Some Management Options for the Future of COMPRES and … · mission is to support Earth science...
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Some Management Options for the Future of COMPRES and GSECARS Carl B. Agee 1 , Mark L. Rivers 2 , Andrew J. Campbell 3 January 3, 2020 1 President, Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences (COMPRES), 2 Director, GeoSoilEnviro Center for Advanced Radiation Sources (GSECARS), 3 Chair, COMPRES Executive Committee Introduction The Consortium for Materials Properties Research in the Earth Sciences (COMPRES) and GeoSoilEnviro Center for Advanced Radiation Sources (GSECARS) are supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Earth Sciences Instrumentation and Facilities (EAR/IF) to operate national multi-user facilities, primarily at Department of Energy (DOE) synchrotron light sources, and to provide Earth scientists with access to world leading synchrotron-based techniques to answer major questions in Earth and planetary science research. Currently there is a synergistic relationship between COMPRES and GSECARS that benefits their combined and often overlapping communities of users, but the two organizations have distinctly different missions and management structures. As we look to the future and map our course for the coming decade, NSF EAR IF has requested that COMPRES and GSECARS explore the possibility of merging. The earliest timeframe for such a change would be 2022 when both organizations would be up for their respective 5-year renewals. At the 2019 COMPRES Annual Meeting held on August 4, in Big Sky, MT, a special session was held to announce this activity and discuss the pros and cons of such a merger in a public forum accessible to all meeting participants. Mark Rivers and Carl Agee gave presentations and the session was attended by approximately 100 participants with about 15 people voicing comments in the discussion. NSF representatives Sonia Esperança, Jennifer Wade, and Paul Raterron were also in attendance. NSF EAR IF has requested that COMPRES and GSECARS submit a report summarizing possible future relationships of the organizations by the end of 2019. To strengthen the objectivity of the report and allow examination of the question from an independent perspective, Dr. Peter Olson has agreed to form an ad hoc committee (with members from the COMPRES/GSECARS communities and neighboring disciplines) to review this report in draft form. To capture community input and to promote inclusiveness and transparency, the draft report has been circulated to the larger COMPRES/GSECARS community for comments. Thus, this report is a product of the authors Agee, Rivers, and Campbell, plus the Olson Committee and our greater stakeholder community. When NSF requested that COMPRES and GSECARS study the pros and cons of a potential merger, we were not told what the goals of such a merger should be. We believe that any potential merger should have the following goals, in order of decreasing importance:
Transcript of Some Management Options for the Future of COMPRES and … · mission is to support Earth science...
SomeManagementOptionsfortheFutureofCOMPRESandGSECARS
CarlB.Agee1,MarkL.Rivers2,AndrewJ.Campbell3
January3,2020
1President,ConsortiumforMaterialsPropertiesResearchinEarthSciences(COMPRES),2Director,GeoSoilEnviroCenterforAdvancedRadiationSources(GSECARS),3Chair,COMPRES
ExecutiveCommitteeIntroductionTheConsortiumforMaterialsPropertiesResearchintheEarthSciences(COMPRES)andGeoSoilEnviroCenterforAdvancedRadiationSources(GSECARS)aresupportedbytheNationalScienceFoundation(NSF)EarthSciencesInstrumentationandFacilities(EAR/IF)tooperatenationalmulti-userfacilities,primarilyatDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)synchrotronlightsources,andtoprovideEarthscientistswithaccesstoworldleadingsynchrotron-basedtechniquestoanswermajorquestionsinEarthandplanetaryscienceresearch.CurrentlythereisasynergisticrelationshipbetweenCOMPRESandGSECARSthatbenefitstheircombinedandoftenoverlappingcommunitiesofusers,butthetwoorganizationshavedistinctlydifferentmissionsandmanagementstructures.Aswelooktothefutureandmapourcourseforthecomingdecade,NSFEARIFhasrequestedthatCOMPRESandGSECARSexplorethepossibilityofmerging.Theearliesttimeframeforsuchachangewouldbe2022whenbothorganizationswouldbeupfortheirrespective5-yearrenewals.Atthe2019COMPRESAnnualMeetingheldonAugust4,inBigSky,MT,aspecialsessionwasheldtoannouncethisactivityanddiscusstheprosandconsofsuchamergerinapublicforumaccessibletoallmeetingparticipants.MarkRiversandCarlAgeegavepresentationsandthesessionwasattendedbyapproximately100participantswithabout15peoplevoicingcommentsinthediscussion.NSFrepresentativesSoniaEsperança,JenniferWade,andPaulRaterronwerealsoinattendance.NSFEARIFhasrequestedthatCOMPRESandGSECARSsubmitareportsummarizingpossiblefuturerelationshipsoftheorganizationsbytheendof2019.Tostrengthentheobjectivityofthereportandallowexaminationofthequestionfromanindependentperspective,Dr.PeterOlsonhasagreedtoformanadhoccommittee(withmembersfromtheCOMPRES/GSECARScommunitiesandneighboringdisciplines)toreviewthisreportindraftform.Tocapturecommunityinputandtopromoteinclusivenessandtransparency,thedraftreporthasbeencirculatedtothelargerCOMPRES/GSECARScommunityforcomments.Thus,thisreportisaproductoftheauthorsAgee,Rivers,andCampbell,plustheOlsonCommitteeandourgreaterstakeholdercommunity.WhenNSFrequestedthatCOMPRESandGSECARSstudytheprosandconsofapotentialmerger,wewerenottoldwhatthegoalsofsuchamergershouldbe.Webelievethatanypotentialmergershouldhavethefollowinggoals,inorderofdecreasingimportance:
- Enhancingtechnicaldevelopmentstoprovideopportunitiesfornewscience.Thisincludestakingadvantageofthetremendousopportunitiesofferedbynewandenhancedsources,suchasthecomingupgradestotheAPSandALS.
- Strengtheningthecommunitysupportforthesefacilitiesandguidanceforfutureexcitingareastopursue.
- ReducingtheadministrativeoverheadfortheNSF.- StreamliningadministrationofCOMPRESandGSECARS.
HerewedescribethecurrentmanagementstructuresofCOMPRESandGSECARS,andexplorethreemodelsforapossiblefuturemergerofthetwoorganizations,withadiscussionofprosandconsofeach,andcontrastswiththecurrentmanagementmodels.WebelievethatthecurrentorganizationofCOMPRESandGSECARSisservingthecommunitieswell,andthatourModel1,whichstrengthensformalcollaborationwhilelargelypreservingthecurrentmanagementstructure,isourpreferredmodelforthefuture.
MissionsofCOMPRESandGSECARSTheoverallmissionoftheConsortiumforMaterialsPropertiesResearchinEarthSciences(COMPRES)istoprovidefacilitiesandinfrastructuredevelopmentleadingtoanimprovedunderstandingoffundamentalprocessesonandwithintheEarthandotherplanetsbystudyingadiversespectrumofmaterialsundertherangeofthermodynamicconditionstowhichtheyaresubjectedinnature,includingthehighpressureandtemperatureconditionsthatexistintheinterioroftheEarth.COMPRESisaresearchsupportorganizationservingacommunityofeducationalandnot-for-profitUSinstitutionswithprogramsinmineralphysicsand/orrelatedfields.ThepurposeofthecurrentCOMPRESaward(NSFCooperativeAgreement)istoprovidefiveyearsofsupportforthemanagementandoperationofCOMPRESfacilities,infrastructuredevelopmentprojects,andeducationandoutreachprograms.TheoverallmissionofGeoSoilEnviroCARS(GSECARS)istoprovideanationaluserfacilityforfrontierresearchintheEarth,planetary,soilandenvironmentalsciencesusingsynchrotronradiationattheAdvancedPhotonSource(APS),andArgonneNationalLaboratory(ANL).GSECARSprovidesscientistsaccesstothehigh-brightnesshardX-raysfromtheAPS,athird-generationsynchrotronlightsourceatANL.GSECARSencompassesamuchlargervarietyoftechniquesandgeosciencedisciplinesthanCOMPRES.TheprimaryCOMPRESmissionisresearchonthepropertiesofEarthmaterials,andithasanemphasisonhigh-pressuremineralphysicsanddeepplanetaryinteriors.ThistypeofresearchisamajorthrustatGSECARSaswell,anditaccountsforabout55%oftheGSECARSbeamtime.However,theother45%ofthebeamtimeatGSECARS,usingthex-raymicroprobe,surfacesciencetechniques,ambientpressurepowderdiffraction,andmicrotomography,isdirectedtowardapplicationsinthefieldsofgeochemistry,petrology,shallowcrustalgeophysics,andplanetaryscience.WhereasCOMPRESisfocusedprimarilyonsupportingthemineralphysicscommunity,theGSECARSmissionistosupportEarthscienceresearchthatcanutilizesynchrotronresearchmorebroadly.Asaconsequence,GSECARSsupportsNSFfundedPIsfromanumberofsectionprogramswithintheEARdivision,includingGeobiologyandLow-TemperatureGeochemistry,Geophysics,PetrologyandGeochemistry,andSedimentaryGeologyandPaleobiology.CurrentManagementStructureofCOMPRESThehistoryofCOMPRESstartedwithaTownHallgatheringattheFall2000AGUMeetinginSanFranciscoorganizedbytheAGUMineralandRockPhysicsCommittee,andtheplanningcontinuedwithaworkshopattheScrippsInstitutionofOceanographyinLaJollainFebruary2001,andculminatedinasuccessfulproposaltotheNSFDivisionofEarthSciencesinAugust2001.InMay2002,aCooperativeAgreementwasestablishedthatfundedCOMPRESfrom2002-2007.Thiscooperativeagreementwasrenewedin2007(COMPRESII),2012(COMPRESIII,andin2016(COMPRESIV,thecurrentcooperativeagreement).COMPRESisledbyaPresident/CEO;pastPresidentswereRobertLiebermann(StonyBrookUniversity)andJayBass(UniversityofIllinois,Urbana-Champaign),thecurrentPresidentisCarlAgee(UniversityofNewMexico).TheCOMPRESgovernanceandmanagementstructureisaninterfacebetweenthescientificcommunity,fundingagenciesandtheprogramsofCOMPRES(Figure1).Anelectorate
consistingofmemberinstitutions(ratherthanindividuals)chartsthefutureandestablishesprioritiesoftheconsortiumviagovernanceprocessesclearlydefinedbytheCOMPRESBylaws.Currentlythereare70US-basedmemberinstitutions(Electorate).COMPREShasabicameralorganization,withthePresidentactingasPIoftheorganization,andthememberinstitutionsrepresentedbytheExecutiveCommitteeandtwostandingcommittees,theFacilitiesCommitteeandtheCommitteeonEducationandOutreachandInfrastructureDevelopment(EOID).ThePresidentofCOMPRESistheChiefExecutiveOfficeroftheorganizationandexecutesallcontractsandagreementsonbehalfoftheorganizationandcarriesoutthedirectivesoftheElectorate.InrelationshiptotheNSFCooperativeAgreement,thePresidentofCOMPRESalsoservesasthePrincipalInvestigator.ThePresidentisappointedbytheExecutiveCommittee,inconsultationwiththecognizantNSFProgramDirector,andwitharecommendationfromanadhocSearchCommittee.Historically,theCentralOfficeofCOMPRESandtheNSFCooperativeAgreementhaverotatedtothehomeinstitutionofthenewly-appointedPresident.UnderthecurrentCooperativeAgreement,theCOMPRESCentralOfficeislocatedattheUniversityofNewMexico.TheCentralOfficebudgetcovers9monthsoftheCOMPRESPresident’ssalary(Agee),and~50%ofstaffmembers’salaries(GloriaStatomandBethHa).TheUniversityofNewMexico(UNM)contributes1.25FTEtosupporttheCentralOfficesalaries.Inadditiontosalarycostsharing,UNMprovideshighqualityofficespaceandbasicservicesfortheCOMPRESofficesinNorthropHallonitsMainCampusinAlbuquerque.TheCOMPRESPresidentplaysthemajorleadershiproleintheorganization.Broadlyspeaking,thePresidentworkswiththeelectedcommittees,thecommunity,andadministrativesupporttoadvancethegoalsofCOMPRES.ThismissiononbehalfofitscommunityofmemberinstitutionsistofacilitatetheoperationofbeamlinesanduseofEarthsciencesfacilitiesatnationallaboratories,todevelopnewtechnologies,andtoadvocateforscienceandeducationalprograms.TheresponsibilitiesoftheCOMPRESPresidentinclude:
1. OverseesCOMPRESfacilities,educationoutreachandinfrastructuredevelopment(EOID)projects,andorganizestheCOMPRESannualmeeting.
2. CarriesoutthemainadministrativefunctionsofCOMPRES.3. NegotiatespartneruseragreementsandMOUswithnationallaboratoriesandother
partners.4. CreatesandauthorsCOMPRESrenewalproposalsandcooperativeagreementswith
NSF.5. LeadsthegovernanceofCOMPRES.6. CarriesoutcommunityadvocacyforCOMPRESbothwithinandoutsidethe
organization.7. LeadsthestrategicplanningactivitiesofCOMPRES.
TheExecutiveCommittee(5members)iselectedbytheCOMPRESElectorateandhasfullpowerinthemanagementoftheaffairsoftheConsortium,representingtheinterestsoftheresearchcommunityandtheconsortiummembers.TheresponsibilitiesoftheExecutive
Committeeincludecoordinationofactivities,meetings,workshops,andeducationalandoutreachprograms.TheExecutiveCommitteeauthorizestheCOMPRESbudgetannually,andmakesdecisionstoinitiateorterminateCOMPRESprojectswhenneeded.ThetwoCOMPRESStandingCommitteesarealsoelectedbytheCOMPRESElectorate.TheydeveloppoliciesandprovidedetailedoversightofthetwocoreactivitiesofCOMPRES.Theseare:1)TheFacilitiesCommittee(5-6members)whichevaluatestheeffectivenessoftheservicedeliveredbythecommunityfacilities,coordinatesbetweenfacilitiessoastomaximizethecommunity’seffectivenessinusingthesefacilities,considersthecommunity’sneedsandrecommendchangesinthelevelsofsupportofallpossiblecommunityfacilities,andformulatespartneruserproposalsforaccessingCOMPREScommunityfacilities.2)TheEducation,OutreachandInfrastructureDevelopment(EOID)Committee(4-6members)whichreviewsinfrastructuredevelopmentprojectsandallformsofeducationaloroutreacheffortsthataresupportedbyCOMPREStoassurethattheseprojectsservetheneedsofthecommunity,recommendswhetheraprojectshouldcontinueornot,andwhatchangesareneededtobettermeettheneedsofthecommunity,andalsoevaluatesproposalsbythecommunityfornewdevelopmentprojectsandmakesrecommendationsconcerningfunding.
Figure1.CurrentmanagementandorganizationalstructureofCOMPRES.TheNSFsupportsCOMPRESthroughaCooperativeAgreementforwhichtheCOMPRESPresidentisPrincipalInvestigator.COMPRESgovernanceisdefinedinitsbylaws.TheCOMPRESPresidentisthechiefexecutiveofficeroftheorganizationandimplementstheordersoftheExecutiveCommittee.TheExecutiveCommitteeiselectedbytheCOMPRESmemberinstitutions(Electorate)anditrepresentstheCOMPRESElectorateinmanagingtheaffairsoftheorganization.TheFacilitiesCommitteeandEOIDCommitteereporttotheCOMPRESExecutiveCommittee.TheCOMPRESPresidentandCentralOfficemonitorthescientific,technical,andfiscalperformancemetricsofallsub-awardsmadeunderthetermsoftheCooperativeAgreement,ensuringthatallNSFrequirementsareobserved.GreenboxesrepresentsourcesoffinancialsupportforCOMPRES.
COMPRESbeamlinescientistsandfacilitiesaresupportedthroughsub-awardstoPrincipalInvestigators,whoprovideintellectualandmanagerialleadership.Sub-awardPIsdonotreceivesalaryfortheconsiderabletimetheyputintomanagingCOMPRESfacilities,andtheytypicallycontributeadditionalresourcesfromtheirhomeinstitutionorfromresearchgrantsfromotherNSFprogramssuchasEARGeophysicsandEARPetrologyandGeochemistryorotherstateorfederalsources.Forexample,theStonyBrookUniversityMineralPhysicsInstitute(MPI)hasbeenalong-timesourceofpersonnelandequipmentsupporttoCOMPRES.Likewise,thehostinstitutionsofallCOMPRESsub-awardPIsprovideatleastsomesignificantlevelofin-kindsupport.Inaddition,COMPRESandtheChicagoDOEAllianceCenter(CDAC)haveanMOUthatprovidessupplementaryNationalNuclearSecurityAdministration(NNSA)supportfortheNSLS-IIFISbeamline.COMPRES-supportedbeamlinesareheavilysubsidizedbyDOEsynchrotronhostsattheAdvancedLightSource(ALS)atLawrenceBerkeleyNationalLaboratory,AdvancedPhotonSource(APS)atArgonneNationalLaboratory,andNationalSynchrotronLightSource-II(NSLS-II)atBrookhavenNationalLaboratory.Typically,abeamlinewillcostseveralmilliondollarsperyeartooperateandnoneofthiscostispassedontoCOMPRESoritsusers.COMPRESalsomanages“off-line”facilitiessuchasthelong-termMulti-AnvilDevelopmentprojecthostedatASU,aswellasshort-termEOIDprojectsthataretypically2-3yearsinduration.FacilitiesandprojectscurrentlymanagedbyCOMPRES
1. ALS12.2.2BeamlineDiamondAnvil(PI:QuentinWilliams,UCSantaCruz)2. APSBeamline6-BM-BMulti-anvil(PI:DonWeidner,MattWhitaker,StonyBrook)3. NSLS-IIXPDBeamlineMulti-anvil(PI:DonWeidner,MattWhitaker,StonyBrook)4. APSBeamline13-BM-CPX^2DiamondAnvil(PI:PrzemekDera,Univ.Hawaii)GSECARS
partnership5. APSGasLoadingforDiamondAnvil(PI:MarkRivers,Univ.Chicago)GSECARSpartnership6. APSSector3and30IXSDiamondAnvil,Mössbauer(PI:JayBass,UIUC)7. NSLS-IIFISIRBeamlineDiamondAnvil(PIs:RussellHemley,ZhenxianLiu,UIC)CDAC
partnership8. Multi-AnvilProject(PI:KurtLeinenweber,ASU)9. Deep-EarthLarge-VolumeExperimentation"DELVE”(Lead:YanbinWang,Univ.Chicago)10. MineralElasticityDatabase(PI:TomDuffy,PrincetonUniversity)
Table1showsthebeamlinesmanagedbyCOMPRES,withthefractionofthatbeamlineavailabletoCOMPRES.ThecurrentandfuturesourcesformostofthesebeamlinesareshowninFigure3.COMPRESbeamline
Fractionofbeamline Currentsource Futuresource
ALS12.2.2(diamondcell)
0.50 ALSsuper-bend(ALSSB). ALSupgradesuper-bend(ALS-USB)
NSLS-IIFIS(infrared)
0.50 NSLS-IIinfrared NSLS-IIinfrared
APS6-BM-B(multi-anvil)
0.50 APSbendingmagnet(APSBM) APSupgradebendingmagnet(APS-UBM)
NSLS-IIXPD(multi-anvil)
0.25 NSLS-IIdampingwiggler(NSLS-IIDW)
NSLS-IIsuperconductingwiggler(NSLS-IISCW)
APSSector3,30(nuclear,inelastic)
0.60 APSundulator APS-Uundulator
APS13-BM-CPX2(diamondcell)
0.35 APSbendingmagnet(APSBM) APS-Ubendingmagnet(APS-UBM)
Total 2.70 NotethatthePX2projectonAPS13-BM-CisrunjointlybyCOMPRESandGSECARSandreceivesabout70%ofthetime.Wehaveassigned0.35fractionofthisbeamlinetoCOMPRES,0.35toGSECARSaspartofPX2,and0.30toGSECARSforotherprograms.Currentlythereare9COMPRESsub-awards(#2and#3shareasubaward),7beamlinefacilities,and9beamlinescientists.TheCOMPRESannualbudgetis$2.4million.COMPRES-acknowledgedpeer-reviewedpublicationstotaled278fortheperiod2017-2018.CurrentManagementStructureofGSECARSCurrentlyGSECARSoperates4simultaneousbeamlinefacilitiesatSector13,with11scientificstaff,3post-docs,and3.5supportstaff.GSECARSwasdesignedandconstructedasacommunityfacility,beginningin1994.Thedesignwasacommunityeffortsupportedbyfivedesignteams,consistingofleadersinthefieldofeachtechnique.Thesewere:
1. Diamondanvilcell(RussHemley,BillBassett,DaveMao,Li-ChungMing,TomDuffy,GuoyinShen)
2. Largevolumepress(DonWeidner,JayBass,BillDurham,IvanGetting,KurtLeinenweber,MurliManghani,MikeVaughan,YanbinWang)
3. X-raydiffractionandscattering(JohnParise,LarryFinger,JosephPluth,CharlesPrewitt,JoeStucki,PeterEng,JVSmith)
4. X-rayabsorption(GlennWaychunas,GordonBrown,PaulBertcsh,FrancoisFarge,MattNewville)
5. X-raymicroprobeandmicrotomography(SteveSutton,MarkRivers,DarrellSchulz,KeithJones,IanSteele)
GSECARSisoneofthreesectorsattheAPSmanagedbytheUniversityofChicagoCenterforAdvancedRadiationSources(CARS).BioCARSislocatedatAPSsector14andisfundedbytheNIH,primarilyforultra-fasttime-resolvedstudiesofbiologicalsystems.ChemMatCARSislocatedatsector15,andisfundedbyNSFChemistryandMaterialsScienceforliquidsurface,micro-crystallographyandsmallanglescattering.MarkRiversiscurrentlytheExecutiveDirectorofCARS.TheGSECARSgovernanceandmanagementstructure(Figure2)hasasimpleinterfacebetweenthefundingagenciesandthePrincipalInvestigators(Co-DirectorsandBeamlineScientists)ofthecooperativeagreementandgrants.TheCo-DirectorsarethePIsoftheNSF-EAR-IFCooperativeAgreementwithacurrentannualbudgetof$2.97millionaccountingfor~75%ofGSECARSsupport.GSECARSstaffalsohavegrantsfromNSF-EAR(Geophysics,Petrology,andGeochemistry),DOE-BES-Geosciences,andNASA-SMD(LARS,SSERVI,ANGSA)makingup~25%ofGSECARSsupport.TheGSECARSDirectorsoverseesixTechnicalGroupsorganizedaroundthesixprincipaltechniquesinSector13.EachofthesegroupshasaseniorGSECARSstaffmemberasaleaderasshownbelow:
1. DiamondAnvilCell(VitaliPrakapenka,ResearchProfessor)2. Large-VolumePress(YanbinWang,ResearchProfessor)3. Microtomography(MarkRivers,ResearchProfessor)4. X-rayAbsorptionFineStructureSpectroscopy(MattNewville,ResearchProfessor)5. X-rayDiffractionandScattering(PeterEng,ResearchProfessor)6. X-rayFluorescenceMicroprobe(StephenSutton,ResearchProfessor)
Theseindividualshavetheresponsibilitytoleadthedevelopmentofscience,instrumentationandusercommunityintheirparticulararea.Inaddition,theleadersworkcloselywithuserstoensurethesuccessofexperiments(experimentdesign,experimentconduct,dataanalysis,etc.)andreceiveinputfromthemonpotentialnewscientificandtechnicaldirections.GSECARSstaffoftenplayleadingrolesintheorganizationofinternationalmeetingsandworkshopsoncutting-edgescientificandtechnicaldevelopmentscoveringentiretheGSECARS(includingCOMPRES)communityaswellasbeinginvolvedintechniquedevelopmentatothersynchrotrons.Thismanagementconfigurationhasworkedsuccessfullythroughoutthe23-yearhistoryofGSECARS.
GSECARSfundingproposalstoNSF-EARandotheragenciesidentifykeyscientificprojectstobepursued,andproposenewtechnicaldevelopments.BothactivitiesalwaysinvolvecollaborationswithmembersofthegeosciencecommunityoutsideofGSECARS.GSECARSencompassesamuchlargervarietyoftechniquesandgeosciencedisciplinesthanCOMPRES.TheprimaryCOMPRESmissionisresearchonthepropertiesofEarthmaterials,andithasanemphasisonhigh-pressuremineralphysicsanddeepplanetaryinteriors.ThistypeofresearchisamajorthrustatGSECARSaswell,anditaccountsforabout55%oftheGSECARSbeamtime.Theother45%ofthebeamtimeatGSECARS,usingthex-raymicroprobe,surfacesciencetechniques,ambientpressurepowderdiffraction,andmicrotomography,isdirectedtowardapplicationsinthefieldsofgeochemistry,petrology,shallowcrustalgeophysics,andplanetaryscience.WhereasCOMPRESisfocusedonsupportingthemineralphysicsEarthsciencecommunityprimarily,theGSECARSmissionistosupportEarthscienceresearchthatcanutilizesynchrotronresearchmorebroadly.Asaconsequence,GSECARSsupportsNSFfundedPIsfromanumberofsectionprogramswithintheEARdivision,includingGeobiologyandLow-TemperatureGeochemistry,Geophysics,PetrologyandGeochemistry,andSedimentaryGeologyandPaleobiology.SomeusersarefundedbyotherNSFdivisions,DOE,NASA,USDA,EPA,andotheragenciesandorganizations.GSECARShad908user-visitsand518uniqueusersin2018.Theserepresentover130uniqueinstitutions.TheGSECARSbeamlinesareheavilyoversubscribed,particularlyforthe13-ID-Dstationwiththelaser-heateddiamondanvilcelland1000-tonmulti-anvilpress,wheretheoversubscriptionisgreaterthan2.5.
Figure2.CurrentmanagementandorganizationalstructureofGSECARS.TheNSFsupportsGSECARSthroughaCooperativeAgreementforwhichtheGSECARSDirectorsareCo-PrincipalInvestigators.ThePrincipalInvestigatorsensurethatanefficientandeffectiveprojectgoverningstructureisinplacethroughouttheawardperiodtosupportallcriticalorsignificantprojectactivities.PIsalsoensurethatthepurposesoftheCooperativeAgreementarecarriedout,andensureefficientandeffectiveperformanceofallprojectresponsibilitiesbythegoverningcomponentsthroughouttheawardperiod.GreenboxesrepresentsourcesoffinancialsupportforGSECARS.GSECARSidentifieshigh-impactsciencetopursueintwoprincipalways.First,thestaffidentify“hottopics”throughdiscussionswithmembersofthescientificcommunityandusersoftheirbeamlines.Second,itallocatesbeamtimetoproposalsthathavebeenhighlyratedbyAPSreviewpanelscomposedofpeersrepresentingawiderangeinexpertise.Thestaffworkstodevelopthenewinstrumentationandmethodologiesneededtofacilitatethoseselectedprojects.Thus,researchprojectsallocatedbeamtimearehighly-ratedproposalsbyindependently-supported(manybyNSFand/orDOE)investigatorsandareoftenconductedascollaborationswithGSECARSstaff,anapproachthatmaximizestheeffectivenessandimpactoftheexperiments.GSECARS-acknowledgedpeer-reviewedpublicationstotaled331fortheperiod2017-2018.Table2showsthebeamlinesmanagedbyGSECARS,withthefractionofthatbeamlineavailabletoGSECARSusersGSECARSbeamline Fractionof
beamlineCurrentsource Futuresource
13-BM-D 1.00 APSbendingmagnet(APSBM)
APSupgradebendingmagnet(APS-UBM)
13-BM-C 0.65 APSbendingmagnet(APSBM)
APSupgradebendingmagnet(APS-UBM)
13-ID-C/D 1.00 APS30mmperiodundulator(APSU33)
APSupgrade28mmundulator(APS-UU28)
13-ID-E 1.00 APS36mmperiodundulator(APSU36)
APSupgrade33mmundulator(APS-UU33)
Total 3.65 (Seethenotefor13BM-CPX2withTable1above)SynchrotronSourcesforCOMPRESandGSECARSbeamlinesTheCOMPRESandGSECARSsynchrotronbeamlinesarelocatedattheAdvancedLightSource(ALS)atLawrenceBerkeleyNationalLaboratory,AdvancedPhotonSource(APS)atArgonneNationalLaboratory,andNationalSynchrotronLightSource-II(NSLS-II)atBrookhavenNationalLaboratory.TheseareallsynchrotronlightsourcesoperatedbytheDOEforthescientificcommunity.InFigure3weplotthebrightnessofthesesourcesasafunctionofx-rayenergy.
Thesourcesincludeundulators(NSLS-IIU20,APSU33,APS-UU28),wigglers(NSLS-IISCW,NSLS-IIDW),andbendingmagnets(APS-BM,APS-UBM,ALSSB,ALS-USB).Brightnessisthefigureofmeritthatdeterminesthenumberofphotonsthatcanbefocusedtoasmallspotwithagivendivergenceandenergybandwidth.Itisthustherelevantfigureofmeritformanyofthegeosciencebeamlinessuchasdiamondanvilcelldiffraction,andx-raymicroprobesandmicrospectroscopy.Notethatthesourcesdifferbynearly8ordersofmagnitude.ThefuturesourcesincludetheAPS-Uupgrade,theALS-Uupgrade,andtheNSLS-IIsuperconductingwiggler.TheAPSupgradewillreplacetheentireacceleratorin2022withanewdesignwithamuchsmallerelectronbeamsizeinthehorizontaldirection,andover100timesgreaterbrightnessontheundulatorbeamlines.Thiswillpermit100timesmorephotonstobefocusedintothesamespotsizeastoday,orafocalspot10xsmallerineachdirectionwiththesamenumberofphotonsastoday.TheALS-Uupgradewillsimilarlydecreasethesizeoftheelectronbeam,butforthesuperbendbeamline12.2.2thatCOMPRESusesitwilldecreasethemagneticfield,reducingthebrightnessathighenergy.TheNSLS-IIsuperconductingwigglerwillbeanewsourcewithmuchhigherbrightnessthanthedampingwigglerthatCOMPREScurrentlyusesontheXPDbeamline.
Figure3.BrightnessofsourcesforanumberofcurrentandfutureCOMPRESandGSECARSbeamlines.Currentsourcesareplottedassolidlines,andfuturesourcesaredashed.TheNSLS-IIsourcesareblue,APSisblack,andALSisred.CurrentRelationshipbetweenCOMPRESandGSECARSCOMPRESandGSECARSarecomplementaryorganizationsthatcollaboratecloselythroughcoordinationofcommunitydevelopmentactivities,andthedesign,constructionandoperationofadvancedinstrumentation.MarkRivers,Co-DirectorofGSECARS,iscurrentlytheelectedChairoftheCOMPRESFacilitiesCommitteefor2018-2021.AttheendofhiscurrenttermRiverswillhaveservedeitherasChairorRegularMemberoftheCOMPRESFacilitiesCommitteeforatotalof14yearsoutofthe20yearsCOMPRES’existance.GSECARSparticipatesintheCOMPRESannualmeetingwithpresentationsonoverallGSECARSstatus.TheCOMPRESFacilitiesCommitteehashadsitevisitsatGSECARSandprovidedadvicetoitsdirectorsonoperationsandfuturedirections.COMPRESandGSECARShaveformedtwosuccessfulpartnershipsattheGSECARSAPSbeamline:1)PartnershipforeXtremeXtallography(PX^2)whichisaCOMPRESsub-awardtotheUniversityofHawaii(PI,PrzemekDera);and2)APSGasLoadingFacilityforDACwhichisaCOMPRESsub-awardtotheUniversityofChicago(PI,MarkRivers).ThePX2projectuses~70%ofthebeamtimeontheGSECARS13-BM-Cstationfordiamondanvilcellexperiments,particularlyforsingle-crystaldiffraction.ThiseffortfollowedtheclosingoftwoCOMPRES-operateddiamond-anvilcellbeamlinesattheNSLS(X-17CandX-17B3)inSeptember2014whentheNSLSceasedoperations.GSECARSupgradedthe13-BM-Cmonochromatortoalsoallowoperatingat28.6keV,andCOMPRESinvestedabout$180Ktoaddx-raymicro-focusingoptics,cleanupslits,resistiveheating,membraneremotepressurecontrol,andanopticalplatformforsampleviewing,laserheating,andopticalspectroscopy.In2018COMPRESandGSECARSjointlyfundedaPilatus3S1Mdetectorwhichgreatlyreduceddatacollectiontime,improvedsignal/noise,andenhanceduserexperienceatthefacility.ThegasloadingfacilityhasbeenapartnershipprojectbetweenCOMPRESandGSECARSsince2006.Byprovidingacapabilityforuserstoloadinert,nearlyhydrostaticpressuremediaintheirexperiments,thisfacilityhasgreatlyimprovedtheprecisionofmanyhighpressureexperiments.COMPREScurrentlyfunds~50%ofSergeyTkachev’ssalarytoprovideamail-inservicetoloadcellsfornon-APSusers,andtoassistusersfromnon-GSECARSbeamlineswithloadingtheircells.COMPRESrecentlyfundedthepurchaseofastate-of-the-artAxisProAPSSmicromanipulatorlocatedinthelaserlaboratoryatGSECARS.ThisisavailabletotheentireCOMPREShigh-pressurecommunity,notjustusersofGSECARS.COMPRESandGSECARSusercommunitiesCOMPRESandGSECARShaveoverlappingbutdifferentusercommunities.ManyofthemineralphysicistswhousetheCOMPRESbeamlinesalsousetheGSECARSbeamlines.However,thereisalargecommunityofnon-highpressureuserswhoonlyuseGSECARSanddononconsiderthemselvesmembersoftheCOMPREScommunity.COMPRESisfocusedlargelyondeepEarthandplanetaryprocesses,andwebelievethatstrongfocushasbuiltastrongcommunitythatgovernsitselfwellandparticipatesenthusiasticallyinitsannualmeeting.TheGSECARScommunityismuchbroader.IntheModels2and3thatwepresentbelowwithCOMPRESandGSECARSbeinggovernedsimilarlytoCOMPREStoday,butwithamuchexpandedscopeand
thuscommunitymembership,wefeelthereisarealdangeroflossofthecommunityidentities.Wouldsuchanexpandedcommunityparticipateinanannualmeetingwithamuchbroaderscope?Wouldthemembersfromonescientificfieldfeelthatitsinterestswerebeingfairlyrepresentedinanexpandedelectorate?ProsandConsoftheCurrentManagementStructuresofCOMPRESandGSECARSPros
1. ThedistinctCOMPRESandGSECARSusercommunitiesappeartobesatisfiedandwellservedbythecurrentstructure.Theusersatisfactionsurveyresultsindicatestrongsupportforthewaythefacilitiesarecurrentlybeingrun.
2. COMPREShasbeenoperatingsuccessfullyunderthecurrentmanagementstructurefor17years(established2002),nowwith9COMPRESsub-awardsand7beamlinefacilitiesdistributedbetween3DOEsynchrotrons,with~140publicationsperyear.
3. COMPRESandGSECARShavecollaboratedsuccessfullyfor17yearstothebenefitofthecommunity.
4. COMPREShaswelldefinedgovernancethroughitsbylaws.5. COMPREShas70memberinstitutions.6. COMPREShasanExecutiveCommitteeelectedbyitsmembership.7. COMPREShasaPresidentthatcarriesoutthedirectivesoftheExecutiveCommittee.
ThePresidentisappointedbytheExecutiveCommitteeinconsultationwithNSFthroughrecommendationsfromanadhocsearchcommittee.
8. COMPREShasaFacilitiesCommitteeandanEOIDCommitteeelectedbyitsmembership.
9. COMPRESCentralOfficebenefitsfromsupportofitshomeinstitutionUniversityofNewMexico.
10. COMPRESsupportsanAnnualMeetingand2-3communityworkshopsperyear.11. COMPRESsub-awardPIsarestakeholdersintheenterpriseandsub-awardsarea
mechanismforenhancingdirectcommunityparticipationandstewardshipinCOMPRESfacilitiesandEOID.
12. GSECARShasbeenoperatingsuccessfullyunderthecurrentmanagementstructurefor23years(established1996),withcurrently>800uservisitsperyearand>165publicationsperyear.GSECARSisconsistentlyinthetop10%ofAPSsectorsinpublicationsperyear,andconsistentlyisjudgedtobeoneofthebestmanagedCollaboratingAccessTeamsinthereviewsbytheAPSScientificAdvisoryCommittee.
13. GSECARShasasimple,streamlinedgovernanceandmanagementstructurewithasingledirectreportofitsDirectorstoNSFEARIF;therearenosub-awardmanagementtasks.
14. GSECARSformallyinvolvesthecommunityincollaborativescientificandtechnicalprojectsinitsfundingproposals.GSECARSalsofrequentlyhostscommunityworkshopsdevotedtodevelopingnewtechniquesandnewsciencedirections.Theseworkshopsprovidecommunityinputtothenewdirectionsthefacilityshouldpursue.
15. TheGSECARSadministrativecostsareverylow.Thereisoneadministrativestaffmember,NancyLazarz,whohandlestheusersupportforallofthe800+user-visitsperyear,purchasing,humanresources,publicationdatabase,andmanyothertasks.Over60%ofNancy’stimeisusersupport,whichissomethingthattheCOMPREScentral
officedoesnothandle.RiversandSutton,thePIandCo-PIontheGSECARSNSF-EARawards,spendmostoftheirtimeasbeamlinescientistsworkingwithusers,anddoingtechnicaldevelopments.Theactualadministrativecosts(40%ofLazarz,10%eachofRiversandSutton)isabout$130K/year,orabout5%oftheGSECARSbudget.
16. GSECARSbenefitsfromtheCARSofficeandthePhysicalSciencesDivisionattheUniversityofChicagowhichprovidemonetaryandadministrativestaffsupport.
17. GSECARShasco-locatedbeamlineswhichallowseaseofaccessforusers,andthecentralfacilitymodelthatoptimizesbeamlinepersonnel,equipmentupgrades,andtechnicalsupport.
Cons1. Despitetheiroverlappingcommunities,COMPRESandGSECARSlackaformalprocessor
managementstructuretocoordinatecollaborativeefforts,futureplanning,sharingofresources,andmitigationofduplicationofeffort.
2. Becauseofitssubawardstructure,COMPRESleadershiplacksfine-grainedcontroloverthedailyoperationsofitsprojects.Evensomecriticaldecisions,namelyhiringofbeamlinepersonnel,restprimarilywiththesubawardPIs.
3. GSECARSlacksanExecutiveCommitteeand/orFacilityCommitteethatwouldprovideformalcommunityparticipationinmanagingtheaffairsoftheorganization.
WhilewebelievethatthecurrentmanagementstructuresofCOMPRESandGSECARShaveservedbothoftheseorganizationsandtheiruserbaseswellforthepasttwodecades,thereisalwaysroomforimprovement.Inparticular,asdescribedabove,bothCOMPRESandGSECARSwouldbenefitfrommanagementstructuresthatpromotecoordinationbetweenthetwoorganizations.BelowweexploretheprosandconsofthreemanagementmodelsthatmergesomeorallaspectsofCOMPRESandGSECARS.Model1.TwoInstitutionswithFormalCoordinationThisoptionwouldpreservemostoftheexistingmanagementstructureofCOMPRESandGSECARS,whileformalizingthecoordinationbetweenthetwoorganizations.ThisoptionpreservesthedirectreportsofCOMPRESandGSECARStoNSFEARIFaswellasseparateCooperativeAgreementsandbudgets.Ideally,theNSFreviewsandfundingforbothorganizationswouldbeplacedonthesamecycle.ThisoptionalsoleavesintacttheuniqueorganizationalidentitiesofCOMPRESandGSECARSwhicharethelong-livedproductsof17and23years,respectively,ofsuccessfuloperations.Thechangeswouldbe:
1. GSECARSwouldestablishaformalAdvisoryCommitteetoprovideadviceonscientificdirectionsandhowbesttoservethecommunity.ThiscommitteewouldhaverepresentativesfromeachoftheEarthsciencesdisciplinesandtechniquesatGSECARS.ItwouldalsohaveformalrepresentationfromCOMPRES,forexampletheCOMPRESPresidentandtheChairoftheExecutiveCommittee.NotethatinthepasttheCOMPRESPresidentwasamemberoftheCARSBoardofGovernors,butthatbodywasdissolvedin2013.
2. COMPRESwouldamenditsby-lawstoformalizerepresentationoftheGSECARSDirectorsontheCOMPRESExecutiveCommittee.
ProsandConsofModel1Pros
1. PreservesthedistinctGSECARSandCOMPRESusercommunitiesandorganizationalstructurethatthecommunitiesbelievearedoinganexcellentjobservingtheirinterests.
2. ProvidesCOMPRESandGSECARSwithaformalmechanismtocoordinatecollaborativeefforts,futureplanning,sharingofresources,andmitigationofduplicationofeffort.
3. Preservesthesuccessfuloperationsofbothinstitutions,inwhichdifferentmanagementstructuresaddressdifferent(butoverlapping)goalsandusercommunities.
Cons1. SeparateCooperativeAgreements,budgets,andexternalreviewpanelsdonotreduce
administrativeworkloadforNSF.Model2.TwoInstitutionswithCommonGovernanceThismodel(Figure4)startswithModel1above,butinadditiontheDirectorsofGSECARSwouldreporttothenewExecutiveCommitteeandbesubjecttothenewCOMPRESby-laws,whichwouldbeupdatedandrevisedinaccordwithGSECARScomingunderitsumbrella.GSECARSfacilitieswouldbesubjecttoannualreviewsbytheFacilitiesCommittee.TheGSECARSbudgetwouldbesubjecttoapprovalbytheExecutiveCommittee.TheGSECARSDirectorsandtheCOMPRESPresidentwouldnormallybepresentatallmeetingsoftheExecutiveCommittee.Inthecaseofleadershipsuccession,theGSECARSDirectorswouldbeappointedbytheExecutiveCommittee,inconsultationwiththeDeanofPhysicalSciencesattheUniversityofChicago,cognizantNSFProgramDirector,andwitharecommendationfromanadhocSearchCommittee.
Figure4.“TwoInstitutionswithCommonGovernance”isanorganizationaltransformationthatwouldcreateamanagementstructurethatpreservesseparateorparallelNSFcooperativeagreementsandbudgetsforCOMPRESandGSECARS,howeverthetwoorganizationswouldbeformallyjoinedbyandsubjecttoCOMPRES-likecommunitygovernance.COMPRES*denotesupdatedandrevisedBylaws.ProsandConsofModel2Pros
1. ProvidesCOMPRESandGSECARSacommongovernancestructuretocoordinatecollaborativeefforts,futureplanning,andeliminateduplicateefforts.
2. ProvidesGSECARSwithanExecutiveCommitteewithformalcommunityparticipationinmanagementoftheaffairsoftheorganization.
3. ProvidesGSECARSwithaFacilitiesCommitteethatwouldevaluatetheeffectivenessoftheservicedeliveredbytheorganization’sfacilities,andwouldmakerecommendationsonthecommunity’sresearchneedsandfuturedirections.
4. ProvidescommunityinputintotheGSECARSsuccessionprocessforDirectorsoftheorganization.
5. PreservestheuniqueorganizationalidentitiesofCOMPRESandGSECARS.Cons
1. ExecutiveCommitteewouldonlyadvisetheNSF-EAR-IFportionofGSECARS.2. COMPRESwouldneedtofundamentallychangeitsmembershiptoreflectthebroader,
non-mineralphysicscommunitythatcomprisesalargefractionofGSECARSusers.Webelievethisrunstherealriskofcreatingalesscohesiveusercommunitythancurrentlyexists.AlargepartofthesuccessofthecurrentcommunitygovernanceofCOMPRESarisesfromthefactthatitisrelativelytight-knit,andcomestogethereachyeartodiscussissuesattheannualmeeting.Weareveryconcernedthatwithamorediversecommunityitwouldbedifficulttomaintaintheattendanceattheannualmeetingandthebuy-intothegovernancestructure.TheCOMPRESbylawswouldneedtobemodifiedtoensurethatitprotectsneedsofthebroadercommunityofEarthscienceresearchersusingtheseresources,andnewmemberinstitutions,newelectors,andnewCOMPRESofficerswouldneedtobechosen.
3. TheGSECARSawardhasalwaysbeentotheUniversityofChicago,whichthusholdstitletotheequipment.AllGSECARSstaffareemployedbytheUniversityofChicago.IfCOMPRESExecutiveCommitteechoosestheGSECARSdirectors,willtheybeconstrainedtoselectindividualsfromtheUniversityofChicago?Ifnot,therewillbesignificantissuesinstaffreportingandequipmentownership.
4. ThismodelonlyaddressesthefundingfromNSF-EAR.However,over25percentofthefundingatGSECARSisfromothersources.
5. WorkloadsfortheExecutiveCommitteeandFacilitiesCommitteewillincrease.6. SeparateCooperativeAgreements,budgets,andexternalreviewpanelsdonotreduce
administrativeworkloadforNSF.
Model3.UnifiedConsortiumforEarthMaterialsResearchThisstructuraltransformationwouldhaveasitsprimarygoaltounifyCOMPRESandGSECARSunderasingleorganizationinordertofullycoordinateNSFEARsynchrotronfacilities,streamlinemanagementandreduceadministrativeburdenforNSF(Figure5).
Figure5.“UnifiedConsortiumOption”isatransformationthatwouldcreateamanagementstructurethatisa“large-tent”organization,withasingleNSFCooperativeAgreement.Itwouldretainmostofthecommunity-basedgovernancebasedonCOMPRESmodel,andaCOMPRES-likeCentralOffice,withPresident/PrincipalInvestigator.GSECARSwouldtransformintoanumbrellaAPS/ANLCentralFacilitywithintheUnifiedConsortium.TheUnifiedManagementoptionhasasingledirectreporttoNSFEARIFbyaPresident/PrincipalInvestigatorwithasingleCooperativeAgreementandbudget.Thegovernanceis“COMPRES-like”withbylaws,anExecutiveCommittee,andStandingCommittees.ReportingtothePresidentareinstitutionalsub-awardsthatsupportthefacilitiesandEOIDprojects.IntheexampleshowninFigure5,thefacilitiesmaintainautonomythroughsub-awardsandarereducedinnumberto3tominimizeandstreamlineadministrativeburdenandtoenhancelocalcoordinationofhumanresources,equipment,technicaldevelopment,newinitiatives,andpartneruseragreements.Inthisexample,eachofthethreesynchrotronsALS,APS,andNSLS-II,wouldhaveasinglecentralfacilitysub-award.InthecaseofGSECARSitwouldbetransformedintotheAPSCentralFacilitywhichincludesthecurrentSector13operationbutalsoanyotherEarthscience-focusedfacilityorbeamlinethatwouldcomeundertheUnifiedConsortiumorganizationalumbrellaatAPS.Atthetwoothersynchrotrons,therewouldbetheALSCentralFacilitysub-awardandNSLS-IICentralFacilitiessub-award.EOIDprojectsupportintheUnifiedConsortiumoptionwouldstayunchanged,withthepossibilityof
multipleinstitutionshavingsub-awards,asisthecasecurrently.TheUnifiedConsortiumoptiondoesnotdependonreducingthenumberoffacilitysub-awards;analternateexamplewouldbetopreservethecurrent6COMPRESfacilitysub-awardsplusthecurrentGSECARS.However,theUnifiedConsortiumoptionwouldbemorestreamlinedwithjust3facilitysub-awardstooversee.AsingleCooperativeAgreement,budget,andpanelreviewwouldrepresentareductioninadministrativeburdenforNSF.Table3showstheCOMPRESandGSECARSfacilities,unitsandprojectsthatarefundedbyNSFEARIF.
Table3summarizesalloftheCOMPRESandGSECARSfacilities,unitsandprojectsthatarefundedbyNSFEARIF.GSECARSmaintains3.65beamlinesatAPSwithatotalfundedstaffof14.5FTE.COMPRESontheotherhand,runs2.7beamlinesat3synchrotrons,with9beamlinescientistsand1.75FTEfortheCentralOffice.Thelion’sshareofthecombinedGSECARSandCOMPRESbeamlinesarelocatedattheAPS(80%),whichwouldmakeanAPSCentralFacilitythecenterpieceoftheUnifiedConsortiummodel.OneofthereasonswhyAPShasattractedmostoftheEAR-fundedbeamlinesisbecausetheAPSundulatorbeamlinesaremorethan10timesbrighterthanbeamlinesatanyotherDOEsynchrotronfacility,andthebendingmagnetbeamlineshavehigherenergythantheALS(Figure3).However,theveryproductivepublicationrecordoftheCOMPRESALS12.2.2beamlinearguesthatmaintaininganEAR-fundedpresencethere,nowandinthefuture,isagoodinvestmentforourresearchcommunity.Likewise,theuniquecapabilityattheNSLS-IIFrontierSynchrotronInfraredSpectroscopy(FIS)beamlineshouldbeconsideredahighlyvaluableresearchasset,aswellasfutureopportunitiesatNSLS-IIsuchastheHighEnergyEngineeringX-RayScattering(HEX)beamline.Furthermore,“offline”projectssuchasthecurrentASUmulti-anvilprojectdonotbenefitfrombeinglocatedataDOEsynchrotron.ThiswouldalsobethecaseforafutureVeryLargeMulti-AnvilPress(VLMAP)UserFacilityforsynthesisofEarthmantlemineralsandnovelsuperhardmaterialsforhighpressureresearch.
Figure5.ThepiediagramontheleftshowsthedistributionofthecombinedCOMPRES(red)andGSECARS(blue)budget.PiediagramontherightshowsapossiblebudgetdistributionforaUnifiedConsortiumforEarthMaterialsResearchbasedonthecurrentcombinedbudget.Figure5summarizesthecombined2019budgetdistributionofCOMPRESandGSECARSandshowsthatGSECARSreceives55%ofthecombinedbudgetwhileCOMPRESreceives45%.IntheUnifiedConsortiummodel,67%ofthetotalbudgetwouldflowtotheAPSCentralFacilities,assumingthecurrentbeamlinedistribution.TheothertwoCentralFacilitieswouldreceive17%ofthetotalbudget,withtheCentralOfficereceiving10%.OneoptionfortheCentralOfficewouldfollowtheCOMPRESmodelandlocateitatthehomeinstitutionofthePresident/PIsoitslocationwouldperiodicallychange,instepwiththesuccessionprocess.Alternatively,theCentralOfficecouldbeco-locatedattheinstitutionwiththelargestCentralFacility;currentlythatwouldbetheUniversityofChicago.ThissecondoptionissimilartotheoriginalCOMPRESorganizationalstructurewhenStonyBrookUniversityhadboththeCentralOfficeonitscampusandalsohadthelargestCOMPRESsub-awardatnearbyNSLS.Ontheotherhand,proximityofacentralofficeorheadquartersrelativetoitsbranchesorfieldinstallationsisnotalwaysamajorfactorinthestructuralviabilityofanorganization.ProsandConsoftheUnifiedConsortiumOptionPros
1. CreatesafullycoordinatedorganizationforallNSFEARsynchrotronfacilities.2. TransformsCOMPRESandGSECARSintoabig-tentorganization.TheUnifiedConsortium
organizationwouldencompassEarthmaterialsresearchbeyondhighpressuremineralphysics,whichCOMPRESiscurrentlylimitedto.
3. Providesastreamlined,moreefficientmanagementstructurewithbylaws,ExecutiveCommittee,President/PI,singleNSFCooperativeAgreement,singlebudget,andsinglereviewpanel.
4. Hasthepotentialtostreamlineandreducethenumberoffacilitysub-awards.5. CreatesoverarchingsingleCentralFacilityateachofthe3synchrotronsthatcould
enhancelocalcoordinationofhumanresources,equipment,technicaldevelopment,newinitiatives,andpartneruseragreements.
6. ReducestheadministrativeburdenonNSF.Cons
1. SurrendersthecurrentuniqueorganizationalidentitiesofCOMPRESandGSECARSestablishedover17and23yearsofsuccessfulmanagement,respectively.
2. RequiressignificantefforttoformandmanageaneworganizationthatrepresentstheinterestsofmuchbroadercommunitythanthecurrentCOMPRESmembership.Webelievethisrunstherealriskofcreatingalesscohesiveusercommunitythancurrentlyexists.AlargepartofthesuccessofthecurrentcommunitygovernanceofCOMPRESarisesfromthefactthatitisrelativelytight-knit,andcomestogethereachyeartodiscussissuesattheannualmeeting.Weareveryconcernedthatwithamorediversecommunityitwouldbedifficulttomaintaintheattendanceattheannualmeetingandthebuy-intothegovernancestructure.TheCOMPRESbylawswouldneedtobemodifiedtoensurethatitprotectsneedsofthebroadercommunityofEarthscienceresearchersusingtheseresources,andnewmemberinstitutions,newelectors,andnewCOMPRESofficerswouldneedtobechosen.
3. TheGSECARSawardhasalwaysbeentotheUniversityofChicago,whichthusholdstitletotheequipment.Likewise,theUniversityofNewMexiconowholdstitletoallrecentlypurchasedCOMPRESequipment.Resolvingequipmentownership,staffing,andagreementswithsynchrotronfacilitiescouldbeapotentialchallengewithanewUnifiedConsortium.
4. WorkloadfortheExecutiveandFacilitiesCommitteeswillsignificantlyincrease.SummaryThiswhitepaperlaysoutpossiblemanagementscenariosintendedtoenhancetheinteractionbetweenCOMPRESandGSECARSandtostreamlinetheiroperations.Italsocomparesandcontraststhesescenarioswiththecurrentmanagementstructuresofthetwoorganizations,offeringsome“pros”and“cons”witheachoption.GiventhesuccessfulhistoryofCOMPRESandGSECARSspanning17and23years,respectively,itisnotsurprisingthatweidentifiedmanymore“pros”than“cons”forthecurrentorganizationalconfigurations.However,bothCOMPRESandGSECARSwouldbenefitfrommanagementstructuresthatpromotecoordinationbetweenthetwoorganizations.Models1and2formallysatisfythisneed,whileatthesametimepreservestheuniqueorganizationalidentitiesofCOMPRESandGSECARS.Ontheotherhand,Model3representsatotalunificationofthetwoorganizationswithasingledirectreporttoNSFEARIFandtothememberinstitutions’electedExecutiveCommittee,withagoaloflessadministrationfromNSFandmoreefficientoperations.
AppendixAdhocreviewcommitteemembershipPeterOlson,JohnsHopkinsUniversity(Chair)PeterHeaney,PennStateUniversityMiakiIshii,HarvardUniversityJamesTyburczy,ArizonaStateUniversityMichaelWalter,GeophysicalLaboratory
