One Month Down!
It may be hard to believe, but it has been more than a month since we began the Fermilab contract transition process that will lead to Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC, or FermiForward, becoming the management and operating contractor for the lab, beginning Jan. 1, 2025. It is more important than ever to remain focused and avoid distractions that could lead to possible unsafe acts and injuries. Our number one priority remains your safety and the safety of your colleagues as we complete the 90-day transition.
Much work has been completed over the first three weeks of the transition, and our commitment remains the same – to carry out transition activities with as little impact as possible on employees, staff, users, and the public. This week’s highlights include:
We are tracking deliverables according to our transition schedule, which has a target date of completion by Dec. 13. Several deliverables were transmitted to DOE for approval. Deliverables are shorthand for plans, processes, procedures and documentation the transition team needs to supply to DOE to prove FermiForward has all the information and systems needed to operate on Day 1. For example, the Information Systems Authority to Operate is a formal DOE letter required by every site that confirms all the necessary information technology security systems and supporting technology is in place. Our DOE partners have approved our Systems Authority to Operate documentation as-is and we are cleared to continue IT operations uninterrupted as of January 1.
Operations personnel completed walk-downs of 37 facilities, including a cross-section of all types of facilities on-site (office, storage, scientific, maintenance, utility, construction, and underground).
We have completed “bluesheeting” reviews of approximately 45 percent of policies, procedures and documents. Essential procedures needed for continued operations must be reviewed by the transition team to determine whether the procedure will be adopted as is, canceled, or changed.
“During this first month of the transition process, the coordination between the Fermilab staff and the FermiForward Transition Team has been excellent,” said Fermilab Contract Transition Director Brian Sherin. “The preparation work undertaken by the lab staff through the summer has made it much easier for us to rapidly access and transfer the information to our FermiForward counterparts. This collaboration is helping the team compile the necessary deliverables to submit to the DOE on-time. The FermiForward team’s extensive experience has also helped us identify additional things we can do to improve our processes once the new contract is in effect.”
Transition Team Working to Prevent Lapses in Appointments
The transition team continues to meet with members of the Fermilab community and is actively listening, working to transition the various elements of Fermi Research Alliance (FRA) to FermiForward, and transmitting relevant information to the leadership teams. The transition team is currently working to ensure that all Joint Appointments, as well as all appointments for Retired Guests and Scientists Emeriti, continue through the transition without interruption. All existing academic and industry partnerships are also planned to continue through the transition without interruption. The transition team is also working to transfer active subcontracts to FermiForward to ensure continued services post -transition.
Get to Know a FermiForward Partner -- Universities Research Association
Universities Research Association, Inc., or URA, is a consortium of over 90 leading research-oriented universities. URA was founded in 1965 at the behest of President Lyndon Johnson’s Science Advisory Committee and the National Academy of Sciences to establish and operate, in the national interest, unique laboratories and facilities for research, development, and education in the physical and biological sciences.
Since its founding, URA has been the management-and-operations contractor for Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, after 2007, in partnership with the University of Chicago. URA is a partner in the Honeywell International-led consortium that manages and operates Sandia National Laboratories and is the US agent for research support to the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory in Argentina. URA supports Fermilab and the larger high energy physics community through a variety of programs including the Visiting Scholars Program and the Undergraduate Women in STEM internship.
Transition Terms --- What is a “Transition Agreement?”
A transition agreement allows two or more parties to terminate their relationship through an organized process. In the case of Fermilab, the agreement allows for an orderly transition between FRA and FermiForward. The agreement allows FRA to continue its services for a defined period after its original contract with the federal government ends. It helps ensure that all scientific work, experiments, projects, and deadlines will not be impacted during the contract transition.
Be Sure to Watch the FermiForward Website
Interested in learning more about FermiForward? On this website, you can learn more about our scientific vision for Fermilab, our partners, our leadership team and news and updates. You can also find questions and answers that will be updated on a periodic basis. We encourage you to submit questions and feedback via the Contact Us section.