The Desert Research Institute was notified Thursday morning that it had not been awarded a Department of Energy contract to manage a research installation near the Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee. DRI, a research arm of the Nevada System of Higher Education, was bidding against the current operator, which was awarded the $1.4 billion contract.
The contract would have allowed DRI to play a large role in operating the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. The Tennessee institute's research areas include occupational hazards, environmental cleanup and radiation emergencies. It is located near the Oak Ridge National Lab, known for playing a role in the Manhattan Project.
Officials from the Department of Energy will brief DRI on their decision next week. Until then, DRI cannot comment on the award, its proposal or the contract selection process.
DRI will then have a period to contest the decision, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.
Under the $1.4 billion contract awarded Thursday, Oak Ridge Associated Universities will continue to operate the institute in Tennessee at least until 2020. The contract was open for a competitive bid process, according to a presentation to Nevada higher-education officials in October, because of “serious deficiencies with the incumbent performer."
DRI, which has provided the Department of Energy with environmental monitoring services in Nevada, has a close relationship with the federal agency. Had DRI won the Oak Ridge contract, it would have managed the institute through a newly formed nonprofit organization.