Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Seattle campus. (Fred Hutch Photo / Robert Hood)

Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has laid off 14 people as part of a broader restructuring of its internal data science initiatives, GeekWire has learned.

The move, announced internally last week, results from a decision to disband the 50-person group known as the Hutch Data Commonwealth, following an extended review by executives at the nonprofit research institution.

Most members of that team will shift to other parts of the organization, and will “continue to focus on advancing data-intensive research computing and supporting data science,” a spokesperson said, noting that Fred Hutch is offering severance and benefits to the 14 people for whom it wasn’t able to find new positions.

Dr. Thomas Lynch has been president of Fred Hutch since February. (Fred Hutch Photo)

The reorganization comes at a time of broader change for the 3,200-person nonprofit research organization, following the departure of President Gary Gilliland last year. His successor, Thomas Lynch, started less than two months ago.

Fred Hutch officials say the decision has been in the works for a few months and is unrelated to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis. Fred Hutch researchers have emerged as leaders in investigating and tracking the novel coronavirus through their larger scientific focus on battling disease.

Larger economic headwinds

Separately, in a March 23 internal town hall discussion, chief operating officer Steve Stadum told employees that Fred Hutch can withstand the current situation for two or three months by managing expenses without taking “draconian measures,” according to a transcript obtained by GeekWire.

However, he made it clear that Fred Hutch is not immune to an extended downturn.

“We know layoffs are starting in our region and beyond,” said Stadum, according to the transcript. “We know our investment funds have dropped dramatically just in the last couple weeks. We know based on downturns in the past that philanthropy will be affected significantly. We also know there will be some federal and nonfederal responses from our grant sponsors, but we don’t know what they’ll be or if they’ll fully cover our costs, including this during this period when we’re working remotely.”

Fred Hutch reported operating revenues of $714 million in its 2019 fiscal year, 56 percent of which came from contracts and government grants, 16 percent from gifts and philanthropic grants, and 6 percent from investment income. The 44-year-old organization is ranked first in National Institutes of Health funding among all U.S. independent research centers.

A new ‘data science core’

The HDC, as it’s known inside Fred Hutch, was started and led by Matthew Trunnell, who was chief data officer at Fred Hutch prior to resigning in November.

The goal is to develop “a new Fred Hutch data core,” according to an internal memo from executives including Marion Dorer, Fred Hutch vice president for Interdisciplinary Science Administration.

“We recognize the past several months have been difficult, with changes in leadership, team member structure, ambiguity, and changes in direction as we worked toward an optimal solution that meets the needs of the Hutch,” Dorer wrote in the memo, obtained by GeekWire. “We also recognize that remote-work transitions and stress around COVID-19 added to anxiety levels.”

This new “data core,” Dorer wrote, “will support data-intensive research at Fred Hutch through improvements in data management, data engineering, data visualization as well as training and community building.”

In disbanding the HDC, the idea is to “better align and integrate our data capabilities with the Center’s overall data strategy and make these capabilities more accessible to our scientific researchers,” said Fred Hutch spokesperson Tom Kim in an email this weekend. He added, “We are grateful to the team for their contributions and look forward to continuing to leverage data and technology to understand and eliminate cancer and related diseases.”

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