The University of California Office of the President would like your anonymous opinion regarding its management of the DOE national laboratories.

As you may or may not know, the University of California manages three national laboratories on behalf of the Department of Energy (DOE). They are the Berkeley Lab, operated for the DOE Office of Science, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, operated for the National Nuclear Security Administration. The latter two labs engage in classified, security-related research related in part to maintaining the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, and are the primary sites of the United States' nuclear weapons research and design program. The University of California has managed the three national laboratories as a public service to the nation for over sixty years.

The contracts between UC and the federal government to manage all three labs are set to expire in 2005, and for the first time in the history of these labs, the federal government has decided to put the contracts for managing the labs out for competitive bidding. The competition for the Berkeley Lab contract is expected to take place later this year, as the current contract extension expires in January 2005.

DOE has announced its intention to compete the Los Alamos contract in time for its expiration in September 2005. A competition schedule has not yet been issued for the Livermore contract.

The University is continuing to prepare as if it will compete to manage the laboratories, but the final decision has not been made. The UC Board of Regents will make the final decision after more is known about the terms of each competition as provided by the Department of Energy in a Request for Proposals.

Student opinion about competing for management of the Los Alamos and Livermore labs, which engage in both classified, security-related research related in part to maintaining the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile and non-classified (non-national-security-related) research on a wide variety of issues, is being asked for here.

Arguments in favor of UC bidding to continue its management of the Los Alamos and Livermore labs include:

1. It continues the sixty-year-old tradition of UC's public service obligation to the nation.

2. UC's scientific and management expertise is very important to the nation's security.

3. The nation benefits from UC's involvement with the labs' non-classified (non-national-security-related) research programs and activities.

4. UC faculty and students benefit from their collaboration with the labs' research programs and activities.

5. UC's management of the labs allows for greater public oversight of the labs than would management by a private contractor.

Arguments against UC bidding to continue its management of the Los Alamos and Livermore labs include:

1. The national security mission of the labs, in particular in its relation to nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship, conflicts with UC's research and public service missions.

2. UC's association with the labs' nuclear weapons work damages UC's reputation.

3. The difficulty of managing the labs outweighs the benefits.

4. UC's management of the labs does not allow for any greater public oversight of the labs than would management by a private contractor.

5. Having managed the labs for sixty years as a public service without having to bid competitively, UC should not now be required to compete against other entities in order to continue its management of the labs.

More Information

If you would like to read more about the issues associated with management of the DOE national labs by the University of California before offering your own opinion, please click on the following link: Academic Council Special Committee on the National Labs (ACSCONL)

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?

1. Do you favor or oppose the University of California's bidding competitively to continue its management of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory?

2. Suppose it were possible for UC to manage the scientific and technological work of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory while having another entity manage the business, financial and physical-security-related issues. Do you favor or oppose the University of California's bidding competitively to manage just the scientific and technological work of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory?

3. If you are in FAVOR of UC's bidding to continue its management of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, which of the following are reasons that are important to you? (click all that apply)

4. If you are OPPOSED to UC's bidding to continue its management of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, which of the following are reasons that are important to you? (click all that apply)

5. I am an undergraduate student at the following campus:

Thank you for your opinions on this important matter.

The University of California Office of the President