In August, The University of Texas System Board of Regents announced “strong support” for a bid to operate the nation’s 17 laboratories at Los Alamos. On Thursday, the system made a more formal announcement.
The labs at Los Alamos are currently managed under the University of California System.
The U.S. Department of Energy is expected to announce a successful bidder in the spring of 2018. The following is the statement from UT.
Statement regarding The University of Texas System bid on the Maintenance and Operations Contract for Los Alamos National Laboratories
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017
In response to numerous inquiries, The University of Texas System confirms that it has submitted a response to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s request for proposals to manage and operate Los Alamos National Laboratory.
We believe The University of Texas System with its 14 institutions brings extraordinary qualifications: more than 130 years of unmatched scientific accomplishment, a record of responsible and responsive leadership, demonstrated business acumen and experience in change management, and a long-established commitment to national service.
Los Alamos is a preeminent national laboratory in the areas of nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards and security, environmental management, energy and other programs—one among the U.S. Department of Energy’s 17 national laboratories. The Lab operates under the auspices of the NNSA, a semi-autonomous agency within the Department of Energy. It holds a storied place in the history of our nation and carries primary responsibility for the urgent task of effectively managing the nuclear weapons component stockpile, as well as the advancement of knowledge and discovery that can aid nuclear nonproliferation and deterrence, environmental management, and energy research.
If UT System wins the honor of serving, we believe that the system’s renowned centers of academic excellence and our long legacy of service to our nation will serve the Lab and its community well. We will work to be a trusted steward and a richly productive partner to the Lab’s dedicated world-class workforce, the New Mexico economic and community landscape, and to the wider scientific communities these entities serve.
