Scope
The Theory Coordinating Committee (TCC) is a group of researchers from the fusion theory and simulation community. The TCC provides a forum for the discussion of questions of interest to the community of researchers working on the theory and simulation of physical systems relevant to fusion energy. The TCC promotes dialogue among researchers, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the private sector. It provides a voice for the community it serves on matters where a broad agreement exists, a space to discuss topics where such agreement does not exist, and a platform for the coordination of communal activities such as joint research projects aiming to achieve a performance milestone. The TCC recognizes that there is overlap between the theory and modeling of plasmas for fusion energy and theory and modeling for other plasmas, and it is open to discuss research outside of fusion energy when requested.
The TCC’s scope includes the following objectives:
Identify strategies to deliver fusion energy using theoretical and computational tools.
Promote, within DOE and to other agencies, theoretical and computational research on fusion energy.
Promote theoretical and computational research in communities historically underrepresented in it, in collaboration with the US Fusion Outreach Team and other similar groups. The TCC recognizes the benefits of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA).
Build a sense of community among the fusion theory and simulation researchers by organizing events and discussion fora.
Develop coordinated responses from the theory and computation research community to requests from DOE.
Assist in planning and promoting scientific conferences, exchanges, and educational opportunities such as courses or topical schools.
Provide feedback and input to DOE on scientific and procedural issues relevant to the theory and computation researchers executing their DOE research mission.
The TCC is not an advisory committee for DOE.
Committee Membership and Structure
The TCC will be composed of a Chair and any member of the theory and computation research community that wishes to join the meetings. An Executive Committee prepares the agenda for the meetings of the TCC and runs initiatives approved by the TCC.
Membership of the TCC
Anyone that wants to become a member of the TCC should contact the Chair, who will add them to the email list of the TCC. The email list of the TCC will be considered the official list of members, and it will be used to check who has the right to vote. Keeping their contact email up to date is the responsibility of each individual member of the TCC.
TCC Decisions
The TCC will make decisions by simple majority. Whenever possible, the TCC will organize electronic votes to ensure wide participation.
The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is composed of seven members: five elected members of the TCC, and a Chair and a Vice-Chair (see below) who serve ex officio.
The Executive Committee makes decisions by simple majority.
Members are elected to the Executive Committee for three years in a vote by the entire TCC. Members are not allowed to serve in the Executive Committee for two consecutive terms of three years.
A Nominations subcommittee of the Executive Committee will promote institutional balance by proposing a slate of Executive Committee nominees that is representative of the fusion theory community, in particular as regards National Laboratories, Universities and private companies. The Nominations subcommittee will also ensure diversity in the Executive Committee by seeking nominations from the whole community through public announcements. Self-nominations will be accepted. The Nominations subcommittee will be composed of three members of the Executive Committee elected by the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee membership will be constantly renewed to ensure it is representative of the community. At least one of the positions in the Executive Committee should be available for election every year. Normally, the Nominations subcommittee will start to seek nominations at the Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference to be able to hold an electronic election after the APS DPP Annual Meeting. Candidates will be encouraged to talk to the TCC members during the APS DPP Annual Meeting. Whenever this timeline is followed, any newly elected member of the Executive Committee is expected to start serving on January 1 of the year following their election.
The Chair and the Vice-Chair
The Chair and the Vice-Chair serve for up to two years. The Chair and the Vice-Chair cannot serve two consecutive terms of two years, and they cannot be elected to the Executive Committee for at least a year after they have stepped down.
The Vice-Chair will become the Chair once the previous Chair steps down. If the Vice-Chair cannot serve as Chair for any reason, the Executive Committee will elect by simple majority one of its members to be Chair. The outgoing Chair and Vice-Chair can vote in this election.
The Executive Committee will elect by simple majority one of its members to be Vice-Chair for two years once the previous Vice-Chair becomes Chair or steps down. The outgoing Chair can vote in this election.
TCC Meetings
The Committee will hold two meetings that can be attended by any member of the theory and computational research community: one during the APS Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) Annual Meeting and another during the Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference. Meetings will be hybrid (both with in-person and remote participation).