A Glimpse into the DOE National Laboratories – Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

This article provides a snapshot of the Department of Energy Office of Science Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, often referred to simply as Jefferson Lab or by its acronym, TJNAF.

Jefferson Lab is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility occupying 83 buildings and trailers on a 169-acre site in Newport News, VA. The campus is home to 769 employees, 22 joint faculty members, and 44 students. Its mission is to deliver breakthrough science and technology in Nuclear Physics. The lab’s core capabilities also include Accelerator Science and Technology and Large-Scale User Facilities/Advanced Instrumentation.

The DOE created the lab in 1986 to build and operate the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF), one of the most powerful microscopes in the world. Experiments there began in 1995, and scientists have completed 174 experiments over the past 19 years. More than 1,500 scientists from more than 30 countries and 230 institutions use the research facilities. One-third of all U.S.-awarded nuclear science Ph.D.’s are based on research conducted at Jefferson Lab.

The Thomas Jefferson Site Office (TJSO) administers the lab’s business operations. Craig Ferguson is the Site Office Director. Jonathon Huff is the Chief Operating Officer, and David Dean is the Deputy Director for Science and Chief Research Officer. Tisca Dorsey is the Business and Finance Director and Acting Procurement Manager (Figure 2). Lab funding comes from the Department of Energy, with the majority through Nuclear Physics programs (Figure 3). The FY 2024 Presidential Budget Request includes $170.2M for Jefferson Lab with $153M of this earmarked for Nuclear Physics.

Jefferson Science Associates, LLC manages and operates the facility under a Cost-Plus Award Fee contract recently extended through May 31, 2025. On February 13, 2024, the DOE issued a Sources Sought Notice for the upcoming recompete.  Responses are due March  6, 2024. According to the procurement competition website, the successful bidder will assume full operational responsibility for the lab operations on June 1, 2025.

Learn more about this upcoming procurement under GovWin’s Opportunity 110264.

TJANF Quick Facts:

• Primary Mission: Nuclear Physics
• Location: Newport News, VA
• Occupying Land Mass:  169 Acres
• Infrastructure Footprint: 83 Structures occupying 768,888 sq. ft.
• Replacement Value: $33M
• Number of Employees: 759 Employees
• Educational Impact: 43 Students with 1/3 of all US Doctorate Degrees based on TJNAF research
• International Impact: Utilized by 1,500 scientists from more than 30 countries and 230 institutions utilize the research facilities. (Source: Jefferson Lab at A Glance)

Figure 1: DOE National Laboratories. 

(Source: DOE Website)

 

Figure 2: Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility Organization Chart.

(Source: Jefferson Lab Website)

Figure 3: Recent Annual Funding by Source. 

(Source: DOE Office of Science Website)