UT System in consortium bidding for Sandia National Laboratories contract

Albuquerque — Battelle, the world’s largest independent nonprofit research and development organization, and The Boeing Company, the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems, have signed a formal agreement to bid jointly to manage Sandia National Laboratories. The University of Texas System, The University of New Mexico, and The Texas A&M University System are exclusive members of the Battelle and Boeing team.

“We have exactly the right team to lead an already outstanding laboratory and take it to an even higher level of excellence,” said Jeffrey Wadsworth, Battelle President and CEO. “Battelle, Boeing and the universities look forward to working in close partnership with National Nuclear Security Administration to strengthen our nation’s nuclear security posture.” 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is seeking a new contractor to manage and operate Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). SNL is a federally funded research and development center and is responsible for non-nuclear engineering development of all U.S. nuclear weapons and for systems integration of the nuclear weapons with their delivery vehicles. The final request for proposals was issued on May 18, 2016 and a contract decision is anticipated by the end of this year.  

“Sandia ensures the U.S. nuclear stockpile is safe, secure, and reliable and can fully support the nation's deterrence policy. Their mission of service to the nation is directly aligned with our team’s mission,” said Ed Dolanski, President, Boeing Global Services & Support. “Battelle’s leadership in national lab management and Boeing’s leadership in weapons and systems engineering will provide new capabilities to help NNSA more effectively meet their nuclear security objectives.” 

The UT System has a long-standing relationship with Sandia National Laboratory and has worked closely with the Laboratory to supply the skilled scientists and engineers needed to support Sandia’s mission and on numerous science and engineering projects that are important to the nation’s security.

“Partnering with industry and academic leaders in research and development areas that ultimately will help safeguard America is a phenomenal opportunity and the UT System is proud to be doing its part,” said UT System Chancellor William H. McRaven. “This collaboration is a perfect fit, leveraging the research power of stellar universities as well as the expertise of Battelle and Boeing to elevate the already remarkable development coming out of Sandia National Laboratories.” 

Additional information can be found at www.TogetherSandia.com. 

About The University of Texas System

Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking basic, applied and clinical research, and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. With 14 institutions and an enrollment of more than 217,000, the UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates almost two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public institutions in Texas. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $16.9 billion (FY 2016) including $3 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With about 20,000 faculty – including Nobel laureates – and more than 70,000 health care professionals, researchers, student advisors and support staff, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.