Perspective from Princeton August 15, 2007 Stew Smith Dean for Research

Perspective from Princeton

August 15, 2007Stew SmithDean for Research

August 15, 2007 2DOE-SC Review of the NCSX Project

Princeton’s Relationship to PPPL

• For more than 50 years, Princeton has managed and operated what is now PPPL• Born as Project Matterhorn (Spitzer and Wheeler) under DOD

• Controlled fusion part transferring to the AEC in the 1950’s.

• From the beginning, PPPL has benefited from strong University connections in Physics, Astrophysical Sciences, and Engineering departments.

• Large, outstanding Graduate Program in plasma physics.

• Highly distinguished plasma-physics faculty.

• PPPL has invented a series of successful experimental facilities, culminating in TFTR and NSTX.

• The graduate Plasma Physics program has trained a good fraction of the leaders of the field.


Historical Princeton Oversight of PPPL

• University has always provided strong administrative management.

• However, till recently responsibility for science, technology, and project oversight was delegated to the PPPL Laboratory Director, with limited PU oversight.• Quarterly meetings with the provost• General oversight by the University Research Board, chaired in turn by H. D. Smyth, L. Spitzer, R. May, S. Treiman, W. Happer, and myself (6/05 – 12/06) – focued on policy issues.

• High-level advice from PPPL International Advisory Committee

• Increasing realization stronger oversight was needed, both for PPPL and for sponsored research in general.


Major Change in Management of Research

• Creation of new Office of Dean for Research • Establish strong oversight and management of major laboratories and projects, especially PPPL.

• Support interdisciplinary research centers.• Increase connections with, Corporations, Foundations, and Federal Agencies.

• Approved by Trustees in November 2006• Now building and integrating staff and functions

• Full-fledged rollout in Sept 2007.


Some personal background

• Experimental High Energy Physicist, Dept. Chair 90-98

• Leader of several major projects in HEP• Succeeded Jon Dorfan as BaBar Technical Coord. 1998-2000

• BaBar Muon Upgrade 2002-2006

• Spokesperson of several major experiments:• E-787 at Brookhaven 1983-1998• BaBar at SLAC 2000-2002

• Current interesting assignment at CERN:• Head CMS referee for Director’s Large Hadron Collider Committee (LHCC)

• If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that complex expensive projects require world-class: Science, ENGINEERING, and PROJECT MANAGEMENT


Improved PU Oversight of PPPL

• PPPL Management Board in place:• Membership: President, Provost, Dean of the Faculty, Dean for Research, PPPL Director.

• Reviews PPPL Director and Management• Responsible to DOE for PPPL.

• Commissioned management review of PPPL by EG&G (Feb-March 2007).

• Setting up PPPL Operations Oversight Board: • Membership: Univ experts in ESH, audit, legal, facilities, etc. External expert(s) in Project Management.

• Chaired by Dean for Research• Reports to PPPL Management Board. • Commissions external reviews

• Dean for Research doing this while Board is being formed


NCSX Status

•NCSX has gone well technically, but:• The cost of the special components was greater than planned

• Most seriously, recent cost and schedule estimates for the assembly of the device substantially exceed the baseline.

•These are very serious issues and Princeton University has taken and is taking aggressive actions to improve the management of the NCSX Project.

QuickTime™ and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture.


Recent steps in NCSX oversight by PU

• April 07 – Identification of cost issue by PPPL

• May 07 – NCSX Engineering Workshop • Stellarator experts, experienced mechanical engineers, physicists, and PM consultants.

• Validated technical approach

• Recommended major changes in project management.

• June 07 – NCSX Project Management Review

• Experienced managers, engineers, costing experts.• Review of PM, cost, and schedule.

• Output from Eng. Workshop was timely and germane.

• Began implementation of recommendations immediately.



Increased NCSX Monitoring/Reporting• Frequent (at least weekly), issue-driven meetings of Dean for Researcwith PPPL and NCSX Management.

• Princeton’s PPPL Operations Oversight Board will review formal monthly reports on NCSX from PPPL/NCSX Management. • cost and schedule performance, updated ETC • variance reports and action plans• milestone status• update of risk registry.

• Dean for Research, PPPL Directors, NCSX Project Manager propose to meet monthly with Drs. Fonck & Lehman to report on progress, issues and plans.

• University management to meet regularly with Drs. Orbach & Fonck.



PU Actions to support NCSX

• Quickly recruited a strong Project Manager, Jim Anderson, for next 6-8 months. (Search underway for permanent NCSX PM).

• Princeton High Energy Physics Group has detailed a senior mechanical engineer to PPPL and made 2 technicians available as needed.

• Will continue to hold external NCSX reviews • Project management, costing and technical experts.

• Twice per year for foreseeable future.• Next review in 4 months.

• Lessons-learned review, targeted for September.• Systematic study by both external and internal participants, toward further improvements at all levels (University, Lab, Project) for NCSX and future projects.

• Panel reports to me as chair of PPPL Operations Oversight Board.


Princeton is Committed to the Successof NCSX and PPPL

• NCSX is a key element in the U.S. and world fusion program.

• We are working hard to put NCSX back on track, and are undertaking key reforms to this end at PPPL and at the University.

Documents

Perspective from Princeton August 15, 2007 Stew Smith Dean for Research