Berkeley Lab Offers Research Aid to Scientists Affected by Katrina

BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 8 -- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will make its facilities and resources available for researchers whose work was affected by Hurricane Katrina.

The laboratory, which is part of the US Department of Energy (DOE), has set up a Web site (www.lbl.gov/publicinfo/katrina-relief) through which scientists from institutions that were shut down or damaged by Hurricane Katrina can apply for research assistance in one of Berkeley Lab’s 14 scientific divisions.

"All of us at Berkeley Lab are greatly saddened by the loss of life and the suffering from Hurricane Katrina," said Graham Fleming, Berkeley Lab deputy director. "Our thoughts go out to those who have been injured and have lost loved ones, homes and community resources. Many organizations are addressing immediate medical, safety and support needs, and Berkeley Lab will make its research facilities available to scientists with incapacitated or damaged research facilities."

Many investigators may not be able to return to their laboratories for several months, Fleming said, and several divisions at Berkeley Lab have received inquiries from affected scientists and are making plans to accommodate them. For example, Earth Sciences Div. Director Bo Bodvarsson will host a geologist from the US Naval Research Laboratory in Stennis Space Center, near Bay St. Louis, Miss.

Berkeley Lab said it will work with research sponsoring organizations such as the DOE, the National Institutes of Health and other agencies as well as with institutions affected by the hurricane disaster. Its offer includes access to facilities and office space and use of equipment and telecommunications and computing resources. It does not include travel, housing or living expenses, which the lab said may be addressed by home institutions, research sponsors or other agencies.

The lab's efforts will be coordinated with the University of California, which manages the lab for the DOE, and with organizations including FEMA and the Red Cross.

For more information, contact Michael Chartock, Berkeley Lab’s director for planning and strategic development, at (510) 486-6669; e-mail: machartock@lbl.gov