AdCom held its first meeting of 2024 at the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, NM over March 7^th – 9^th,  with FinCom and ComCom (Finance and Communications committees) meeting on the 7^th, the 8^th dedicated to our retreat discussed in the President’s Report above, and our general meeting on March 9^th.

NPSS continues to be in good shape and, as Vesna noted in her report, our Society review was very positive. Indeed, it usually looks as if the review committee has to work hard to find areas for improvement.

Our conferences continue to thrive, as do our publications. TRPMS is gaining ground steadily as a very significant journal. TPS will finish the year with a new editor, as will this newsletter.

AdCom Actions

In between the November meeting in 2023 and this meeting, AdCom approved the appointment of Edl Schamiloglu as the incoming editor-in-chief of IEEE Transactions on Plasma Sciences.

AdCom also approved word changes to the NMISC Edward J. Hoffman Medical Imaging Scientist Award, IEEE Bruce H. Hasegawa Young Investigator Medical Imaging Science Award, and the  Freek J. Beekman Medical Imaging Technical Achievement Award to bring them into compliance with recent TABARC requirement changes:

Actions at this meeting:

• RE moves that:
  • AdCom approve that the 2024 RADECS (Radiation and its Effects on Components and Systems) conference be an NPSS technically co-sponsored conference.
  • AdCom approve that NPSS pay the technical co-sponsorship administrative fees ($1,450) for the 2024 RADECS conference.
  • AdCom approve that the 2024 RADECS Data Workshop be an NPSS technically co-sponsored conference.
  • Passed: no objection.
• AdCom approves the joint NPSS PAST and APS DPB Helen Edwards award.
  • The Award is a joint award between NPSS PAST and APS DPB (American Physical Society Division of Physics of Beam, agreement attached). Both organizations also co-sponsor the Particle Accelerator Conferences in the Americas. 
  • The Award recognize outstanding technical contributions and profound leadership in development, construction and commissioning of leading particle accelerator facilities.
  • The Award can go to an individual or a team of at most 3 individuals, is awarded annually and consists of a $5,000 stipend and up to $2000 for travel. The Award will be paid from a trust fund held by APS DPB. 
  • The PAST Technical Committee voted in favor of establishing the Award at the last meeting (minutes attached).  
  • Passed: no objection
• AdCom approves providing support of $15k for the ISV Alaska Energy Study with Alaska Unlimited.
  • Problem Statement: Remote indigenous communities in Alaska currently rely on diesel electricity generation.  These communities seek cleaner, sustainable, and more-reliable sources of electricity. 
  • Alaska Unlimited (Native Woman Led Economic Development Non-Profit) is leading the effort working with ISV North America Working Group
  • Request: $15K funds from NPSS to support study development to assess alternative strategies.  Will support sending ISV volunteers (preferably from NPSS community) to Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference (May 2024) and to micro-generation utilities throughout state.
    Deliverable: Will support preparation of feasibility study
  • Alignment with NPSS and/or IEEE:
  • Project fulfills IEEE Mission of Advancing Technology for All Humanity
  • A leading solution in discussion may be new micro-nuclear utilities; NPSS has interest and expertise in instrumentation for nuclear power generation
  • This initiative will support NPSS having a role in early project development; NPSS in past has contributed late in process after projects developed; This offers engagement earlier to have voice in direction of work.
  • Exploration+adoption of micro-nuclear power technologies may add new fields of study for our technical society
  • Passed: 24 Y, 0 N, 0 A.
• AdCom approves an increase in funding for 2024 for the NPSS Climate Change Initiative (led by Cinzia Da Via) from $20k/yr to $40k/yr.
  • Passed: 25 Y, 0 N, 0 A
• AdCom approves the transfer of up to USD 350K from the 2024 NPSS operational budget to the IEEE Foundation NPSS Fund, which is held and administered by the IEEE Foundation. Passed: No objection.
• AdCom approves NPSS joining the IEEE Brain Technical Community as an affiliate member at a cost of $5,000 per annum for 1 year. Passed: 20 Y, 3 N, 0 A.
• It was moved by Sara Pozzi, seconded by Lorenzo Fabris that the 2025 and 2026 AdCom meetings be held as follows:
  • 6-8 March 2025; New Brunswick, NJ
  • 27-28 June 2025 Virtual
  • 7-8 November 2025, Yokohama, Japan after NSS/MIC/RTSD
  • 5-7 March 2026, La Fonda Hotel, Santa Fe, NM
  • 26-27 June 2026 Virtual
  • 6-7 November, 2026 Granada, Spain, after NSS/MIC/RTSD
  • Passed: No objection.

AdCom will meet virtually on June 28^th and 29^th, 2024, and will meet again in person in Tampa, FL on Nov. 1^st and 2^nd.

Albe Larsen, IEEE NPSS Secretary and Newsletter Editor, can be reached by E-mail at [email protected].