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J. Dan Bates
President
Southwest Research Institute
www.swri.org
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J. Dan Bates, President, Southwest Research Institute
1. What changes has your laboratory seen in 2009 in the wake of the Recovery Act and the change in federal administration?
We have noticed a slowdown in the government’s contracting process. A minor portion of the new administration’s stimulus package did fund some research projects, notably in space science, which is one of our technical research areas, and it appears that the administration may be more receptive toward research in aspects of climate change. But we didn’t make any wholesale changes in the way we do business to accommodate Recovery Act funding.
2. What changes do you expect to see in your 2010 R&D operating budget compared to 2009?
We will be watching our costs very closely, because the economy has not yet recovered to a point where we would feel comfortable planning large capital investments or workforce expansions, although we would like to do both of those things as soon as we can.
3. What effect has the economic recession had on your labs’ operations?
At SwRI, total research marginally increased in FY2009 compared to the previous year, but at the same time we were keeping a close eye on costs.
4. If you were impacted negatively by the economy, what, if any, signs of recovery do you see?
We currently see a modest increase in activity from our commercial clients.
5. Has your staff recruitment situation changed over the past year?
During these times the need to recruit has lessened somewhat. However, the quality of our technical staff is outstanding.
6. What are the most important relationships your laboratory has with academia, industry, or government labs?
Three dramatic examples of that sort of relationship are our recent collaboration with The University of Texas at San Antonio to create a doctoral program in physics, our membership in an Energy Research Alliance along with UTSA and San Antonio’s water and electric utilities, and of course our work in collaboration with academic institutions and government laboratories in pursuit of NASA contracts involving space exploration and spacecraft instrumentation.
7. How have these relationships significantly changed over the past year?
Of the three that I mentioned, the energy research group was just formed in 2009. The physics program with UTSA has been ongoing for several years now, and we are currently collaborating on a new Ph.D. program. Space science, meanwhile, is a long-standing program of the Institute.
8. Has your lab’s focus changed over the past year with regard any or all of the following research areas: energy research, homeland security, or climate change?
There has been increased demand from our clients in these research areas. We have seen significant growth in homeland security research ever since 2001, and the military action in Iraq and Afghanistan has brought new focus to a number of our programs related to protecting and supporting the warfighter. An example is the revival of an earlier program to investigate a self-extinguishing fuel for military ground vehicles to cut down on vehicle damage and crew injuries due to fuel fires. We have begun to ramp up our expertise in anticipation of providing technical assistance related to wind energy, the Smart Grid for electric utility distribution and carbon capture, compression and sequestration.”
9. What hot new technology at your lab is making waves?
I would say that some of the hottest areas of research right now involve advanced battery technology, alternate fuel vehicles and autonomous vehicles that can enhance safety and efficient traffic flow.
