[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 241 (Friday, December 16, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-31006]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 16, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 

Availability of Solicitation for Aviation Research Grants 
Proposals

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is soliciting 
proposals for research grants and cooperative agreements addressing the 
long-term technical needs of the National Airspace System (NAS) 
pursuant to Section 9205, Aviation Research Grant Program, and Section 
9208, Catastrophic Failure Prevention Research Program, of the FAA 
Research, Engineering, and Development Authorization Act of 1990 
(Public Law 101-508), and Section 107, Aviation Security Improvement 
Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-604). Specific research areas include air 
traffic control (ATC) automation, aviation applications of artificial 
intelligence, aviation training techniques and technologies, human 
factors in highly automated environments, and aircraft safety. Although 
Sections 9208 and 9209 of Public Law 101-508 permit the FAA 
Administrator to establish Centers of Excellence, availability of 
solicitations for Centers of Excellence will be announced in the 
Federal Register as they become available.

Availability of Solicitation

    Grants for Aviation Research Program Solicitation No. 95.1 is 
available by contacting the office identified in the Addresses 
paragraph. Recipients of the previous solicitation, No. 93.1, will 
automatically be mailed the new document. Solicitation 95.1 and all 
necessary forms are also available on the FAA Technical Center World 
Wide Web Server at URL http://www.tc.faa.gov, or anonymous ftp at 
ftp.tc.faa.gov. The INTERNET address is 155.178.180.3.

ADDRESSES: Inquiries regarding this subject matter should be directed 
to: Aviation Research Grants Program, Office of Research and Technology 
Applications, ACL-1, FAA Technical Center, Building 270, Room B115, 
Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey 08405, Phone (609) 485-
4424, Fax (609) 485-6509.

DATES: Proposals may be submitted to the office listed in the ADDRESSES 
section at any time after the effective release date of this NOTICE. 
This solicitation is open until further notice in the Federal Register. 
Applicants should allow at least 3 months for review and processing of 
proposals.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Title IX, The Aircraft Safety and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990 
(Public Law 101-508), was enacted to enhance the FAA's access to 
resources and research facilities available at colleges, universities, 
and other non-profit research institutions. The Aviation Research Grant 
Program, Section 9205, permits the ``Administrator to make grants to 
colleges, universities, and nonprofit research organizations to conduct 
aviation research into areas deemed by the Administrator to be required 
for the long-term growth of civil aviation.'' The Catastrophic Failure 
Prevention Research Grants Program, Section 9208, directs the FAA ``to 
conduct aviation research relating to development of technologies and 
methods to assess the risk and prevent defects, failures, and 
malfunctions of products, parts, processes, and articles manufactured 
for use in aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, and appliances that 
could result in a catastrophic failure of an aircraft.'' The Act 
authorizes the FAA to establish a research grant program that 
encompasses a broad spectrum of aviation research activities that are 
targeted at specific areas of long-term aviation research.
    The Aviation Security Improvement Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-604) 
authorized the creation of a grants program ``to accelerate and expand 
the research, development, and implementation of technologies and 
procedures to counteract terrorist acts against civil aviation.'' There 
is a special emphasis on human factors projects that include ``research 
and development of both technological improvements and ways to enhance 
human performance.''
    The central purpose of the FAA Research Grant Program is to 
encourage and support innovative, advanced research of potential 
benefit to the long-term growth of civil aviation.

Research Areas

    The legislation cited earlier provides for aviation research grants 
programs in three general categories: (1) Areas deemed by the FAA 
Administrator to be required for the long-term growth of civil 
aviation; (2) areas related to research on the prevention of 
catastrophic failures; and (3) areas related to research, development, 
and implementation of technologies and procedures to counteract 
terrorist acts against civil aviation. These three specific areas are 
comprised of program areas identified in the FAA Research, Engineering, 
& Development (RE&D) Plan of the agency's research and development 
initiatives. The areas, which contribute to the FAA's mission of 
improving aviation safety, capacity, efficiency, and security, are as 
follows:
    a. Capacity and Air Traffic Control Technology;
    b. Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance;
    c. Aviation Weather;
    d. Airports;
    e. Aircraft Safety Technology;
    f. System Security Technology;
    g. Human Factors and Aviation Medicine;
    h. Environment and Energy;
    i. Systems Science/Operations Research.
    More detailed descriptions of these nine programs and a detailed 
description of the grants process is contained in the Grants for 
Aviation Research Program Solicitation 95.1.

Eligibility

    Applicant eligibility for the award of an aviation research grant 
or cooperative agreement depends on the nature of the proposer's 
organization as well as the character of work proposed. In general, 
colleges, universities, and other non-profit research institutions are 
eligible to qualify for grants to perform research in all specified 
areas. Other appropriate research institutions, including for-profit 
research institutions, may qualify for grants or cooperative agreements 
for research and development activities in aviation security under 
Section 107 of Public Law 101-604.
    The FAA seeks to ensure an equitable geographical distribution of 
grant funds and the inclusion of historically black colleges and 
universities and other minority institutions for funding consideration.

Proposal Submission

    Guidelines for the application format and content are contained in 
the Solicitation. Every effort will be made to reach a decision and 
inform the applicant promptly. Unless and until an award is made, the 
FAA is not responsible for any expenditures incurred by the proposing 
organization.

Funding

    Appropriated discretionary funds are not currently available for 
grants. Awards will be made via program funding sponsorship.

Award Date

    Recipients of FAA research grants will be announced on a continuous 
basis.

    Issued in Atlantic County, New Jersey, on November 11, 1994.

November 22, 1994.
Harvey B. Safeer,
Director, FAA Technical Center, ACT-1.
[FR Doc. 94-31006 Filed 12-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M