Operation of the NSCL as a National User Facilty & Research Program

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This award provides funds to operate the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University (MSU) as a national user facility, to support NSCL faculty and staff research in nuclear physics, nuclear chemistry, nuclear astrophysics, accelerator physics and instrumentation development, and to continue serving as a national user facility dedicated to the training of the next generation of scientists and diverse workforce in these disciplines. The award will allow the NSCL to continue its nationally and internationally prominent leadership role in these areas by operating as the nation's premier user facility dedicated to the production and study of rare (short-lived) isotopes.The development of new instrumentation along with new techniques and new beam capabilities form a potent combination allowing extraordinary discovery potential to be realized. The proposed physics program builds upon these strengths while creating new assets that will sustain and enhance NSCL's scientific standing. MSU was recently selected by the Department of Energy (DOE) for the next generation national Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). These opportunities have strong overlap with the stated scientific goals of the 2007 NSAC Long Range Plan, and form a coherent trajectory towards the implementation of FRIB. The NSCL is a university-based national user facility serving a user community of more than 700 registered users from the U.S. and abroad. The NSCL plays a prominent role in the education of the next generation of scientists through a close synergy of classroom education and hands-on laboratory research throughout the entire graduate career. Approximately 60 graduate students at the NSCL have research assistantships that support their thesis research. Further, NSCL faculty and staff are strongly engaged in cross-disciplinary research, K-12 and undergraduate education, and science outreach to the general public.