Berkeley Lab

Program Director

US-MDP Program Director Soren Prestemon
Soren Prestemon

MDP Director Functions and Responsibilities

As Host Laboratory, LBNL appoints the US-MDP Program Director. The Program Director is responsible for

    Overall coordination of the Program;
    Implementing a program management plan;
    Establishing and maintaining close interactions with host-laboratory management and other MDP stakeholders; and
    Carrying out a multi-year plan for execution of the MDP’s goals and functions.

Details are given below.


Overall coordination of the MDP.
This includes establishing technical policy, setting MDP priorities, and allocating funds to all institutions receiving support from the U.S. Department of Energy through the MDP.

Implementing a program management plan that:

  • Defines the management and reporting structure; and
  • Provides clearly defined responsibilities within that structure.


Establishing and maintaining close interactions
with host laboratory management (Physical Sciences Associate Laboratory Director and ATAP Division Director) and with the stakeholders of the MDP, including the funding agency; the laboratories, universities and other institutional participants.


Maintaining a multi-year program execution plan
for MDP activities that:

  • Defines the major research goals and objectives;
  • Clearly identifies the required personnel resources and funding profile;
  • Utilizes suitable program management tools in order to execute an R&D program of this size;
  • Ensures timely design choices and selections between competing technologies;
  • Provides a clear set of milestones and deliverables against which progress can be evaluated; and
  • Provides technical, cost and schedule reports on a quarterly basis to LBNL management and the DOE-HEP.