Friday is the last day the U.S. Department of Energy will accept bids to manage Argonne National Laboratory in DuPage County.
The University of Chicago has controlled the energy resesarch lab since its inception in 1946.
But Brian Quirke, a spokesman for the Department of Energy, says U of C’s history with Argonne doesn’t give it an advantage over other bidders.
“The DOE in hiring a contractor is essentially looking at a clean slate,” he said.
“Every organization that is proposed has an equal opportunity to win the contract to operate Argonne National Laboratory.”
U of C officials say the lab is enormously important to the school, and they’re very hopeful the DOE will allow them to continue managing the facility.
The Department of Energy has not revealed how many companies are bidding.