MESSAGE FROM CAROL
Dear Colleagues:
I wanted to take a moment, as we wind down for the holiday shutdown, to thank each of you for your diligence and commitment to the Lab’s mission that you bring to work every day. I continue to be impressed and excited about the talent here and the many ways that your contributions are advancing science and helping to find solutions to some of the greatest problems facing humankind.
And you have continued to do so in spite of very real challenges with the pandemic. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we have sought to find the safest ways to continue our work.
The new year will bring many exciting developments and opportunities, such as the National Energy Storage Summit that we are hosting in March and strategic research in every Area and across Areas, including new LDRD projects. We are also beginning to assess the energy R&D opportunities associated with current and pending legislation. We will have a busy year!
As our Lab Director Mike Witherell said in his email earlier this month, in the meantime, please take the time to enjoy the holidays as a time to relax and rejuvenate.
I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season. Please be safe as you gather with others or travel. I look forward to seeing you in the new year.
Sincerely,
Carol Burns
Deputy Laboratory Director for Research
Chief Research Officer
***
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
A Global Collaboration to Discover the Secrets of the Universe: The Cosmic Microwave Background Stage 4 Project (CMB-S4)
Credit: Robert Schwarz/University of Minnesota
Made up of the photons created in the Big Bang, the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is the oldest light in the Universe. Tiny fluctuations in the temperature and polarization of the CMB across the sky encode the composition and history of the Universe. Ever since its accidental discovery in 1964, scientists have been striving to detect and decode these signals using telescopes on satellites, sounding rockets, balloons, and on the ground. Read how the Lab is taking the lead in this groundbreaking collaborative scientific endeavor and how it has gotten off to a strong start despite COVID pandemic challenges.
Video Replay: COVID-Related Research Spotlight Event
The COVID pandemic is an example of how the national labs are uniquely suited to solving national scientific challenges. A year and a half ago, Berkeley Lab joined the nationwide effort to help accelerate the global response to SARS-CoV-2. Many teams at the Lab contributed to COVID-related research to address the pandemic. Watch a replay (57:00) of a recent panel discussion of the Lab’s efforts and accomplishments, featuring Rebecca Abergel, Greg Hura, Tom Kirchstetter, Nigel Mouncey, Amalie Trewartha, Dani Ushizima, and panel moderator Horst Simon.
STEWARDSHIP
The Lab community commits to a set of stewardship values that guide our decisions and behaviors. In Research News, we put a spotlight on some of these core values.
Spotlight on Service: Join the Winter Food Bank Challenge
With federal pandemic unemployment benefits expired, and inflation and supply chain issues driving rising food costs, local food banks are seeing an increase in the need for their services.
- In Alameda county, food distribution has risen by as much as 100%. The Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB) is currently serving 1 in 4 county residents.
- The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties is serving over 240,000 residents each month.
- Costs on staples from canned food to oatmeal have risen by almost 20%.
Join the Lab community to support the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties. Click for details, including team donation links. The Food Bank Challenge will run through Friday, Jan. 7.
Spotlight on Service: Volunteer to Support your Community and Build the Next Generation of STEM leaders
The end of the year is a great time to think about how to get involved in volunteer activities that help support the community and build the next generation of STEM leaders. The Government and Community Relations (GCR) and Workforce Development & Education departments at the Lab offer many opportunities to consider.
NEED TO KNOW
Changes in DOE Funding Opportunity Application (FOA) Requirements
Are you submitting a proposal for the Early Career Research Program or another DOE funding opportunity? DOE requirements for filling out biosketches and current and pending support information have been significantly revised this year.
New requirements include disclosure of a variety of potential conflicts of interest or commitment, including participation in foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs. These disclosure requirements encompass more types of support and require more information than in the past. Click here for more information.
SEASON’S GREETINGS
Enjoy this video (1:48) offering season’s greetings from Berkeley Lab.
