Allen Weeks Named Electron-Ion Collider Project Director

July 14, 2026

Allen Weeks

I am pleased to announce that Allen Weeks has been named director of the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) project, effective Sept. 28. Allen takes on this role as Jim Yeck, who has served as the EIC project director since 2020, begins his transition toward retirement.  

The EIC is a transformational machine for nuclear physics research being built at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory in partnership with DOE’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, funded by the DOE Office of Science and New York State. With contributions from an exceptional team and strong partnerships across the national laboratory system and around the world, the EIC will open a new frontier in our understanding of the fundamental structure of matter and the strongest force in nature. 

Allen will lead a highly capable, collaborative, and mission-driven team as the project enters an exciting new phase. With approximately $400 million invested to date, a total project cost of $2.8 billion, and site construction expected to begin in early 2027, the EIC continues to gain momentum as the Laboratory's highest-priority initiative and a flagship project for the international nuclear physics community. 

Allen is ideally suited to lead this crucial project. He brings to his new role more than 20 years of experience leading international scientific collaborations and large-scale research infrastructure projects. Most recently, he served as director general of the Extreme Light Infrastructure European Research Infrastructure Consortium, where he helped guide one of the world's leading high-power laser research facilities through its transition to a unified European research organization. 

Previously, Allen held senior leadership positions at the European Spallation Source in Sweden, coordinating contributions from more than 50 European institutional partners during construction of the next-generation neutron research facility. Earlier in his career, he worked on the Free Electron Laser Radiation for Multidisciplinary Investigations (FERMI) user facility in Trieste, Italy, and held business development leadership roles supporting advanced accelerator and light source facilities. He has an MBA from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Science in telecommunications from the University of Alabama.  

I have every confidence that Allen's leadership and experience will ensure the project continues its momentum and delivers on its extraordinary scientific promise. 

I thank Jim for his outstanding leadership and contributions to many DOE and Brookhaven Lab projects, including the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), U.S. contributions to the Large Hadron Collider, the National Synchrotron Light Source II, and the EIC. Jim's involvement with the EIC began long before Brookhaven won the project. He led Brookhaven's EIC Program Steering Group and was the designated project director for the Lab's EIC proposal.  

As EIC project director, Jim led the team that established EIC's organizational structure, advanced the project through critical DOE approval milestones, strengthened the partnership between Brookhaven Lab and Jefferson Lab, expanded international collaborations, and laid the groundwork for a smooth transition from RHIC operations to EIC construction.  

Please join me in welcoming Allen and thanking Jim for his exceptional service and leadership.  

— John Hill 
Laboratory Director