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UT System officials are defending a possible UT bid for Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico by citing the prestige and research opportunities that come with managing a federal defense facility.
But not all UT-Austin faculty members are convinced the perks are worth the price of bidding to manage the weapons laboratory, which is known for creating the atomic bomb. Some UT professors said they worry the benefits of Los Alamos to the University would be marginal while the costs of management would be high. A UT student watchdog group opposed to the bid is attempting to mobilize a grass-roots protest of the UT System's efforts to manage Los Alamos.
"I don't see very many benefits that would arise," said Peter Riley, a physics professor and associate dean for research and facilities. "I see a lot of difficulties, and the difficulties outweigh the benefits."
The University of California System has managed Los Alamos since the early stages of the Manhattan Project that developed the first atomic bomb.
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham decided in April to open the lab up to competitive bidding after a federal investigation uncovered security breaches at the laboratory. A Request for Proposal, detailing conditions of the bid, has not yet been released.
The UT System decided in February to allocate up to $500,000 to investigate the bid, which could cost up to $6 million, officials said. The System chancellor appointed a task force to consider the bid.
UT System officials maintain that managing Los Alamos will help recruit top faculty and increase collaborations between the lab and the University.
"I think we can do an outstanding job in collaboration with partners, in running a national lab that is very important to the security of this country," said UT System Chancellor Mark Yudof at a meeting in February.
Quiet skepticism
Some UT professors have questioned benefits touted by UT officials.
UT faculty not on the Los Alamos task force have largely been in the dark about specifics of research opportunities that would be available through management of Los Alamos.
"I do have concerns of UT taking over operations at the lab," Riley said. "I think it would be a big undertaking. I'm not sure we are well-equipped to do this."
The manager of Los Alamos would have to know how to dispose of hazardous waste and radioactive materials, he said. He also questioned whether professors who would choose to conduct research at Los Alamos would have the opportunity to publish their work freely since the information may be classified.
Riley acknowledged that Los Alamos does conduct unclassified research and that collaborations could exist in areas such as nanoscience and advanced computing.
He said, however, a management contract is not necessary to pursue those types of partnerships. Roger Bengston, a physics professor, agreed.
"I have interacted with people at Los Alamos on a variety of scientific topics," Bengston said. "I cannot imagine that these interactions would be facilitated by UT holding the contract to manage Los Alamos."
UT-Austin professors have three active projects at Los Alamos, according to the Office of Sponsored Projects.
Both Bengston and Riley doubted how much Los Alamos could help recruitment of faculty and said they believed UT-Austin would draw graduate students and professors, regardless of the lab.
One outside expert on nuclear weapons laboratories also questioned whether the prestige would be worth the potential $6-million cost of the bid.
"If I were a Texan taxpayer, or if I were a parent of a student, I would wonder how many books you could have in your library or how much nicer your dorm rooms could be instead of having a vanity bid to manage a lab," said Hugh Gusterson, a visiting professor from the Georgia Institute of Technology who researches the political culture of nuclear weapons.
The UT System plans to have future contact with professors who want to know more about the bidding process, said Randa Safady, vice chancellor of external relations. However, she said officials are still not certain whether they will place a bid.
"We fully intend to have direct conversations with individuals," Safady said. "If we go ahead with this, we intend to be completely transparent."
Benefits of the bid
UT System officials said while they understand professors' concerns, they stand by their reasons for pursuing a bid.
"It is true that the University could have partnerships without being the manager," said Juan Sanchez, vice president for research at UT-Austin and member of the Los Alamos task force. "I think it's equally true that the University managing the labs may create opportunities for closer collaboration."
Although classified research exists at Los Alamos, Sanchez doubted it would hinder academic freedom of professors to publish their research.
"There is classified research that would not be allowed to be published," Sanchez said. "It is not clear to me that most faculty would participate in that classified research that requires security clearance."
Managing Los Alamos could increase the number of research contracts awarded to professors within the UT System, said mechanical engineering professor Steven Biegalski, who believes the contract could be an asset to the University.
If two professors have the same expertise, awarding a research contract to the professor who works for the managing institution would be cheaper for Los Alamos, he said.
"The costs of doing business should be lower, and it would give us a bit of an advantage," Biegalski said.
Managing Los Alamos could also bring more federal research dollars to the University, Safady said.
"It does allow you to be able to recruit and retain top national scientists when you are associated with a national lab," Safady said.
Consolidating opposition
UT Watch, a student watchdog group that openly opposes the Los Alamos bid, is meeting with UT professors who have concerns about UT operating a federal lab. The group is trying to mobilize grass-roots opposition with the help of state Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth.
"The bottom line in this is about doing nuclear research for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which started to expand under the current Bush administration," Burnam said.
Burnam has not yet met with legislators or contacted UT System officials. He said he is talking to UT alumni such as Liz Carpenter, columnist and former speechwriter for President Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Carpenter, who has written letters to Chancellor Yudof, called the University's plans to bid for a lab that conducts nuclear weapons research a "disgrace."
System officials argue that Los Alamos would offer opportunities in other areas of research. The lab has diversified its research mission, Safady said.
The UT System has the support of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who helped to facilitate an earlier partnership between UT and Sandia. Safady said UT System officials have discussed the bid with both Hutchison and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Kevin Schweers, spokesman for Hutchison, said when UT puts forth a bid on Los Alamos, the senator will work to support it at the federal level.
Whether opponents of the bid can consolidate their efforts remains a question. Some UT professors do not staunchly oppose managing the laboratory but simply want more details.
Others feel there is little that can be done.
"I think in general it appears the regents have made up their mind," said Gary Chapman, a lecturer in the LBJ School.
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