"If we put in much less than what the project really needs, then all we're really doing is stretching out its eventual cost," he says. "And that makes it vulnerable to an even bigger hit down the road. By slowing down the funding, you're also hurting the science. But with future budgets likely to increase by no more than 5 percent or so, these projects are really imposing some heavy mortgages on us."
Not all projects can be stretched to accommodate budgetary constraints, Sanchez points out. "Take the magnet lab [being built in Florida]. They're at the top of their request right now; they have to put up a building and build the magnets. And they're making phenomenal progress. A site visit team just came back with a glowing report. Given all of that, I'd hate to have to tell them that we're cutting their budget."
One of the biggest ...
