January 14, 1998

FPN98-02 Fusion Program Notes

FESAC

A meeting of the DOE's Fusion Energy Advisory Committee (FESAC) will be held January 22, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, at the DOE's Germantown, MD auditorium. The meeting, originally scheduled for 2 days, has been descoped to 1 day.

Presentations will be made on "DOE Perspective" by DOE Director of Energy Research, Dr. Martha Krebs and on "Fusion Materials Research" by Dr. Bill Wiffen of the DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences. There will also be discussion of a draft "Strategic Plan for International Collaboration." FESAC was originally scheduled to discuss the final report of the "Grunder Panel" on ITER policy. However, the final report was so close to the interim report adopted by FESAC at its last meeting that it was decided to drop this from the agenda. It is expected that FESAC will receive a "charge" and appoint a panel to review the fusion structural materials program.

Persons wishing to make public comment at the meeting should contact Al Opdenaker: albert.opdenaker@mailgw.er.doe.gov

All the current members of FESAC have terms due to expire in August. Consequently, DOE is soliciting nominations for FESAC members for two year terms, beginning in August. DOE has guidelines for the selection of members of advisory committees, but regularly ignores them in appointing members of FESAC by granting themselves "exceptions" to the guidelines. Two of the guidelines, as provided by DOE, are:

1. Membership on advisory commitees must be fairly balanced. Consideration is given to such interests as geographic regions of the county; minority groups; women's organizations; public and private academic institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities; physically challenged individuals and groups; and the public at large.

2. Employees of DOE contractors that provide goods or services to any program under the control of an Assistant Secretary of Energy or Director of Energy Research, Federal Government employees, and more that one officer or employee of any corporation or other entity, including subsidiaries and affiliates thereof are not eligible.

Current members of FESAC are apparently eligible for reappointment. The current FESAC members are: John Sheffield (ORNL, Chair), Ira Bernstein (Yale), Richard Briggs (SAIC), Jim Callen (Wisconsin), Bob Conn (UCSD), Melissa Cray (LANL), Katherine Gebbie (NIST), Sam Harkness (Westinghouse), Richard Hazeltine (Texas), Joseph Johnson (Florida A&M), Charles Kennel (UCLA), Mike Knotek (ANL), John Lindl (LLNL), Earl Marmar (MIT), Bruce Montgomery (MIT), Marshall Rosenbluth (UCSD), Tony Taylor (GA), Nermin Uckan (ORNL), Stewart Zweben (PPPL), Bill Hogan (Ex-Officio, ANS), Ned Sautoff (Ex-Officio, IEEE).

In making nominations, it would probably be useful to include a brief statement of qualifications or reasons for your nomination. Send your suggestions to Al Opdenaker: albert.opdenaker@mailgw.er.doe.gov