[en] A recent workshop sponsored by the National Research Council has made it clear that the key to further substantial progress in heavy element research is the expanded use of 276-day ²⁵⁴Es as target material. Einsteinium-254 has the greatest mass and charge of any nuclide that can be produced in the required multimicrogram quantities in the foreseeable future. Four major laboratories [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)] active in transplutonium research have collaborated to propose a major new thrust in transplutonium research that will require an order of magnitude more ²⁵⁴Es than is normally available. This project, called LEAP (an acronym for Large Einsteinium Activation Program) has goals of determining the inorganic chemistry and nuclear chemistry and physics of the transeinsteinium elements through atomic number 109, plus a search for superheavy elements. LEAP is based on using approx.40-μg of ²⁵⁴Es as a target for heavy-ion accelerators. The Tranuranium Processing Plant (TRU) of the Chemical Technology Division of ORNL has been given the task of determining the feasibility of producing a 40 μg sample of ²⁵⁴Es and, if later requested, of actually producing the sample. This task, which has been under way for several years, is directed toward three areas of investigation: (1) experimental determination of the neutron cross sections of certain transplutonium isotopes important to the production of ²⁵⁴Es; (2) selection of a ²⁵⁴Es production scheme; and (3) development of the necessary hardware, followed by an actual test irradiation. 12 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs