§18651 High Intensity Laser Research Initiative

Summary

The Director must set up a high‑intensity laser research program that follows advice from a National Academies report and a Brightest Light Initiative workshop report. The program will fund research on petawatt‑scale and high‑average‑power lasers for future science facilities and to help energy technology. It will support a user network of university and National Laboratory laser centers. The Director must also use new laser tech to make smaller, simpler, and lower‑cost accelerator systems for science. The Director will coordinate work inside the Office of Science, and the Under Secretary for Science will coordinate with the rest of the Department and other federal agencies. Funding from the Office of Science is authorized as follows: $50,000,000 for 2023; $100,000,000 for 2024; $150,000,000 for 2025; $200,000,000 for 2026; and $250,000,000 for 2027.