The Enterprise Must Go On

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SPOTLIGHT: RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES

This spotlight appeared in Business Officer Magazine, January 2006

In the wake of the recent hurricane season, many business officers have re-evaluated their business continuity plans. Research institutions such as Louisiana State University’s (LSU) Health Sciences Center, Tulane University, and the University of Southern Mississippi have gained new insight into disaster recovery—particularly relative to research laboratories and medical centers, the sensitive equipment and years of data stored in these facilities, and grant management.

Laboratories and facilities. Assessment of the facilities and laboratory equipment in New Orleans has revealed challenges surrounding how to restart the research enterprise. For instance, how do you assess equipment where damage may not be easily identified because the equipment was in a space with excessive humidity and mold? Is the equipment still covered under warranty even though it wasn’t directly damaged by flood? Do you replace the existing equipment or upgrade? How do you adequately clean facilities for reopening?

Long-term relocation of programs. LSU administrators made the difficult decision to relocate the entire Health Sciences Center—including the hospital and schools of medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science—to the main campus in Baton Rouge. Demands for identification of adequate facilities, medical records transfer, housing acquisition, and equipment procurement have ensued. How do you establish classroom and laboratory space in a completely different location? How do you reconstruct medical records that were lost because they were not electronically saved?

Providing adequate housing for an entire community is another massive undertaking. As William Silvia, executive vice president of the LSU System, notes, “Homes are being bought for asking price over the phone,” and the creation of “trailer farm cities” are at first met with open arms but later lead to town-gown issues.

Federal research grants. Tulane University and LSU’s Health Sciences Center held the majority of federal research grants and dollars in the affected regions. Government agencies are aiding researchers by considering grantee requests for additional funds to pay for project losses, negotiating changes in funding as needed, and granting exceptions to published deadlines.