Task Force on Alternative Futures for the National Laboratories (February 1995)

The 1990's are a period of substantial change for the Department of Energy's (DOE) nine multi-program National Laboratories, particularly the Department's three nuclear weapons laboratories. Sweeping geopolitical changes, limitations on nuclear weapons testing, increased attention to economic competitiveness,and the continuing demands of energy development and environmental quality-- all within the context of tight federal budgets -- are but a few of the factors that confront the DOE laboratories with challenges and opportunities for the future.

The purpose for establishing the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board Task Force on Alternative Futures for the DOE Laboratories was to carefully examine options for change within these Laboratories, and also the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and to propose specific alternatives for directing the scientific and engineering resources of these institutions toward the economic, environmental, defense, scientific, and energy needs of the nation. The Task Force, headed by Robert Galvin, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Motorola Inc., presented its Final Report at an open meeting of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board on February 1, 1995.

On March 8,1995, in partial response to the "Galvin" report,the Department of Energy submitted a report on its laboratories to the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) for the Interagency Federal LaboratoryReview (PRD/NSTC-1). In August 1995, the NSTC in turn released its review titled, Future of Major Federal Laboratories.

The Department of Energy established the Laboratory Operations Board in April 1995 in response to recommendations contained in the "Galvin" report and maintains a tracking system to ensure successful implementation of the recommendations the department committed itself to in the NSTC report.

Robert Galvin - Chairman Chairman, Executive Committee Motorola Inc. Schaumburg, IL	Braden Allenby Research Vice President, Technology and Environment AT&T Engineering Research Ctr. Princeton, NJ	Bob Boylan Successful Presentations Minneapolis, MN
Linda Capuano Vice President Conductus, Inc. Sunnyvale, CA	Ruth Davis President and CEO Pymatuning Group Alexandria,VA	Marye Anne Fox M. June and J. Virgil Waggoner Regents Chair Dept of Chemistry University of Texas Austin, TX
Benjamin Huberman President Huberman Consulting Group Washington,DC	Shirley Jackson Professor Dept of Physics & Astronomy Rutgers University Piscataway, NJ	Lynn Jelinski Dir,Center for Advanced Technology (Biotechnology) Cornell University Ithaca, NY
Henry Kendall Prof, Physics and Union of Concerned Scientists, MIT Cambridge,MA	Daniel Kerlinsky Children's Psychiatric Hospital University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM	Richard Lester Dir, MIT Industrial Performance Center Prof, Nuclear Eng, MIT Cambridge, MA
Roger G. Little President and CEO Spire Corporation Bedford,MA	Edith Martin ExecutiveVice President & Chief TechnologyOfficer Sallie Mae Potomac, MD	James McCarthy General, USAF (Ret) Olin Professor of National Security US Air Force Academy, CO
Mark Murphy President, Strata Production Co. Roswell, NM	Richard Nelson George Blumenthal Professor of International and Public Affairs, Business,and Law Columbia University New York, NY	Edward Roberts Faculty Chairman, Mgt of Technology Program, MIT Cambridge,MA
Ben Rosen Chairman,Compaq Computer Partner, Sevin Rosen Mgt NewYork, NY	Harvey Sapolsky Prof, Department of Political Science, MIT Cambridge,MA	William Spencer President & CEO SEMATECH Austin,TX
Victoria Tschinkel Senior Consultant Landers & Parsons Tallahassee,FL		Herbert York Dir.Emeritus, Institute for Global Conflict and Cooperation Univof California, San Diego La Jolla, CA