ORAU receives $1.4 billion DOE contract to manage ORISE

 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science has awarded a $1.4 billion contract to Oak Ridge Associated Universities to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

The initial contract term will be through September 30, 2020. The department recognizes superior performance through phased extensions beyond the initial term of the contract for up to a total of five more years, if the contractor meets performance criteria developed by DOE, a press release said.

ORISE supports DOE’s mission to advance scientific and technical workforce development and education and research programs by creating opportunities for collaboration through partnerships with DOE facilities, other federal agencies, the academic community, and industry, the press release said. Specifically, ORISE’s objectives are:

• train and educate the current and next generation of STEM professionals to meet future science and technology needs;
• advance scientific research, focus research efforts, and promote quality of DOE-funded research;
• provide medical management of radiation accidents or incidents;
• provide DOE and the scientific community with important information on the long-term health outcomes of current and former workers; and
• provide independent verification of radioactively contaminated site cleanup.

“The selection of ORAU to manage ORISE culminated after extensive evaluations by the selection team,” said Johnny Moore, manager of the Office of Science’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site Office. “We look forward to building upon the assets already established.”

Since 1966, ORAU’s mission has remained the same: to focus on researching health risks from occupational hazards, assessing environmental cleanup, responding to radiation medical emergencies, supporting national security and emergency preparedness, and educating the next generation of scientists, the press release said.

DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. For more information, visit http://science.energy.gov/.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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