Biocontainment lab scrapped due to lack of finances

The UW abandoned plans to build a Regional Biocontainment Laboratory on campus due to a lack of funds and community support.

The UW had until July 23 to outline a fundraising plan to raise the $35 million needed to receive the $25 million federal grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

"We were asked to tell them if we had successfully identified the sources for the funding ... and the answer was no," said Norm Arkans, UW executive director of media relations and communications. "They want to give a grant based on the premise that you have the funds to build the building and we don't -- as a result they probably won't give us the grant."

The state was not a source of funding for the building, as the laboratory was not included in the capital projects budget, said Arkans.

"We were thinking maybe we could get additional money from the federal government, institutional reserves or private donations, but they didn't come together," said Arkans.

The proposed building, valued at $60 million, was one of many projects NIAID plans to build nationwide, using approximately $150 million in grants, said Arkans.

According to Arkans, UW President Mark Emmert had planned to meet with outside consultants to assess the safety and security of the building had the process moved forward. The Level 3 lab would have been used to study bioterrorism agents, such as anthrax.

"We held these community forums where a number of genuine concerns involving the safety and security of the building were addressed," said Arkans. "Before we would move ahead [Emmert] wanted to be satisfied that we could build a building that would be safe and secure."