The LIGO Laboratory proposes the continued operation and development of the LIGO scientific program. The construction of LIGO by Caltech and MIT, under Cooperative Agreement No. PHY-9210038, has been completed within budget and on the schedule defined in the rebaselining process in 1994. The LIGO facilities are in full operation in support of the interferometer commissioning. At the end of FY 2001, LIGO will be operating the three LIGO interferometers at the two LIGO observatory sites in Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA. During the period of this proposal, LIGO will carry out the first LIGO Science Run. This will include operation of the three LIGO interferometers in a stable and sensitive scientific configuration, at the design dimensionless strain sensitivity (h ~ 10-21), for a minimum of an integrated year of coincidence running. This data run will take place during the period 2002 through 2004. During that period, operation of the interferometers will be interleaved with interferometer R&D and improvements. These periods of interferometer studies will improve the detector sensitivity and availability for stable, scientific running. The science goals of this run are to conduct the first broad search for astrophysical sources of gravitational waves with sensitivity never before attained. LIGO has fostered the development of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, consisting of researchers from the LIGO Laboratory and from external institutions in the U.S. and abroad. The creation of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration has enabled broad participation in LIGO. During the period of this proposal, the LIGO Scientific Collaborations will guide the gravitational wave research and the definition of the R&D toward technology improvements. LIGO will build upon its program of education at each of the four LIGO Laboratory Sites, extending the scientific excitement of LIGO to young people from elementary to graduate levels. Community outreach activities will be extended to include new demonstration and interpretive programs. LIGO collaboration with industry will address new technologies and applications stimulated by the requirements of gravitational wave observation.
