CB Meeting

Thursday 7 May 2026, 16:00 → 17:00 Europe/Zurich

Walter Marcello Bonivento (INFN Cagliari)

https://infn-it.zoom.us/my/bonivento?pwd=anEV1sL2bmDJxLiwTugi6ewF1m6zrJ.1

audio1000628812.m4a

video1000628812.mp4

minutes taken by AI

Impromptu Zoom Meeting May 07, 2026  •  62 mins  •  ACTION ITEMS ✨   Collect US MOU feedback; forward to Felix Selkov & Giuliana Rizzo WalterMarcello Bonivento   Email IFCA, KIT, McGill PIs re: MOU inclusion; collect inputs Giuliana Fiorillo   Meet Catherine DeCosse May 11 re: MOU/tables; then recirculate MOU to PIs Giuliana Fiorillo   Email Neutrino Platform re: DRD2 involvement; request inputs for proposal update Giuliana Fiorillo   Email PIs: request funding agency checks; collect realistic estimates Giuliana Fiorillo   Email Didier Contardo re: EP3/DRD2 synergies; report back Luca Scotto Lavina   Schedule MB meeting re: reapproval plan; then decide pre-summer CB/collaboration meeting Giuliana Fiorillo   Schedule MB meeting re: reapproval plan; then decide pre-summer CB/collaboration meeting Roxanne Guenette MEETING SUMMARY ✨   Enhanced Template Customize   •  Change Template   Meeting Purpose To align DRD2 with new CERN strategy and plan for re-approval. Key Takeaways Re-approval Deadline: DRD2 must submit a 5-page Status Report and 10-page Proposal Update by September 20, 2026, for a November review. MOU Unblocked: New CERN contacts (Pippa Wells, Catherine DeCosse) are accelerating the stalled MOU. A key hurdle was cleared: funding agencies now accept in-kind contributions instead of mandatory common funds. US Funding Rules: New guidelines require US institutions in work packages to have secured funding before the MOU. This impacts SLAC, which is listed but lacks a direct DRD grant. Strategy Shift: CERN's top priority is now bringing the Future Circular Collider (FCC) to a decision point by 2028/29, making FCC-aligned R&D a central focus. Topics CERN Strategy & DRD Alignment The April 23 DRD Management Forum set the strategic direction for all Detector R&D (DRD) collaborations. CERN's Top Priorities (per Gauthier Merde-Monchenot): Complete the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). Bring the Future Circular Collider (FCC) to a decision point by 2028/29. Develop a sustainable roadmap for non-collider physics. EP-R&D Program: This 5-year CERN program (2024–2028) allocates ~6–7M CHF/year for generic R&D (detectors, mechanics, electronics), viewing DRDs as synergistic partners. Othello Proposal: A multi-group proposal for detector R&D funding was rejected in its first submission. It will be resubmitted on June 16, again without liquid detectors, as the focus remains on high-energy collider physics. MOU Finalization The DRD2 MOU has stalled since July 2025, a delay noted by CERN management. New CERN Contacts: Pippa Wells and Catherine DeCosse are now supporting the MOU process. Giuliana has a meeting with Catherine next week to accelerate it. Key Hurdles Resolved: Common Funds: Funding agencies now accept in-kind contributions from groups unwilling to provide common funds. US Institutions: New guidelines allow US institutions to sign the MOU directly, provided they have existing funding. Action Required: All US PIs must confirm they have secured funding for their DRD2 work packages. This is critical for SLAC, which is listed in a work package but lacks a direct DRD grant. Re-approval Process & Timeline DRD2 must submit two documents for re-approval by September 20, 2026. 1. Status Report (5 pages max): Summarizes progress on milestones and deliverables from the first 3 years. Must link to external evidence (papers, presentations, internal notes) to support claims. 2. Proposal Update (10 pages text + 10 pages tables max): A lightweight revision of the original proposal, not a rewrite. Focuses on updating milestones and carrying over unfunded activities. Requires realistic funding estimates based on informal agency discussions. Review Process: Nov 12: Open session with the DRDC committee. Nov 13: Closed session with referees. Post-Review: DRD2 will receive written questions and must submit a formal response. National Funding Landscape Italy (INFN): Strong, renewed interest in DRDs, now seen as CERN's standard R&D model. Activities are largely funded for the next two years. UK: Despite general science cuts, DRD proposals have secured funding, demonstrating the value of a coherent program. France (IN2P3): No new funding news, but IN2P3 formally recognizes DRD2. Luca will explore adding new groups, focusing on reinforcing existing objectives. Germany & Spain: No new dedicated DRD funding. MOU signatures are pending CERN approval. Portugal (LIP): Unstable funding landscape shifting to applied science. LIP will continue DRD work using internal resources. US (Jonathan Asaadi): Some US groups have secured funding. DOE is interested in blue-sky R&D beyond FCC, aligning with DRD2's focus. MOU issues with national labs persist. Next Steps Giuliana: Meet with Catherine DeCosse (next week) to finalize the MOU. Giuliana: Circulate the draft MOU tables after the meeting for PI review. Giuliana & Roxanne: Organize a Management Board meeting to plan the re-approval documents. All US PIs: Confirm secured funding for your DRD2 work packages. All PIs: Contact your funding agencies for realistic budget estimates for the Proposal Update. All PIs: Review the MOU tables and prepare updates for the Proposal Update. All PIs: Prepare to update milestones and deliverables for the re-approval documents. Luca: Contact Didier Contardo (IN2P3) to explore adding new French groups. Walter: Forward feedback on the US institution MOU guidelines to Felix Selkov and Giuliana Ritzo.

16:00 → 16:20 Introduction

Speaker: Walter Marcello Bonivento (INFN Cagliari)

meeting_report_edp_drd_managers_forum.pdf

meeting_report_edp_drd_managers_forum.pptx

16:20 → 16:40 Spokespersons report

Speakers: Giuliana Fiorillo (University Federico II and INFN, Naples (IT)), Roxanne Guenette (The University of Manchester (GB))

2026-04-23-DRDC-reapproval_Bergauer.pdf