Allen Weeks Named Electron-Ion Collider Project Director
America's collider builds momentum and moves closer to construction
August 3, 2026
UPTON, N.Y. — Allen Weeks, a project leader with decades of experience running large-scale scientific facilities, has been named project director of the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), 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 (Jefferson Lab). Weeks is succeeding Jim Yeck, who is retiring after serving as EIC project director since 2020.
The EIC is a one-of-a-kind research machine that will open a new frontier in scientists’ understanding of the fundamental structure of matter and the strongest force in nature. The $2.8 billion project will be funded primarily by the DOE Office of Science and a $100 million contribution from New York State, with participation from scientists, engineers, technicians, and students from laboratories and universities across the U.S. and around the world.
Weeks assumes leadership at a pivotal moment. With approximately $400 million already invested, the project is preparing for the start of site construction in early 2027 to deliver one of the largest scientific infrastructure efforts currently underway in the United States by the middle of the 2030s.
“The EIC is Brookhaven Lab's highest-priority initiative and will be a flagship project for the international nuclear physics community,” said Brookhaven Lab Director John Hill. “As the project transitions from planning toward construction, Allen's experience leading international scientific facilities makes him the right person to guide the project through this next chapter. I have every confidence that he will ensure that the EIC continues its momentum and delivers on its extraordinary scientific promise.”
Weeks has 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, Weeks 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.
The EIC represents one of the most ambitious scientific facilities being built anywhere in the world, and I'm excited to work with this outstanding team to deliver a facility that will advance U.S. scientific leadership and serve researchers around the world for decades to come.
Allen Weeks
Earlier in his career, Weeks 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.
“The EIC represents one of the most ambitious scientific facilities being built anywhere in the world, and I'm excited to work with this outstanding team to deliver a facility that will advance U.S. scientific leadership and serve researchers around the world for decades to come,” Weeks said. “Jim Yeck’s leadership, professionalism, and stewardship of the EIC have established a strong foundation. I look forward to leading this team to build on that success as we continue advancing the project.”
Hill also acknowledged Yeck’s crucial roles in shepherding a range of DOE and Brookhaven Lab projects to success, including the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), U.S. contributions to the Large Hadron Collider, the National Synchrotron Light Source II, and the EIC. Even before being appointed as the EIC project director, Yeck led the Lab’s EIC Program Steering Group and was the designated project director for the Lab’s EIC proposal.
As EIC project director, Yeck established the project's organizational structure, guided it through major DOE approval milestones, strengthened the Brookhaven-Jefferson Lab partnership, expanded international collaborations, and positioned the project for the transition from RHIC operations to EIC construction.
“I’m confident to be leaving the EIC project and team in Allen’s very capable hands, and I’m excited to see it move into construction,” Yeck said. “Before we know it, the EIC will begin a new era of operations and groundbreaking scientific discoveries. I was honored to lead the team to this point, and I can’t wait to see those first collisions occur!”
Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.
Follow @BrookhavenLab on social media. Find us on Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.
2026-23043 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
