Program optimization criteria

• Science: based on the Drivers, assess where we want to go and how to get there, with a portfolio of the most promising approaches.
• International context: pursue the most important opportunities wherever they are, and host world-leading facilities that attract the worldwide scientific community; duplication should only occur when significant value is added or when competition helps propel the field in important directions.
• Sustained productivity: maintain a stream of science results while investing in future capabilities, which implies a balance of project sizes; maintain and develop critical technical and scientific expertise and infrastructure to enable future discoveries.

Individual project criteria (can also be applied to research efforts/proposals)

• Science: how the project addresses key questions in particle physics, the size and relevance of the discovery reach, how the experiment might change the direction of the field, and the value of null results.
• Timing: when the project is needed, and how it fits into the larger picture.
• Uniqueness: what the experiment adds that is unique and/or definitive, and where it might lead. Consider the alternatives.
• Cost vs. value: the scope should be well defined and match the physics case. For multidisciplinary/agency projects, distribution of support should match the distribution of science.
• History and dependencies: previous prioritization, existing commitments, and the impacts of changes in direction.
• Feasibility: consider the main technical, cost, and schedule risks of the proposed project.
• Roles: U.S. particle physics leadership