Many people both within UGA and in the wider scientific community have expressed concern about the future of SREL. Enormous effort has been expended over the past several months to develop a plan that places SREL on a sound financial footing, allowing for revitalization of the laboratory around a new vision. A major element in this transitional plan is restoring a good working relationship with DOE. We are encouraged by the progress we have made to date and by DOE's expressed desire to build new bridges with UGA, using SREL as a focal point for interaction.

We have also developed a fiscally-sound, UGA-supported transition plan that provides financial stability to the downsized laboratory, thus buying time for those interested in developing a new model for SREL, and have secured ongoing support from UGA that will allow for on-site administrative support, pending successful transition of SREL.

Our vision for SREL's future is a smaller on-site presence that will fully engage the many UGA entities with intersecting ecological and environmental interests, including the Odum School of Ecology, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the School of Public Health, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences departments such as plant biology, geology, marine sciences, and the Academy of the Environment. Opportunities for partnering with other colleges and universities will also be welcomed.

The intent is for SREL to serve as a core around which to build new comprehensive and interdisciplinary environmental programs that take advantage of the unique setting and opportunities present at the Savannah River Site (SRS), including the long-term ecological databases collected in programs over several decades. These programs must be highly competitive for sponsored funding and thus largely self-sustaining.

Success in realizing this ambitious vision will require the active participation of those who care deeply about SREL's mission and legacy and who must take an active role in the revitalization of this valued resource. In particular, the future of SREL depends on the development of concrete plans that are responsive to external funding priorities, either at DOE or elsewhere, and we strongly encourage units with an interest in SREL to include the laboratory in their strategic planning.

A number of excellent ideas have already been suggested and are being pursued as opportunity permits. Among these is the establishment of an external advisory board to help direct future SREL development.

Carl Bergmann (SREL director)
David Lee (Vice President for Research)

Update letter from David Lee, Vice President for Research (March 20, 2008)