sealPurdue News
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November 7, 1996

Lost contract may cost research center jobs

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A change in the way the Department of Defense awards contracts may cost as many as 16 people their jobs at a Purdue University research center.

DOD informed the university Saturday (11/2) that it was not the winner of a new contract for operating a DOD advanced materials information analysis center. Such functions had been performed by four separate DOD centers within CINDAS, Purdue's Center for Information and Numerical Data Analysis and Synthesis.

"Instead of awarding four individual contracts to operate four separate centers, the Department of Defense consolidated all of them into one contract and opened that up for bidding," said Richard J. Schwartz, dean of the Schools of Engineering. "Purdue, which had the four earlier contracts, was not the successful bidder under these consolidated arrangements."

Affected are 13 professionals and three clerical employees. Two or three of those professionals may have a few additional months of employment to complete some unfinished tasks. CINDAS, formed in 1957, currently employs 21 people and will remain in operation on a much smaller scale.

No layoff date has been set yet.

"Under the terms of our earlier contracts, we should receive money to cover close-down costs, which may provide another two months of funding," Schwartz said. "As soon as we know that, we will notify our employees officially."

In the meantime, Purdue administrators have been talking to the employees about what to expect. All will be given preferential treatment for at least six months for securing other jobs at the university for which they are qualified. They will be referred to any office for which they meet the minimum qualifications, and the supervisor there will be required to interview them.

"We hope to find spots for many of them," Schwartz said. "I've already gotten a few calls from supervisors inquiring about these employees for potential openings."

Purdue's payment toward their medical benefits will continue for 120 days after they have exhausted their accrued vacation time.

jvn/Schwartz.CINDAS/9611f12

Source: Richard J. Schwartz, (765) 494-5346

Writer: Jeanne V. Norberg, (765) 494-2096; e-mail: jeanne_norberg@purdue.edu


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