NASA stops funding grant

by Russell Moore

Daily Lobo

A grant from NASA for research at UNM has been terminated, and University officials are struggling to learn why.

In 2001, NASA approved a $6 million grant to fund UNM's Intelligent Systems Engineering Program. The grant was a five-year extension for the program, which started in 1996 as the Autonomous Control Engineering program.

The program was designed to study subjects such as artificial intelligence and advanced robotics, among others. In addition, the program was intended to embrace and serve minority students, according to the program's Web site.

But NASA suddenly stopped funding the program in March of 2002, leaving several professors and students at UNM without program funding.

UNM officials said NASA has not provided information about the grant's termination.

"We ask about it, but we don't get any answers," UNM attorney Robert Bienstock said. "Generally, a (federal) funding agency doesn't have an absolute, unilateral right to terminate a grant."

Representatives from NASA did not immediately return telephone calls or e-mails Thursday.

Bienstock said he has questioned his colleagues at other universities, and they agree with UNM's position. He said nobody he spoke to has ever heard of a similar situation.

Timothy Ross, a civil engineering professor at UNM, said he is shocked both by the termination of the grant and by NASA's refusal to answer any questions.

"UNM is telling NASA they have no unilateral right to cancel this project when we have been following the provisions of the contract," said Ross, one of the program's primary researchers. "Moreover, any such action like this must, according to their own procedures, be followed by a hearing at which we will hear what the problem is then we have an opportunity to answer any issues that they have."

He said if there's a resolution to cancel the contract, there have to be close-out procedures.

"None of this has happened," Ross said.

He said it seems the money is less of an issue than NASA's failure to communicate.

"I've never, in my time working with the federal government, had to deal with an agency like NASA," Ross said. "This stunt they've pulled has nothing to do with science. They've shown us nothing but contempt, and they've been disingenuous. This is not how scientists interact."

In addition to terminating the grant, Bienstock said, NASA is not giving UNM the chance to appeal the action.

"NASA has a reputation for being difficult," said Jack McIver, UNM's interim deputy vice provost for research.

McIver said he and UNM Vice Provost for Research Terry Yates went to NASA's Washington, D.C., office to recover about $800,000 in outstanding bills owed to the University.

He said NASA still owes UNM "a significant amount of money."

Ross said the UNM program was "outstanding" in terms of performance, giving NASA no legitimate reason to terminate the grant.

"I think any reasonable person would say there are no grounds for termination," Bienstock said. "But they're just not listening."