The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research is in line to continue operating the Boulder- based National Center for Atmospheric Research, according to a federal decision made public Thursday.
“We feel delighted — this has been a long process,” said Rick Anthes, president of the University Corporation, hours after receiving a call from the National Science Foundation.
In the fall of 2006, for the first time in 46 years, the National Science Foundation opened NCAR’s operating contract — about $110 million annually in the recent past — to all bidders.
The nonprofit UCAR had run the center, which employs nearly 1,000 people, since 1960.
In a closed session Wednesday, nearly 18 months after the bid was reopened, the National Science Board gave authority to NSF director Arden Bement to renegotiate a “cooperative agreement” with the University Corporation, said NSF spokeswoman Lisa Joy Zgorski.
Anthes said he expects the new agreement to be for five years, with the possibility for a noncompetitive renewal. He estimated that UCAR spent about $100,000 in private funds to develop its proposal, even though it was not aware of any competitors.
“We took this competition very seriously,” Anthes said.
The National Science Board declined to say how many bidders there were or why it took 18 months to make a decision. No other information was released.
Katy Human: 303-954-1910 or khuman@denverpost.com
