Brookhaven Lab Will Appoint New Collider Director
Allen Weeks will assume leadership on September 28, 2026, as the project faces a $3.5 billion budget estimate.
Updated on Sept. 19, 2026 in Nuclear
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Brookhaven National Laboratory has appointed Allen Weeks to lead the Electron Ion Collider project starting September 28, 2026. This research-stage effort aims to build a 2.4-mile circumference particle accelerator in New York State.
Why it matters
The appointment comes as the project faces significant fiscal pressure, with current cost estimates reaching $3.5 billion compared to an initial $2.8 billion projection. Officials aim to bring costs closer to a $3 billion target through leadership changes and streamlined partnerships.
The proposed facility involves a 2.4-mile circumference ring that will utilize 400 refurbished quadrupole magnets—electromagnets used to focus particle beams—sourced from the Jefferson National Laboratory.
The players
Allen Weeks
Incoming project director who previously served as director general of the Extreme Light Infrastructure.
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Research facility hosting the collider and operating under Department of Energy oversight.
Jefferson National Laboratory
Partner facility in Virginia providing staffing and refurbished magnet hardware for the collider.
Jim Yeck
Outgoing project director who will transition into a part-time advisory role.
The details
The collider will be constructed on the former site of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider tunnel, repurposing existing infrastructure for new physics research. The facility relies on a collaborative effort between laboratories, with Jefferson National Laboratory contributing 100 full-time equivalent staff members to the development process. A search committee evaluated 20 candidates before selecting Weeks, who previously spent eight years as the director general of the Extreme Light Infrastructure.
Timeline
September 28, 2026: Allen Weeks assumes the role of project director.
Early 2027: Construction of the accelerator is scheduled to begin.
The Tech Race
The development marks the transition from the legacy Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider site to a next-generation facility. This project occupies a critical space in the international race to build advanced particle accelerators, sustained by combined investments from the Department of Energy and New York State.
Local residents in New York should anticipate construction activities beginning in early 2027 at the laboratory site. The project remains a long-term research effort with completion expected over the next decade.
The takeaway
The project is now under a decade-long development timeline as it attempts to reconcile rising costs with its $3 billion target. Observers should track the project's progress following the leadership transition in late 2026 to see if the planned cost-containment measures take effect.
Further reading
For broader context on current high-energy physics developments, explore Nuclear research initiatives.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TBR News Media.
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