemann.
"Of the many opportunities I have had to work through similar transitions, this has been the most successful, well-run transition I've ever been through. We were able to minimize the impact on staff and the everyday operation of the Lab. There were no surprises to our customers and very few surprises to the workforce," says Jefferson Lab's new Chief Operating Officer Mike Dallas.
Employees received new badges, attended JSA orientation sessions and completed JSA employment packages. A property inventory, a Lab-wide risk analysis and many other tasks were also performed. Safety remained a high priority throughout the process, with daily Toolbox Safety Topics made available. The transition period ended with the signing of the completion letter.
"Jefferson Lab staff, users and subcontractors remained focused on performing their jobs effectively and safely during these last 45 days, making the transition a smooth process. Now we are able to move Jefferson Lab into the future under the auspices of JSA," Leemann says.
JSA President and JLab Director Christoph Leemann takes a few minutes before the tour to explain the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) to Jeff Purnell, JSA board member and Vice President for Finance for CSC Applied Technologies; and Joseph Scarcello, Vice President for Contract Administration for CSC Applied Technologies, who provided oversight during the contract transition.
The contract consists of a five-year base period with a value of $500 million. The contractor may earn up to an additional 15 years based on performance, bringing the total contract value to $2 billion over 20 years.
Jefferson Lab is an Office of Science laboratory devoted to the study of nuclear physics. Its main focus is to understand how quarks - the basic building blocks of the nucleus of every atom - build up the matter around us. Jefferson Lab investigates the fundamental structure of matter and is also home to United States' expertise in superconducting accelerator technologies. User facilities include the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility and the Free-Electron Laser. More than 2,000 researchers from around the world are users of these facilities.
"Jefferson Lab has retained its outstanding nuclear physics and free-electron laser research programs, as well as its leadership in superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) technology. With the transition to JSA complete, we are in a position to continue and even enhance our world-class science to the benefit of future generations of researchers," says Anthony Thomas, Jefferson Lab's Chief Scientist.
Jefferson Lab was established in 1984 and is located on a 206 acre site in Newport News, Virginia. Approximately 600 people are employed at the facility, which has an annual budget of about $100 million.
The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, providing more than 40 percent of total funding for this vital area of national importance. It oversees and is the principal federal funding agency of the nation's research programs in high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion energy sciences.
Effective June 1, three CSC employees became JSA team members.
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility’s (Jefferson Lab’s) basic mission is to provide forefront scientific facilities, opportunities and leadership essential for discovering the fundamental structure of nuclear matter; to partner in industry to apply its advanced technology; and to serve the nation and its communities through education and public outreach. Jefferson Lab, located at 12000 Jefferson Avenue, is a Department of Energy Office of Science research facility managed by Jefferson Science Associates, LLC.