SLAC Today logo

Report on the SLUO trip to Washington DC, Wednesday at 11:00

Dear Friends,

We are writing on behalf of SLUO to cordially invite you to an informational meeting next Wednesday, April 19, at 11:00 am in the Redwood Room (Bldg. 48 at SLAC). At this event, we will present a summary of this year's annual SLAC/Fermilab Users' trip to Washington D.C. We will describe what we did and what we learned about the funding environment in the future, and provide some anecdotes from team members about their experiences.

Some background information: Each year, a team of users from SLAC and Fermilab travels to Washington D.C. to build relationships with members of Congress and their staff, and discuss particle physics and the physical sciences in general. Our government makes difficult decisions every year about the nation's budget priorities, and a goal of the annual DC trip is to inform these decisions by communicating to Congress our science, its role in society, and its benefits to the nation.

This is a watershed year for the physical sciences. A recent landmark National Academies report crystallized wide recognition of the importance of the physical sciences to the nation's competitiveness. Congress and the President are acting on the recommendations of this report and significantly increasing funding for the physical sciences. As a consequence, we as scientists have a rare opportunity to complete the utilization of existing facilities while making investments in future programs of importance to the field.

On Wednesday we will discuss these developments and what we learned about them while we were in Washington. Please join us at 11:00 in the Redwood room to learn more. Light refreshments will be provided.

Regards,
—Steve Sekula and Greg Madejski
   On behalf of the SLUO Trip to DC Team
   SLAC Today, April 18, 2006