Promising results are currently being obtained on the BNL Electron Beam Test Stand (EBTS), which is a prototype for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) EBIS. Based on the present results, a proposal has been made regarding the general design of the RHIC EBIS. During the next year experiments will be made to investigate physics issues and beam properties important to the detailed design of the RHIC EBIS. Below we have outlined some of the physics issues to be explored experimentally, beam diagnostics that will be employed, and hardware modifications that are desired to go from the prototype stage to the RHIC EBIS. ©2001 American Institute of Physics.