Dear Faculty, Staff, Students and Trustees:          Welcome to the first issue of my internal news bulletin! I will be using this to routinely communicate with everyone about a variety of topics-from new laboratories and buildings springing up around us, to notable achievements that take place, to the things we are requesting in the legislature. Whether you have been with DRI for several months or several years, you know that we never stop moving ahead, never stop trying new things and never stop learning from each other. You all are the face of DRI, and I think it's important for everyone to be well-informed about their workplace-or in the case of the foundation board, the place you give so generously of your precious time and valuable support. For this inaugural edition, and as we enter the 2007 legislative session, I wanted to let everyone know the key components of Governor Gibbons' proposed 2007-2009 budget for the Nevada System of Higher Education that involve DRI.  Additionally, you'll learn about UNR's new, federally funded geoscience records storage facility that was approved by the Board of Regents recently and will soon be erected on DRI's Reno campus.

2007 Legislative Session Information   DRI Support Positions, $1.91 million - The Governor is recommending state funds to provide salaries and benefits for three existing vice president positions, as well as the three administrative assistant positions that support the vice presidents in carrying out their responsibilities.  Currently, the costs for these positions are paid through Indirect Cost Recovery (ICR) revenues generated through DRI's grants and contract activities. The requested change in revenue source from ICR to state appropriation will allow DRI to leverage ICR funds for enhanced research and business development activities. Procedurally, the change will transfer a portion of DRI current administrative costs to the base funding formula and allow DRI to achieve parity with NSHE's other research institutions. In addition, the Governor is also recommending state funds to fund the Chief Information Officer and a supporting administrative assistant. Groundwater Resources, biennial cost $2.0 million - The Governor is recommending $1.0 million each year for DRI to study Nevada's groundwater resources.  Accurate estimates of Nevada's sustainable groundwater resources are essential to the economic well being of the state but have not been systematically updated since the 1960s.  Nevada's rapid population growth and the state's limited water resources contribute to the compelling need for accurate information on groundwater for future policy discussions and planning. The proposed collaborative process - led by the State Engineer's Office with scientific expertise provided by DRI - is designed to identify priority needs; collect information accurately, reliably and efficiently; and reduce potential future conflicts over the information obtained. The approach will be subject to peer review during implementation and periodic evaluation to determine long-term utility. Basins will be evaluated in order of assigned priority. The initial two-year phase of the program is recommended for funding with this appropriation.     Also,  Governor Gibbons made the following comments  in his "State of the State" address that pertain to DRI: "I have included in the executive budget $10 million in unclaimed property receipts to create a dynamic new economic development program, modeled after the hugely successful program in Georgia. Working with Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki, we will launch this new program to work with the best of Nevada's research facilities (DRI, UNR, UNLV) in creating new high-tech/biotech and renewable energy types of industries. Funds will be used to hire world-class researchers who will bring their work to Nevada. This will provide high-end jobs for Nevadans and is ideally suited for the current 38,000 millennium scholars graduating in the coming years." CAVE Building Completion - Additionally, on the priority list for NSHE Capital Improvement Projects, the Governor has the $9.51 million completion of the CAVE, ranked NSHE priority # 2 by the Board of Regents, which is great news for DRI. LEED Certification on CAVE Building - During the 2005 legislative session, a bill was passed requiring at least two public buildings be constructed during each biennium to meet the silver level or higher standard of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Green Building Rating System. The Public Works Board has chosen DRI's new CAVE building as one of the LEED Silver certified buildings. The $9.51 million requested for completion includes money to be spent to meet those requirements.    The Great Basin Science Sample and Records Library   DRI's Reno campus has been chosen by UNR's Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology as the site for the Great Basin Science Sample and Records Library, a centralized state repository for preserving valuable geoscience data and collections.  Items such as cores, cuttings, geophysical data, fossils, minerals and paper records that are currently in temporary storage containers all over Nevada will be stored properly for use in future development of energy, mineral and water resources; assessments of natural hazards; and environmental protection. The Energy and Water Appropriations Bill of 2006 provided $3,465,000 from the Department of Energy to Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology for all costs associated with the construction of the repository, and UNR has agreed to cover all operating and maintenance costs for the building. Depending on the design process with architects, construction is projected to start in late summer or early fall of this year. The building will be located on the western edge of DRI's Reno campus. The facility will contain holdings for the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology among other items and will provide an excellent resource for geosciences faculty on DRI's campus.   Illustration: Location of the new facility is indicated by the blue square.  Buildings shown in tan are existing and future buildings approved by the Regents in the DRI Master Plan.

Until next time,   Dr. Stephen Wells

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