The US LHC User's Association

The purpose of the US LHC Users Association (USLUA) is to advocate on behalf of all US-affiliated scientists and engineers who carry out research and development using the LHC experiments or accelerator systems, with a focus on how best to enhance scientific participation in the discoveries expected from this research. In particular, USLUA aims to help the US LHC community work effectively with their colleagues at CERN (while in the US), adapt to working at CERN and living in the area, and provide communication channels between scientists working on the LHC experiments, US funding agencies, and the US Congress.

Along with the Fermilab Users Executive Committee and the SLAC Users Organization, USLUA organizes an annual delegation of high-energy physicists to meet with policymakers in Washington, DC, to advocate for the continued robust funding of HEP research. This endeavor, sometimes referred to as the “DC trip,” requires substantial coordination and organization, including dedicated tools and informational materials; these extensive materials have been praised by policymakers and may also be useful in other contexts. According to feedback from policymakers, the HEP advocacy effort is one of the most effective campaigns among all scientific subfields.

This presentation will summarize the recent and planned activities of USLUA, including key takeaways from the recent DC trip.