[Federal Register: February 5, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 24)]
[Notices]
[Page 5560-5562]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05fe04-109]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[USCG-2003-16711]
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
[[Page 5561]]
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to enter into a
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) and seeks
inquiries and proposals from potential participants. The goal of this
CRADA will be the development of a display tool for the Coast Guard's
use in visualizing its future ``world of work.''
DATES: Preliminary inquiries must be received by February 17, 2004. The
deadline for receiving proposals is March 8, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Inquiries and proposals from potential participants must be
sent to Bert Macesker, Risk Technologies Program Area Manager, U.S.
Coast Guard Research & Development Center, 1082 Shennecossett Road,
Groton, CT 06340 (e-mail: bmacesker@rdc.uscg.mil).
The general public can comment on this notice or on the Coast
Guard's CRADA procedures. These comments will be docketed in the Docket
Management System (DMS). Include the docket number (USCG-2003-16711) of
this notice, and submit it using the DMS Web site (http://dms.dot.gov) or the Federal eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov). You can
also fax comments to 202-493-2251 or mail or hand-deliver them to:
Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400
Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice
or the proposed CRADA, contact Bert Macesker, Risk Technologies Program
Area Manager, U.S. Coast Guard Research & Development Center, 1082
Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, telephone (860) 441-2726, e-mail:
bmacesker@rdc.uscg.mil. If you have questions on viewing or submitting
material to the docket, call Andrea M. Jenkins, Program Manager, Docket
Operations, telephone 202-366-0271.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, or CRADAs, are
authorized by the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-
502, codified at 15 U.S.C. 3710a). A CRADA promotes the transfer of
technology to the private sector for commercial use as well as
specified research or development efforts that are consistent with the
mission of the Federal parties to the CRADA. The Federal party or
parties agree with one or more non-Federal parties to share research
resources (but the Federal party does not contribute funding). The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as an executive agency under 5
U.S.C. 105, is a Federal agency for purposes of 15 U.S.C. 3710a and may
enter into a CRADA. DHS delegated its authority to the Commandant of
the Coast Guard (see DHS Delegation No. 0160) and the Commandant has
delegated his authority to the Coast Guard Research and Development
Center.
Goal of Proposed CRADA
Under the proposed agreement, the Coast Guard's Research &
Development Center (RDC) plans to collaborate with industry. Together,
the RDC and its CRADA participant(s) will examine how the U.S. Coast
Guard (USCG) can visualize its ``world of work'' in the future.
At the unit level, ``world of work'' implies a complete picture of
the Commanding Officer's (CO's) area of responsibility and beyond. This
complete picture includes a display (or displays) that offers
personalized views of maritime risks and USCG readiness. The CO needs
this information to decide how to reduce risks to the public and the
costs to manage those risks. As an example, the CO wants to answer the
question: How do we best balance USCG activities and resources against
risk on any given day?
At the Commandant level, ``world of work'' looks across multiple
units and at specific programs throughout the USCG. For example, the
Commandant wants to answer the question: How much do our activities
reduce risks?
The tool will provide information for risk-based decision making in
a future environment. The information will assist USCG personnel in
making both short-term operational decisions and longer-term strategic
decisions.
The RDC, with its CRADA participant(s), will create a structured
and collaborative environment to advance concepts and technologies for
a display tool. The desired products of the proposed collaboration are
a shared vision and an operationally relevant situation display tool.
We currently envision the display tool as a two-dimensional, geographic
display of maritime system risks and organizational readiness.
Desirable display concepts include the ability to (1) integrate into
the common operating picture of the future and (2) support a systematic
approach to allocating USCG resources based on risk.
Party Contributions
We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the
proposed CRADA will include:
(1) A structured opportunity to receive pertinent real world
Integrated Maritime Command Center (IMCC) data, including the
opportunity to establish real-time internet protocol (IP) data
connections for access to IMCC-Miami data, to test and demonstrate
CRADA products;
(2) Access to a Miami Area of Responsibility (AOR) risk profile,
readiness, and response activity data;
(3) Feedback from USCG staff who are working in risk, readiness,
and activity resource management modeling; and
(4) Feedback from USCG staff who are involved in defining IMCC
situation display requirements.
We anticipate that the non-Federal parties' contributions under the
proposed CRADA will include:
(1) Making the real-time, IP data connections to relevant data
source locations;
(2) Qualified personnel and procedures (certified by the
appropriate authority) for the proper handling of all data provided by
the USCG, other federal, state, local, law enforcement, and private
organizations under this CRADA;
(3) At least two ``innovative, alternative IMCC-Miami Situation
Displays'' provided to the USCG via real-time, IP data connections,
which meet all USCG-specified requirements (including security
requirements); and
(4) Periodic updates of the design/layout of these ``innovative
alternative'' IMCC-Miami Situation Displays based upon insights gained
during the CRADA research.
Selection Criteria
The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA partners
all, some, or none of the proposals in response to this notice. The
Coast Guard will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal
development costs. Proposals (or any other material) submitted in
response to this notice will not be returned. Proposals submitted are
expected to be unclassified and have no more than 4 single-sided pages
(excluding cover page and resumes). The Coast Guard will select
proposals at its sole discretion on the basis of:
(1) How well they communicate an understanding of, and ability to
meet, the proposed CRADA's goal; and
(2) How well they address the following criteria:
(a) Technical capability to support the non-Federal party
contributions described;
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(b) Resources available for supporting the non-Federal party
contributions described; and
(c) Technical expertise/understanding of Maritime Domain Awareness,
maritime common operational picture, USCG port operations, and industry
best practices in situational display technologies.
This is a technology transfer/development effort. So far, the Coast
Guard has no forecast to procure the technology. Proposals should
clearly discuss how the concepts and technologies, e.g., for two-
dimensional, GIS-based display of maritime system risks and
organizational readiness, could improve existing USCG capabilities and
aid the USCG in visualizing its future ``world of work.''
Special consideration will be given to small business firms/
consortia, and preference will be given to business units located in
the U.S. which agree that products embodying inventions made under the
CRADA or produced through the use of such inventions will be
manufactured substantially in the U.S.
Dated: January 29, 2004.
F.A. Dutch,
Capt USCG, Commanding Officer, R&D Center.
[FR Doc. 04-2510 Filed 2-4-04; 8:45 am]
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