Staff Report
Two of the country's largest universities are preparing to square off for ownership rights of one of New Mexico's most recognizable inhabitants - Los Alamos National Laboratories.
The University of Texas announced plans Wednesday to spend upwards of $500,000 on a possible bid for the labs' contracts. The labs' current operator, the University of California, is preparing a plan to hold off any possible competitors when its contract runs out in 2005.
"The contract for the laboratories is a prestigious one, and we fully expect and welcome competition," said UC spokesman Chris Harrington in a news release.
UC has managed LANL, the originating spot of the atomic bomb, since the late 1940s.
UNM, having signed a formal memorandum with the labs' operators in October to strengthen research cooperation between the two institutions, has a vested interest in the decision of who will take the labs' reins in coming years.
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"The question of who manages Los Alamos National Labs is a critical one for UNM and the people of New Mexico," UNM President Louis Caldera said in an e-mail.
Caldera said the University's role as the flagship research institution in the state is to ensure the payoff from New Mexico's collaborations with the labs is enormous.
Although UNM has formed relationships with both UC and the labs, Caldera said it is too early to support any one bidder.
Caldera said, though, that a continued partnership with LANL is critical to the University's future. The two institutions' current relationship provides world-class research opportunities for University faculty and students and opens the door for LANL experts to teach classes at UNM, he said.
Caldera said while they are not yet willing to take a stance on the issue, University officials are keeping a close eye on the situation.
"While we are not aligned with any bidder at this time, we feel strongly that any winning bid must have a component that materially advances the relationship between UNM, LANL and the managing partner institution," he said.
