THE DOE-HEP ACCELERATOR R&D STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM*

Since the Accelerators for America’s Future (AfAF) Symposium in 2009, the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Office of High Energy Physics (DOE-HEP) has worked toward broadening its accelerator R&D activities beyond its support of only discovery science to include medicine, energy and environment, defense and security, and industry. Accelerators play a key role in many aspects of everyday life, and improving their capabilities will enhance U.S. economic competitiveness and the scientific research that drives it. In 2011, a community task force was initiated by DOE-HEP to develop more fully the information from the original AfAF Symposium. Subsequently, a DOE-HEP concept (coordinated with the other cognizant Office of Science program offices) was developed for accelerator R&D stewardship. Here, we describe the evolution of the stewardship task starting from its origins in the ongoing DOE-HEP accelerator R&D program, the mission of the new program, and initial steps being taken to implement it. Several initiatives are currently being considered to launch the program, and these will be indicated. Involvement of the accelerator community in developing ideas for future stewardship activities will be crucial to the ultimate success of the program.