Jefferson Lab Contract to be Awarded to Jefferson Science Associates, LLC

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, as the contractor for management and operation of the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The contract, which has a potential value of $2 billion, becomes effective on April 17, 2006.

"We have selected the team that we believe is best equipped to lead this important Office of Science laboratory for the department, and we look forward to working with them as they manage Jefferson Lab in support of the scientific community," said Dr. Raymond Orbach, Director of the Office of Science.

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 Science Associates, LLC is a joint venture between Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc., and CSC Applied Technologies, LLC, and brings the expertise of both companies to the management and operation of Jefferson Lab. Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc., with headquarters in Washington, D.C., brings a wealth of scientific expertise in the areas of nuclear physics and accelerator technology. CSC Applied Technologies LLC, with an office in Fort Worth, Texas, brings a strong background in operations and business management systems. Dr. Christoph Leemann will serve as the laboratory director.

"Both companies bring skills that will allow us to continue to raise the prominence of this laboratory, and we welcome Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, to the Office of Science team," Dr. Orbach said.

Jefferson Lab is the Office of Science's primary 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. The research program consists of investigation of the fundamental structure of matter and is home to United States' expertise in superconducting accelerator technologies. User facilities include the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility and the Free Electron Laser. Over 2,000 researchers from around the world use these facilities every year.

Jefferson Lab was established in 1984 and is located on a 206 acre site in Newport News, Virginia. Approximately 700 people are employed at the facility, which has an annual budget of about $100 million. For more information on current program activities, visit the website www.jlab.org.

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.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy