NATIONAL LABORATORIES: WORLD–LEADING INNOVATION IN SCIENCE HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION MARCH 14, 2018 Serial No. 115–52 Printed for the use of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://science.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 29–779PDF WASHINGTON : 2018 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HON. LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas, Chair FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas DANA ROHRABACHER, California ZOE LOFGREN, California MO BROOKS, Alabama DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon BILL POSEY, Florida AMI BERA, California THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky ELIZABETH H. ESTY, Connecticut JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma MARC A. VEASEY, Texas RANDY K. WEBER, Texas DONALD S. BEYER, JR., Virginia STEPHEN KNIGHT, California JACKY ROSEN, Nevada BRIAN BABIN, Texas JERRY MCNERNEY, California BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia PAUL TONKO, New York RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana BILL FOSTER, Illinois DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida MARK TAKANO, California JIM BANKS, Indiana COLLEEN HANABUSA, Hawaii ANDY BIGGS, Arizona CHARLIE CRIST, Florida ROGER W. MARSHALL, Kansas NEAL P. DUNN, Florida CLAY HIGGINS, Louisiana RALPH NORMAN, South Carolina (II) C O N T E N T S March 14, 2018 Page Witness List ............................................................................................................. 2 Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 3 Opening Statements Statement by Representative Lamar S. Smith, Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ..................... 4 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 6 Statement by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Member, Com- mittee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .... 8 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 10 Witnesses: Dr. Mark Peters, Director, Idaho National Laboratory Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 13 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 16 Dr. Susan Seestrom, Advanced Science and Technology Associate Laboratory Director and Chief Research Officer, Sandia National Laboratory Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 25 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 27 Dr. Mary E. Maxon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 39 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 41 Dr. Chi-Chang Kao, Director, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, National Accelerator Laboratory Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 65 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 67 Dr. Paul Kearns, Director, Argonne National Laboratory Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 73 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 75 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 86 Appendix I: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions Dr. Mark Peters, Director, Idaho National Laboratory ........................................ 114 Dr. Susan Seestrom, Advanced Science and Technology Associate Laboratory Director and Chief Research Officer, Sandia National Laboratory ................. 119 Dr. Mary E. Maxon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ............................................................................. 122 Dr. Chi-Chang Kao, Director, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, National Accelerator Laboratory ........................................................................................ 126 Dr. Paul Kearns, Director, Argonne National Laboratory ................................... 131 (III) NATIONAL LABORATORIES: WORLD-LEADING INNOVATION IN SCIENCE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, Washington, D.C. The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:03 a.m., in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Lamar Smith [Chairman of the Committee] presiding. (1) 2 LAMAR S. SMITH, TeXBs EODJ( BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas CHAIRMAN RANKING MEMBER ltongress of the tinited ~rates !'louse of 1:Zcprcsmtatiocs COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY 2321 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUilDING WASHINGTON, OC 20515-6301 {202) 225-6371 www.science.house.gov Full Committee National Laboratories: World-Leading Innovation in Science Wednesday, March 14,2018 10:00 a.m. 2318 Rayburn House Office Building Witnesses Dr. Marl{ Peters, Director, Idaho National Laboratory Dr. Susan Seestrom, Advanced Science and Technology Associate Laboratory Director and Chief Research Officer, Sandia National Laboratory Dr. Mary E. Maxon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Dr. Chi-Chang Kao, Director, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, National Accelerator Laboratory Dr. Paul Kearns, Director, Argonne National Laboratory 3 U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HEARING CHARTER Wednesday, March 14,2018 TO: Members, Committee on Science, Space, and Teclmology FROM: Majority Staff, Committee on Science, Space, and Teclmology SUBJECT: Full committee hearing: "National Laboratories: World-Leading Innovation in Science" The Committee on Science, Space, and Teclmology will hold a hearing titled National Laboratories: World-Leading Innovation in Science on Wednesday, March 14,2018, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Hearing Purpose: The purpose ofthis hearing is to review the current objectives and programs carried out by the Department of Energy (DOE)' s national laboratories. The hearing will examine the broad scope of innovative basic science, early-stage applied research, mission-focused technological development, and national security work performed at DOE laboratories. This hearing will also examine the impact of DOE funding and priorities on laboratory research, and will allow the national laboratory directors to provide insight to the Committee on the most effective way to manage the DOE laboratory system. Witness List Dr. Mark Peters, Director, Idaho National Laboratory Dr. Susan Seestrom, Advanced Science and Technology Associate Laboratory Director and Chief Research Officer, Sandia National Laboratory Dr. Mary E. Maxon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Dr. Chi-Chang Kao, Director, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, National Accelerator Laboratory • Dr. Pant Kearns, Director, Argonne National Laboratory Staff Contact For questions related to the hearing, please contact Jimmy Ward of the Majority Staff at 202- 225-0222. 4 Chairman SMITH. The Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- nology will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare recesses of the Committee at any time. And welcome to today’s hearing entitled ‘‘National Laboratories: World-Leading Innovation in Science.’’ And I’ll recognize myself for an opening statement. Today, we welcome a diverse group of Directors from five of DOE’s national laboratories. They oversee innovative work in basic science and early-stage research performed daily by some of the best scientists and researchers in the world. Our witnesses represent national labs that fulfill the Department of Energy’s missions within the Office of Science, applied energy and national security programs. The Science Committee’s jurisdic- tion over the DOE budget includes over $9 billion for civilian re- search, development, demonstration, and commercial application programs, much of which is conducted by the national labs. Over the past 70 years, this research community has led to monumental achievements in medicine, manufacturing, computing, and energy technology development. The labs that are represented here today have made invaluable contributions to U.S. scientific progress and leadership. They have repeatedly demonstrated that basic science research is the most ef- fective way to encourage innovation in technology. In 1942, a group of scientists in Chicago created the first nuclear reactor. Four years later, Argonne National Laboratory was formed to continue this groundbreaking nuclear research. Using the lab’s expertise in materials and nuclear science, Argonne designed the nuclear reactor used in the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-pow- ered submarine. These reactor designs also became the prototype for most of today’s commercial nuclear power plants. The impact of Argonne’s research is far beyond what the early nuclear scientists could have