The Technology Commercialization and Partnerships Division recently hosted a presentation by David McCallum, new opportunity development manager, on the Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) tool.

SPIN is advertised as the world’s largest searchable database of funding opportunities, and it is available to all Argonne researchers. SPIN offers more than 40,000 opportunities from more than 10,000 sponsors, including favorites such as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and others. The SPIN database also includes info on a wide variety of potential new sponsors.

• View a recording of the presentation
• View the presentation slides

SPIN features a fast, capable search engine. Users can filter results, save searches, and automatically run searches and receive updates.

Use of the SPIN tool is consistent with Argonne’s continuous pursuit of operational excellence. In addition, opportunities realized through SPIN will help Argonne enhance its leadership in science and technology.

If you have questions, please contact McCallum via email or by phone at ext. 2-4338.

The Argonne Club will host “Breakfast with Santa” on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Building 213 Cafeteria. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive at 9 a.m. via fire truck.

Those interested in volunteering at the event should email the Argonne Club. Students can receive community service hours for volunteering.

Site access requirements

A Breakfast with Santa – Site Access Requirements guide will be given to all ticket buyers. Please carefully read this as all visitors need to register for a visitor gate pass.

All visitors 16 years of age and older must register online prior to the event. Using the registration form will automatically submit a visitor gate pass request. Please do not use the gate pass system. Non-U.S. citizen visitors must register by Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. Argonne employees and site occupants do not need to register, but will need to present and wear their photo badges.

After registering, employees are encouraged to pick-up gate passes for family and friends in advance at the Argonne Information Center (AIC) in Building 224 any time during normal business hours prior to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. Gate passes can also be picked-up the day of the event at the AIC.

All visitors, 16 years of age or older, must be in possession of a valid gate pass and an acceptable form of photo identification to access the laboratory. Please arrive early to allow time for gate pass issuance and security checks.

Ticket information

Tickets for Breakfast with Santa will be sold Monday, Nov. 18, Tuesday, Nov. 19, and Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Building 213 Nickel work space. Cash or checks are accepted for payment.

Breakfast meal tickets are $6.75 per person.. Tickets to sit with Santa are $5 per child.

Breakfast will be served from 9:15 a.m. to noon. A continental breakfast will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Breakfast menu

The breakfast meal ticket menu will be available soon.

Additional items such as fruit cups, yogurt, pudding parfaits, bakery items and coffee are priced separately.

Sit with Santa sessions

Three sessions are available to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus:

• 9:15 to 11 a.m.
• 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• 12:30 to 2 p.m.

Games, activities and children’s crafts are planned.

Site access requirements and attendee information
Flyer

The Argonne Veterans Employee Resource Group will host a Veterans Day event on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Building. 213 Cafeteria.

The information fair will include representatives from K9’s for Veterans, Veterans Affairs, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and Naperville Responds for Veterans.

All veterans who self-identify will receive be a free lunch voucher to thank them for their service.

For more information, contact veterans@anl.gov.

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Argonne offers its world-class community of talent two vision benefit options to cover vision expenses. Both options are available to all benefits-eligible employees. The BCBSIL Blue Advantage HMO medical plan includes vision coverage at no additional cost as part of the medical plan.  The EyeMed Vision Plan offers coverage on vision services and products for an additional monthly cost.

During the Open Enrollment period, now through Friday, November 15, 2019, be sure to review the plans and make any desired changes to your coverage.

See this For Your Benefit article for more details.

Argonne is committed to developing the next generation of science and technology leaders. To this end, Physical Sciences and Engineering (PSE) is pleased to announce a new pilot program: Next Generation of Leaders (NextGen Leaders). The program is designed to provide early- to mid-career staff with opportunities to develop and grow — both themselves and new strategic research directions at the laboratory.

The goal is to ensure that the next generation of leaders have the tools and skills needed to coordinate research activities across Argonne’s multidisciplinary directorates and build strategic programs that will result in innovations that impact future technologies and the nation.

The NextGen Leaders program will begin with a pilot focused on energy storage through the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science (ACCESS). As part of this effort, ACCESS will work with Argonne’s Science & Technology Partnerships & Outreach (S&TPO) directorate to take advantage of the Launchpad Program and its resources.

The pilot effort will concentrate on two critical and emerging areas in batteries at Argonne:

• Solid-state batteries
• Battery material supply chain and raw material processing

Two candidates will be chosen to participate in the pilot.

For more information and instructions on how to apply, please visit the NextGen Leaders website.

Applications are due on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019

How to Apply

1. Download and fill in the NextGen Leaders application.
2. Maximum length of application is two pages.
3. Submit completed applications to access@anl.gov.

If you have questions, please contact Lee Zachos at access@anl.gov.

Sodexo is hosting its second cooking class on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Building 213 Cafeteria Lobby.  The menu items will be asparagus chicken roulade, duchess potatoes, and a festive salad recipe with Chef George and Sharon.

Interested participants need to RSVP by Tuesday, Nov. 12, to Chef George at George.Arney@Sodexo.com.  Space is limited and participants will be notified via email.

Due to U.S. Department of Energy reporting requirements for the November month-end close process, all employees and Argonne Associates must complete a series of events:

• All effort for the week ending on Nov. 24, 2019, must be entered and authorized in Dayforce by 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019. Please make the appropriate arrangements if you are on travel or away from the laboratory.
• All effort corrections must be fully authorized by noon on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, in order to be included in the October ledger activity. Submit the appropriate Timecard and Effort Correction form.
• Timecard and Effort Correction forms:
  • Employees:  Dayforce Timecard and Effort Corrections (ANL-1007)
  • Argonne Associates: Argonne Associate Timecard and Effort Corrections (ANL-1077)

For questions, contact Nghe Nguyen (OCF) at ext. 2-8020.

All proceeds from Argonne’s Hispanic Latino Club tamale sale, now through Friday, Nov, 15, 2019, will support student scholarship funds. The club has awarded more than $37,814 in scholarships so far.

Cheese, chicken or pork tamales are $12 per dozen. Pick-up date is Wednesday, Nov. 20, at the Building 205 Library from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Download the order form for a list of club members who can accept the order and payment.

The Technology Commercialization and Partnerships division (TCP) is pleased to announce the three promising late-stage technologies that have been selected for the new Lab-to-Market (L2M) program:

• Dynamic Unmanned Aerial System Simulation Framework for Energy and Mission Performance Optimization (Dominik Karbowski, ES; supported by TCP’s Hemant Bhimnathwala)
• Manganese-Rich Oxides for Li-ion Batteries (Jason Croy, CSE; supported by TCP’s Chris Claxton)
• Ultra-Fast Boriding of Stainless Steel Mesh and Fracking Valve Seats (Levent Eryilmaz, AMD; supported by TCP’s Paulina Rychenkova)

As a technology maturation program launched in June, L2M is designed to enhance Argonne’s leadership in science and technology by increasing the number of our technologies adopted by the private sector.

There has been strong interest in this program; in this inaugural year, TCP received 16 applications from divisions across the lab. Awards are made for up to $200,000 for project durations of approximately one year and are jointly funded by royalty funds from Argonne’s Office of the Director and the directorate of the lead principal investigator.

L2M is currently planned as a two-year pilot program, during which time Argonne will assess its effectiveness as a means of making commercial impact with Argonne’s cutting-edge science and technology. Details on L2M criteria, process, and timeline can be found on Inside Argonne.

If you have questions or thoughts, please contact Lab2Market@anl.gov.

Computer Science Education Week is Dec. 9-13, 2019, which means the annual Hour of Code Initiative, and the need for computer science volunteers, is quickly approaching.

For those that have not participated in the past, during Computer Science Education Week, Argonne’s Educational Programs and Outreach (DEP) sends out computer scientist role models to regional elementary, middle, and high schools to help students get excited about coding and careers in computer science. Last year 50 employees volunteered and DEP is hoping to beat that number this year.

DEP will try to match volunteers to schools based on their preferences. Once a volunteer is matched, DEP will help facilitate the communication between the volunteer and the teacher they will work with.

Volunteer responsibilities include:

• Travel to assigned school to serve as a computer science expert.
• Give a 10-minute presentation about computer science at Argonne and about yourself (DEP will provide a template for those who don’t already have one).
• Engage with students while they are participating in Hour of Code activities.
  • The teacher will lead the students in a coding or computer science activity; volunteers are not expected to teach or facilitate any activity.  Simply walk around the room engaging with students and help them with the activity if appropriate.
• DEP asks that volunteers donate a minimum of two hours to their assigned classroom or school.

Interested employees can register here to volunteer.

For questions, contact Jessica Burgess (DEP).

All are welcome to join us on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, at 2 p.m. in Building 241, Room A323, for a presentation and discussion as part of Argonne’s artificial intelligence (AI) in science and engineering town hall meeting series, hosted by Physical Sciences and Engineering. Olle Heinonen, MSD (NST), will present “AI Engineering of Nanoscale Materials for A-la-Carte Topology and Transduction.”

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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.

America Recycles Day is Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, and Argonne’s Sustainability & Environmental program and Social Media department want to show the world how Argonne recycles.

What do we need you to do?

Take a photo of yourself or your colleagues in the act of recycling. We want to see your faces and the materials you are recycling. Email photos by Thursday, Nov. 14, to Justin Breaux.

Approved photos will be shared on Argonne’s social media pages on America Recycles Day, Nov. 15. When sending photos, indicate what department you work in and what you’re recycling. If you have a Twitter account and would like to be tagged, please provide that information, as well.

America Recycles Day was started in 1997 by the National Recycling Coalition and is declared each year by Presidential Proclamation, encouraging Americans to commit to recycling.  Since 2009, this day has been a program of Keep America Beautiful.  There are thousands of events that are held across the United States to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and offering personal pledges that can be signed, committing to recycling and buying products made from recycled materials.

Facilities-Shipping and Receiving will be closed during the Thanksgiving holiday, Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29, 2019. No special deliveries will be scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 30. Shipments and deliveries will resume on Monday, Dec. 2, 2019.

For questions, please contact Shipping and Receiving Manager, Doreen Schoening (FAC) at ext. 2-4939.

The Fitness Center will be closed on Saturday, Nov 16, and Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019, for maintenance. The center will reopen Monday, Nov. 18 at 5 a.m.

Health and Employee Wellness (HEW) will sponsor the sixth annual “Give it a Weigh for the Holidays,” a fun wellness program for the holidays that supports healthy living and charitable giving. The program aims to help employees avoid holiday weight gain, while still enjoying this wonderful season.

HEW will start the program before the Thanksgiving holiday on Nov. 18. New this year, participants will receive 200 Virgin Pulse points after successfully completing both weigh in and weigh out, and a bonus of 200 more Virgin Pulse points if they have gained one pound or less over the course of the contest.

Program Overview

Give it a Weigh for the Holidays encourages employees to form teams of two or more people that focus on maintaining their current body weight during the winter holiday season. Each employee that would like to participate in a competitive team donates $10 in cash, per person, which will go towards a holiday gift for an Argonne Combined Appeal (ACA) sponsored organization.

Interested employees who have formed a team will weigh-in to record a “starting weight” and after the holiday season is over, employees will weigh-in again to record an “ending weight.” Teams are encouraged to support each other in eating well and keeping up exercise over the season.  The team that has gained the least weight (averaged over the number of team members) will win and thereby get to choose which ACA-sponsored organization will  receive the collected funds.

Each team should identify a team captain that will email wellness@anl.gov with the name of their team. The team captain should  collect funds from team members and bring them to HEW during the weigh-in process.

Don’t want to join a team or donate money?

Employees are welcome to come and weigh in and weigh out without joining a team.  No entry fee will be collected, and individuals will not be entered into the competition – but they will still receive Virgin Pulse points as mentioned above.

All individual weights are kept confidential.

Weigh-ins must be between Nov. 18-22, 2019, and weigh-outs between Jan. 5-13, 2020.

Schedule Weigh-Ins

Individuals will need to call HEW at ext. 2-2813, to schedule a weigh-in at the HEW Medical Clinic in Building 201, 1st Floor. Employees can call today to schedule a weigh-in appointment. Appointments can be individual or for an entire team.

Please note: The following wellness information is provided for the use of Argonne employees.

The provision of this information is not intended to create a physician-patient relationship or to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, opinion or treatment.

If you believe you have any health problem, or if you have any questions regarding your health or a medical condition, you should promptly consult your personal physician or other healthcare provider.

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, most deer-vehicle accidents happen during the months of October, November, and December — deer hunting and mating season. Another peak time for accidents is in May and June as one-year old deer move to new areas. Deer are most active at dawn and dusk, so drivers should remain particularly vigilant at those times.

Stay safe

• Protect yourself. Wear your seatbelt and obey speed limit signs.
• Stay alert. Pay attention to deer crossing signs and be cautious in areas near woods or water.
• Use high beams. When on a dark road, use your vehicle’s bright lights to illuminate the roadway. Flashing your bright lights on a deer in the road may cause the animal to run away.
• Don’t swerve. If a deer-car crash is inevitable, maintain control of your vehicle and don’t veer off the road.

In case of a deer-vehicle accident:

• Turn on emergency flasher lights and pull the vehicle onto the shoulder of the road.
• Stay in the vehicle.
• Help injured passengers.
• Report the accident by calling 630-252-1911 (if the accident happens on campus), or 9-1-1.

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.

December meeting:

• Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019
  9 a.m., Building 401, Room A1100
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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.

Argonne employees are invited for a series of exclusive sneak peeks of the Materials Design Laboratory (MDL), which opens on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019. When operational, the MDL will enhance Argonne’s leadership in science and technology by providing the facilities needed to make pivotal discoveries. There’s more to celebrate: Northgate Road (which has been closed since March 2017) and the parking lot east of the MDL will reopen on Nov. 13, too.

The MDL, also known as Building 242, encompasses roughly 124,000 square feet of laboratory and office space, including 10,000 square feet of lab space for radiological research. From designing tailored superconductors to transform the nation’s energy grid to developing better materials for wind turbines and finding potential replacements for silicon for next-generation computers, the MDL will allow scientists to discover new materials, understand how they work, and put them to use.

Sustainability was a defining feature in the design of the MDL and the facility is in line to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) “Gold” rating from the U.S. Green Buildings Council (USGBC).

• High-efficiency lighting
• Recycled materials
• Energy recovery systems
• Helium recovery systems
• Water use reduction
• Green power
• High-efficiency HVAC systems
• Construction waste management
• Regional materials
• Certified wood

MDL Employee Tours

Staff from Infrastructure Services will offer 30-minute guided tours of the MDL. Employees will have an opportunity to access areas of the building that they will not be able to experience once the lab is operating. Tour-takers should meet in the Ground Floor Lobby, accessible off Northgate Road.

Schedule:

• Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019
  11:30 a.m.
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• Friday, Nov. 15, 2019
  1:30 p.m.
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• Monday, Nov. 18, 2019
  9:30 a.m.
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• Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019
  12:30 p.m.
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Details on an official opening ceremony will be announced shortly.

A section of Outer Circle Road, near Building 240, will be closed Monday, Nov 18, through Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, for work on underground chilled water connections.

On Saturday morning, Nov. 16, 2019, Business and Information Services will conduct maintenance on the ServiceNow system. From 8 a.m. to noon, both Vector and ServiceNow will be unavailable.

If you have a critical incident which requires immediate assistance during the maintenance, contact the Service Desk at ext. 2-9999, option 2.

This maintenance satisfies a requirement … Read More »