Berkeley Lab Open to New Bidders

The Department of Energy released for comment last week a draft request for proposals to manage and operate the University of California-run Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The announcement marks the first time a contract to operate the lab has been competitively bid on since the facility opened in 1943. The lab has a host of research facilities of particular importance to chemists and is located near the UC Berkeley campus, with which it has close ties. DOE notes that any new contract will include a facility use arrangement to ensure continued access to the lab by UC researchers. It is expected that UC will seek to continue operating the facility, which receives about $469 million in annual funding. DOE announced that the current contract will be slightly extended beyond its Jan. 31, 2005, expiration date in order to assess bid proposals.