DIII-D RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FORUM FOR THE 2008 EXPERIMENTAL CAMPAIGN

The DIII-D Research Opportunities Forum has been scheduled for October 16-18 at GA in San Diego. The Research Opportunities Forum provides a venue for interested scientists to present proposals and ideas for possible research on the DIII-D National Fusion Facility as well as an opportunity to discuss critical issues for both fusion science and preparations for ITER. Information on the proposal submission process and the Forum's agenda (as the details become available) can be found on the links to the left.

There are several objectives of the Research Opportunities Forum. The main goal of the DIII-D Research Opportunities Forum (ROF) is to lay the ground work for developing the best DIII-D experimental campaign. At the ROF, we wish to provide an opportunity for each scientist (DIII-D, national or international collaborator, and any interested participant) to present their ideas to the DIII-D team. The ROF also provides an opportunity for our colleagues in the fusion community to become familiar with the activities of the DIII-D program whether or not they propose specific experiments. Finally, we want the Research Opportunities Forum to be an opportunity for new participation in the DIII-D program.

As in the past any individual contributor can submit as many proposals to the website as they wish. These proposals will be sorted and distributed to the area leaders, or their delegates, to be discussed in the respective group meetings.

For those unfamiliar with the DIII-D planning process, this process consists of the following steps:

1. Determination of the organization of the experimental program is done by DIII-D management with the advice of the Research Council. This process is currently underway. We anticipate that this organization will be different than in previous years, with the 2008 program being organized in line with the recent reorganization of the Experimental Science Division.
2. Proposal submissions will be made using a web interface starting later in September. All individuals and institutions are encouraged to propose experiments that take advantage of the unique capabilities of the DIII-D facility in addressing key fusion science issues. These experimental proposals may be as small as a portion of a shot or may require several days to complete. When available, a link will be added to this page.
3. The Research Opportunities Forum will be held on October 16-18, 2007 as described above.
4. Prioritization/Planning: The various research area leaders will organize meetings subsequent to the ROF in which the proponents of the proposals will discuss and determine which proposals can be combined effectively, leading to a proposed plan for the 2008 experimental plan. This plan will be presented to the DIII-D Research Council, which will then determine the allocation of experimental time amongst the various areas. It is anticipated that this allocation will occur near the end of 2007.

More Information:
Please contact Dr. Chuck Greenfield