On 6 November, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation hosted a meeting of the Supervisory Board of the NICA Project dedicated to discussing the status of the megascience project of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. Following the meeting, the board members approved an updated work plan for the construction and launch of the basic configuration of the VBLHEP JINR accelerator complex, confirming the Institute’s intentions to complete the project on time.

Vice-Director of the Joint Institute, NICA Megascience Project Leader Vladimir Kekelidze delivered a presentation on the status of NICA. In his speech, he highlighted the progress in the project implementation, noting that the magnetic cryostat system of the accelerator complex had been successfully installed, and a phased technological run of all major collider systems had been initiated.

Active work is underway in project’s international collaborations, including MPD (Multi-Purpose Detector), BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron), SPD (Spin Physics Detector), and ARIADNA (Applied Research Infrastructure for Advanced Developments at NICA fAcility). The number of collaboration participants steadily increases each year. More than 1,200 scientists from 25 countries are currently engaged in developing the experimental facilities of the NICA Accelerator Complex.

At the end of the meeting, the Supervisory Board of the NICA Project, the highest management body for the implementation of the megascience project, approved the updated work plan for the construction and launch of the basic configuration of the VBLHEP accelerator complex The board supported the measures taken by the Joint Institute to minimise risks and optimise the completion time of the facility in accordance with the approved plan.

The Supervisory Board is co-chaired by JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov and Russian Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Andrey Omelchuk. The members are JINR Scientific Leader Victor Matveev, Vice Director of the Joint Institute Latchesar Kostov, Scientific Leader of the National Centre for Physics and Mathematics (NCPM) Alexander Sergeev, VBLHEP JINR Chief Researcher Richard Lednický, Rosatom Deputy Director General Yuri Olenin (substituted at the meeting by the Director General of MBIR Consortium Leader LLC Vasily Konstantinov), Chair of the JINR Committee of Plenipotentiaries Arsen Khvedelidze and Institute Vice-Director Vladimir Kekelidze.

The next meeting of the Supervisory Board of the NICA Project is scheduled for April 2025. In addition to the work status and scientific research prospects, the adenga of the upcoming meeting will include an analysis of possible funding sources to ensure further development of the project and presentation of its updated cost.