CERN announced on September 17 that its Council has “overwhelmingly” approved the lab’s midterm plan, which would slash funding for CERN programs and slow the pace of future research. The decision was made after an “intense” series of meetings.
Under the new plan, in effect from 2011 to 2016, the total reduction in the program will be CHF 343 million. While the LHC’s main program will be for the most part immune from the cuts, upgrades and other CERN programs will suffer. CERN’s accelerators will not run at all in 2012, a more drastic decision than the one made in February to plan for a year-long shutdown of just the LHC. The LHC’s beam intensity upgrade will also proceed at a slower rate; a new linear accelerator will be connected in 2016 instead of 2015.
Also affected is the Compact Linear Collider study, which will continue R&D, but not at the pace previously thought.
“The plan we presented to Council is firmly science-driven,” said Rolf Heuer, CERN Director General. “It reduces spending on research and consolidation through careful and responsible adjustment of the pace originally foreseen in a way that does not compromise the future research program unduly. The reductions will be painful, but in the current financial environment, they are fair.”
