To celebrate summer, the Argonne Guest House Restaurant will feature a shrimp boil lunch and dinner every Thursday from Aug. 1, through Aug. 29, 2019.

An all-you-can-peel-and-eat shrimp lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Cost is $14.50* per person.

Both lunch and dinner are served with spicy Andouille sausage, boiled potatoes, corn on the cob and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Indoor and outdoor seating is available for lunch and dinner (weather permitting).

*Plus tax

All are welcome to join us on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. in Building 241, Room  A323, for a set of presentations and discussion as part of Argonne’s artificial intelligence (AI) in science and engineering town hall meeting series, hosted by Physical Sciences and Engineering.

• “Designing Chemical Manufacturing Processes with Deep Reinforcement Learning,” by Nwike Iloeje (ES)
• “Automatic Tuning of  Machine Learning Inter-atomic Potentials: A Case Study for Hafnia,” by Ganesh Sivaraman (LCF)
  
• “AI is Changing the Scientific Method,” by Marius Stan (AMD)

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The purpose of the meetings is to build a community and a network of collaborators across divisions and directorates to help catalyze collaborative projects involving development and use of AI in science and engineering. This will enable Argonne to capture major anticipated external funding in the scientific areas over the next five years. Ideas and discussions shared at these meetings will also help articulate a science-driven strategy for AI applications, and areas where Argonne should claim national and international leadership.

The weekly meetings are held in Building 241 on Thursdays at 2 p.m. (Aug. 1 time is 2:30 p.m.). See schedule below.

Meeting format

Each town hall meeting will last one hour including up to three 15-minute presentations by volunteers, followed by Q&A and discussions.

Interested in presenting?

We are looking for informal presentations on ideas that staff or postdocs would like to pursue, or that you think Argonne should pursue. Tell us why this is a worthwhile idea, and what skills or capabilities are needed to realize the project(s) you propose.

Presentation volunteers are asked to sign up here. Please indicate your preferred presentation date and a tentative title in the comments section. You are welcome to give as many presentations as you’d like, limit one presentation per person per meeting.

Suggestions for external speakers?

If you have suggestions for external speakers, or if you have any questions about the AI in science and engineering town hall series, contact Olle Heinonen.

Schedule (Thursdays at 2 p.m. in Building 241)

• May 30, Room A323
• June 6, Room D173
• June 13, Room D173
• June 20, Room A323
• June 27, Room A323
• July 11, Room A323
• July 18, Room A323
• July 25, Room A323
• Aug. 1, Room A323 (time changed to 2:30 p.m.)
• Aug. 8, Room A323

Argonne Director Paul Kearns will host a “pop-up coffee” on Wednesday, July 31, 2019, at 10 a.m. in Building 46, Room 112A. All are welcome to attend. Coffee will be provided.

Kearns hosts informal gatherings approximately twice a month at locations across the Argonne site. Wide-ranging discussions at these meetings have covered laboratory strategy, diversity and inclusion, core values, safety, and many other topics of interest. No registration is necessary.

Employees may also email questions and comments to Kearns at listen@anl.gov.

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The free weight area of the Fitness Center will be closed Friday, Aug. 2, through Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day for painting.

The cardio, upper and lower body work out areas, and locker room will remain open.  When painting for the day has ended, the free weight area will … Read More »

As summer continues, Argonne Security/Protective Force would like to remind everyone to wear their site access credentials (badge or gate pass) while on site.

The Protective Force routinely conducts credential challenges on those individuals observed not wearing site access credentials.  Please remember the following guidance to help keep us all safe.

• Wear your badge or gate pass conspicuously, photo side out, in a location above the waist and on the front of the body while you are on Argonne property.
• Protect your badge or gate pass against loss, theft, or misuse.
• Badges and gate passes should not be altered, photocopied, counterfeited, reproduced, photographed, or posted on the internet.
• When not on DOE-owned or leased property, badges should be removed or obscured from visual access.
• Keep your badge in good condition and have it replaced if it is damaged or if there is a change in your legal name or appearance.
• Report lost or stolen badges immediately to the Protective Force (ext. 2-5730) and submit for a Replacement of Lost Badge (ANL-994).
• Badges are government property and must be returned upon termination of use.
• Breakaway lanyards are strongly encouraged and available to employees at the badging office in Building 224.

For more information see LMS-PROC-327: Obtaining a Badge for Site Access. For questions, contact Security Manager – Protective Force Drew Hogan at ext. 2-5738.

Next Mex will be serving items at the action station in the Building 213 Cafeteria on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019. Various menu items will be available for lunch purchase between 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the action station.

Last week’s Operations Security (OPSEC) events were a great success. The OPSEC Working Group spread OPSEC awareness around the lab through various activities including training, articles, informational handouts, and informative briefings.

To kick off the week on Monday, many people stopped by the Cafeteria to grab free gifts and OPSEC awareness materials. On Tuesday, “Planning your CRADA with OPSEC in Mind” was presented by National Security Programs and Technology Commercialization and Partnerships. The annual shred day was held on Wednesday. Employees lined up to shred their personal documents, and a total of 8,500 pounds of paper were shredded. On Thursday, a briefing on protecting controlled unclassified information was given by representatives from OPSEC, Export Control, Legal, and Cyber. The week wrapped up with a presentation on Box Plus, which launched that day.

Thanks to all that participated in OPSEC week events. If you have any OPSEC questions, email opsec@anl.gov.

Presentation slides:

• CRADA OPSEC presentation
• Protecting CUI
• Box-plus-presentation

Philip Anderson

After a national search, Philip Anderson has been appointed director of the Argonne Leadership Institute in Human Resource Services. He will partner with leaders and employees across the laboratory to support and advance our world-class community of talent.

Anderson will lead the Leadership Institute team to further our commitment to a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment that promotes collaboration and innovation, as well as to provide development opportunities for our employees. He will take responsibility for the full Leadership Institute team, including Educational Programs and Outreach, the Postdoctoral Program, University Partnerships, Employee Resource Groups, Diversity and Inclusion, and Learning and Organization Development.

Anderson brings to Argonne a vision to integrate multiple approaches that support and serve our mission, our talent, and our core values. His work will build on Argonne’s recent progress and successes, engaging the laboratory community to raise the many voices heard through last fall’s listening sessions and our two climate surveys. He will ensure we further our diversity and inclusion plan and support the Impact Argonne agenda.

Anderson’s career includes culture change, learning and development, and organization development across industries including life sciences, nonprofits, and higher education at both the national and regional level. While at Abbott Laboratories, he was the inaugural global organization development director and was recognized by the Organization Development Institute for the Organization Development Project of the Year for a culture change initiative. As the head of organization effectiveness for diversity, he was the architect of the company’s leadership development framework.

At the YMCA, Anderson led enterprise professional development for more than 2,600 CEOs and their leadership teams across the country. He received his Ph.D. in organization development from Benedictine University, and his Master in Education from the University of Illinois.

The Oleo Sponge technology, developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory to clean up oil spills, has been named a finalist for a 2019 Index Award.

Colloquially known as the “Nobel Prizes of Design,” the Index Awards are selected by The Index Project, a Danish nonprofit organization that recognizes technology and designs that improve the lives of people worldwide. The awards are given out every two years.

Technologies that are eligible for Index Awards must address genuine needs and have the potential to improve life and constitute a new concept that is not a reinterpretation of an older design.

Developed in 2017, the Oleo Sponge consists of a polyurethane foam specially treated with oil-adsorbing molecules through an Argonne-pioneered process called sequential infiltration synthesis. The Oleo Sponge can remove spilled oil from a body of water, not only from the surface but also below the surface, in the water column.

Additionally, the Oleo Sponge can be reused again and again by wringing out the oil.

“This technology is so important because, despite the industry’s best intentions, oil spills continue to happen, and existing cleanup methods are surprisingly inadequate,” said co-inventor Seth Darling, director of the Center for Molecular Engineering and the Advanced Materials for Energy-Water Systems Center.

In a series of tests in New Jersey and California, the Oleo Sponge demonstrated the ability to capture and remove oil from bodies of water in real-world or simulated real-world conditions.

Argonne currently makes Oleo Sponge in small quantities for research, using laboratory equipment. Argonne is interested to engage with commercial partners interested in large-scale manufacturing. Please contact partners@​anl.​gov for more information.

The Index Awards will be announced in a ceremony in Copenhagen on Sept. 6.

The original research to develop Oleo Sponge was funded by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The team used resources of the Center for Nanoscale Materials, a DOE Office of Science User Facility, in the development of the material.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout your life. You have the power to protect yourself and your family against serious diseases with vaccines.

During NIAM, Argonne encourages you talk to your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional to ensure you and your family are up-to-date on recommended vaccines. Immunizations, which are recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are considered preventive care services and most are covered at 100% (meaning no deductible or copay) under Argonne’s medical plans.

As your children head back to school this fall, make sure vaccination is at the top of your checklist. Visit the CDC’s website to learn about recommended vaccines for you and your family.

For more information on immunization coverage under Argonne medical plans, please contact Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois:

• PPO Plan
  877-646-1449
• HMO Plan
  800-892-2803

Employees can also contact the HRS-Employee Benefits department at benefits@anl.gov.

This week, Suresh Sunderrajan and Sibendu Som announced the 2019 winners of the third annual EGS Excellence awards, which recognize Argonne’s world-class talent. Sunderrajan, the associate lab director (ALD) for the Energy and Global Security directorate, and Som, computational scientist and manager of Argonne’s Multi-Physics Computations group, awarded eight EGS staff in three categories:

• People award: Florent Heidet and Heather Connaway in the Nuclear Science & Engineering division
• Process award: Nathan Bremer in the Experimental Operations and Facilities division and Ryan Skeffington in the National Security Facility
• Project award: Beihai Ma, Steve E. Dorris, Tae H. Lee, and (Balu) Balachandran, all in the Applied Materials division

Looking to Argonne’s next generation

Heidet and Connaway received the People award, which highlights leadership, outreach, and inclusion. The duo brought the Next Generation Society, which they formed in 2017, from EGS to the entire laboratory this year. In 2018, Stephen Streiffer, Photon Sciences ALD, joined this employee research group as executive sponsor. This successful, cross-lab, grassroots group has grabbed the attention of other national labs and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) managers.

All eyes on safety and security

Bremer and Skeffington earned the Process award for their commitment to the lab’s safety and security.

As part of the lab’s renewed safety focus, Bremer quickly found and secured pyrophoric materials in Building 206. He stored all materials safely and then built a robust system to store those materials long-term. To do this, Bremer met with many groups cross the lab — Waste Management, Fire Protection Systems, Material Control & Accountability, and so on. His work inspired peers to review safety in other areas of the lab.

Meanwhile, Skeffington simplified reporting for foreign travel for staff who hold security clearances. He also launched an annual review of security clearances, which reduced threats of security violations and saved the lab money. His ideas will save the facility time and allow it to better serve its internal customers.

The chemistry was electric

The team of Beihai Ma, Steve E. Dorris, Tae H. Lee, and U. (Balu) Balachandran accepted the Project award for discovering a better way to produce covetic materials, which contain carbon nanoparticles that can boost electrical conductivity. The team’s new covetic copper films offer electrical conductivity that is 35% higher than copper. The team filed two patents and obtained $7.354 million from DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office for FY 2019 to FY 2021. The team’s efforts have transformed Argonne into the “go-to” national laboratory for covetic processes.

Special thanks to the awards committee, chaired by Sibendu Som and co-chaired by Denise Voss. Other committee members included Jackie Copple (CFC), Yan (Joann) Zhou (ES), Cathy Milostan (ES), Dan Carlson (EOF), Tanju Sofu (NSE), and Karen White (NSF).

By Dave Bukey (CPA)

On June 7, 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued Order 486.1, Department of Energy Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs establishing new requirements for reporting interactions with talent recruitment programs operated or funded by foreign governments. To implement this new order, all employees and collaborators (including joint appointments, guest researchers, subcontractors, and others) will be asked to answer a yes/no question (“Are you personally receiving or expecting to receive compensation from a foreign government-run or -funded program?”) via the Training Management System (TMS). “Compensation” and other terms are defined in more detail in the FAQs below.

If you answer “yes,” you will be prompted to complete a new conflict of interest statement (if you are an employee) or otherwise provide additional information which will be reviewed by Argonne’s Legal department (if you are a collaborator).

Employees will receive the question via TMS the week of August 5, and collaborators will receive the question the week of August 19. You will have two weeks to respond in TMS so that the laboratory can meet the DOE requirement.

Order 486.1 FAQs

The Order

Q. What is DOE concerned about?
A. While the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) encourages international collaborations at the national laboratories, federal agencies have growing concerns about the national and economic security risks associated with international research and collaborations involving sensitive foreign countries. DOE’s intent is not to stop international collaborations, but to protect specific science and technology.

To address these concerns, on June 7, 2019, DOE issued an order, establishing new requirements for reporting talent recruitment programs operated or funded by foreign countries.

Q. What are “foreign government talent recruitment programs”?
A. Generally, such programs include any foreign-state-sponsored attempt to acquire U.S.-funded scientific research through programs run or funded by the government that target scientists, engineers, academics, researchers, and entrepreneurs of all nationalities working or educated in the United States. In exchange for compensation, the person may be asked to share knowledge or expertise with the foreign state or its researchers, students, or other representatives.

DOE’s full definition of a foreign government talent recruitment program is available in Order 486.1.

The Impact

Q. Does this order apply to all DOE laboratories?
A. Yes, though each has created its own compliance plan and timeline for implementing it.

Q. Will this requirement impact many members of the Argonne National Laboratory community?
A. Our initial impression is that few Argonne community members will be affected, especially since employees already have an obligation to report conflicts of interest.

Q. Who is impacted?
A. All employees and other research and development collaborators in the Argonne community will be asked to help Argonne comply. The span of on-site research and development collaborators includes joint appointments, Argonne Associates, emeritus, subcontractors, and various categories of guest researcher appointments.

However, the order does not apply to non-Argonne individuals when they are working under approved agreements called cooperative research and development agreements (CRADA), strategic partnership project agreements (SPP), or agreements for commercializing technology (ACT). In addition, the order does not apply to non-Argonne individuals when they are working under proprietary or non-proprietary user agreements.

Compliance

Q. What do I have to do to help Argonne comply?
A. You will receive a notification to complete an activity (answer a yes/no question) in the Training Management System (TMS). You must complete the activity promptly. Thereafter, these requirements will be included as part of the regular conflict of interest reporting systems.

Q. What if I am not able to access the Training Management System?
A. We offer online assistance with the Training Management System and contact information for TMS representatives. For help with your Argonne username and password, or help accessing TMS remotely through a VPN connection, contact the Argonne Service Desk at ext. 2-9999.

Q. What happens if I answer “No”?
A. Your answer will be recorded and will form the basis for our compliance report to DOE.

Q. What happens if I answer “Yes”?
A. The Legal department will review the situation to determine the next step. You may be asked for additional information to ensure a clear understanding of the situation. As with any potential conflict of interest, if the payment or benefit from the foreign government entity is determined to be detrimental to the laboratory, you may be asked to end involvement with the activity/relationship if you wish to continue at Argonne National Laboratory.

Q. What should I do if I am uncertain of answering yes or no?
A. Contact the Legal Department regarding questions about any potential conflict of interest at COI@anl.gov.

Q. What happens if I don’t answer the question?
A. Your management chain and TMS representatives will receive a notice that you have not completed the acknowledgement and will remind you to do so. You must answer the question within two weeks of the date the request is sent.

Q. What if I don’t report the payment or benefit from a foreign government?
A. Failure to disclose a payment or benefit from a foreign government may lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Q. How often will I need to answer this question?
A. All employees must submit conflicts of interest certifications on an annual basis, or immediately if circumstances change or are expected to change in a way that may create an actual or potential conflict of interest not previously reported, as set forth in LMS POL-26 Employee Conflicts of Interest.

Q. Will Argonne National Laboratory have to do anything else to comply?
A. Some procedures and processes will have to be updated. For example, we will add the question about foreign-government compensation to Argonne employment application documents. We also will update the conflict of interest policy, employee conduct policy, and other related policies and forms.

Definitions and details

Q. What are examples of compensation?
A. Examples of compensation include cash, salary, research funding or equipment (unless under an approved SPP, CRADA, ACT, or user agreement), reimbursed expenses (unless for DOE-approved travel), honorific title/award, honorarium, promised or anticipated future compensation, or other types of remuneration or consideration.

Q. What does “remuneration or consideration” mean?
A. “Remuneration or consideration” is language from DOE Order 486.1. That phrase generally refers to anything of value or benefit given in return for services or that persuades someone to enter into an agreement.

Q. What is a foreign government entity?
A. A foreign government entity includes country, regional, or local level foreign governments, foreign national laboratories, certain foreign corporations, and foreign public universities.

Q. Do I need to report support from a foreign government entity related to my J1 Visa?
A. Yes.

Q. What if a third party pays for my hotel or airfare to attend a work-related conference?
A. If such third-party-funded hotel or airfare is disclosed and approved through the normal lab travel process, such third-party-funded hotel or airfare does not need to be disclosed as a conflict of interest, provided any direct payments to the individual by the third party are turned over to the lab by the individual.

The Strategic Laboratory Leadership Program (SLLP) is an executive leadership program that offers a unique environment enabling high-potential employees to build leadership skills, network, gain cross-functional knowledge and, ultimately, prepare for more senior leadership roles.

Developing our world-class community of talent through programs like SLLP helps ensure our staff is well prepared to accelerate science and technology that drives U.S. prosperity and security.

This year’s cohort has been announced and consists of 33 leaders from four national laboratories:  Argonne, Fermilab, Idaho National Laboratory, and Jefferson Lab. Programming began in June and will conclude in November.

SLLP is sponsored by UChicago Argonne, LLC. It was developed by the Chicago Booth School of Business.

SLLP Program topics include:

• Developing Talented Leaders:  Creating Self-Awareness and Motivating Others
• Actions Skills: Negotiations and Decision-Making
• Leading Innovation
• Strategy and Business Models in a Research Context
• Organizational Change: Changing Minds, Managing Dilemmas, Systems Thinking
• Test Bench Team Projects

Photo: Participants in the 2019 Strategic Laboratory Leadership Program. Top row: James Amundson (FNAL), Dion Antonopoulos (BIO), Sandra Charles (FNAL), Eileen Crowley (FNAL), Max Delferro (CSE), Mike Edelen (QAS), Nate Evans (SSS), Ruben Fair (JLAB), Vadim Sajeev (ASD), Alec Sandy (XSD); 2nd row from the top: Vito Lombardo (FNAL), Martina Martinello (FNAL), Ti Leggett (LCF), Mitchell Kerman (INL), Mark Jeffers (FNAL), Catherine Hurley (PMO-NRE), Sarah Higgins (STOP), Florent Heidet (NSE), Jen Raff (FNAL), Yun He (FNAL); 3rd row from the top: Joe Matalevich (JLAB), Petra Merkel (FNAL), Katya Le Blanc (INL), Todd Munson (MCS), Ross Pallan (BIS), CD Phatak (MSD), Sara Prentice (INL), Aria Soha (FNAL), Yves Roblin (JLAB); Front row: Peter Mueller (PHY), Jennifer Williams (JLAB), Peter van Gemmeren (HEP), Kevin Smith (INL)

Would you like to chat with Argonne Director Paul Kearns in an informal, small-group setting to learn more about, and provide input on, the laboratory’s strategic directions, research priorities, core values, safety programs and more?

“Conversations with Kearns” is an informal gathering held every two to three weeks. All are welcome.

August meeting:

• Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019
  10 a.m., Building 208, Room A138
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The meetings generally lasts about an hour, and no registration is required.

Depending on changes to the laboratory director’s schedule, dates and times may change, or the meeting may be hosted by other Argonne leaders. Any changes will be announced in Snapshot and Argonne Today, and on the Digital Poster Network.

Employees may also email Kearns at listen@anl.gov.

Bring completed registration form and check, payable to Right Fit, to Building 201, Health & Employee Wellness.

After 3:30 p.m., please use the drop box to the right of the receptionist window.

Registration will not be accepted after Friday, Aug. 16, 2019.

For additional information, contact Julie Freyer.

The Sustainability Program would like to thank all individuals who participated in the Green Ride survey and outreach sessions. Your feedback on our ride share, bike share, and electric vehicle charging programs will help our team evaluate which programs add value and how we can best support lab occupants. We look forward to using this information to improve and shape our future planning and investment in these programs.

Congratulations to the Green Ride survey raffle winners. Each won a $25 Sodexo gift card.

• Braeton Smith (DIS)
• Mary Listermann (HRS)
• Vincent Freyermuth (ES)
• Altaf Khan (XSD)

The Next Generation Society (NGS) invites Argonne employees to a meeting featuring Professor Harry Davis from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Davis will present on the topic of  leadership on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. in Building 201, Room 275.

The general objective of this meeting is to gain some perspective on leadership, from someone who has spent his life working and teaching this topic. Professor Davis is an extremely well-respected business professor, focused on leadership and innovation. This event will be a unique opportunity to interact with him.

NGS is an employee resource group that works to enable employees across the laboratory to build relationships, foster professional development, facilitate communication, and increase collaboration. Established in 2017, NGS aims to address the diverse set of needs of employees charting their career paths.

For more information, or to join the mailing list, please email NGS@anl.gov.

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At Argonne National Laboratory, we are committed to living our Core Values of Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork. Through feedback from the Argonne community, we identified examples of behaviors the lab community values most.

Now you can recognize a colleague who demonstrates one of these behaviors (or other behaviors that show the Core Values in action) by giving them a Shout-Out.

All you have to do is complete and submit the Core Values Shout-Out form (ANL-1238). The recipient will receive a copy of the form and a corresponding button, which can be worn on a lanyard or displayed in their office.

All employees will receive the first button that represents all the values. We handed them out at the July 30 All-Hands Meeting. If you haven’t received one, you can request one from your division’s Core Values ambassador. Over time, you may be able to collect the individual buttons that highlight each of our individual Core Values.

The Core Values Shout-Outs program runs from July 30 to Dec. 31.

We each share the responsibility to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive workplace environment through our behavior. Let’s recognize those who are showing us the way.