[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 9, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24665-24668]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11388]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Discretionary Cooperative Agreement To Accelerate the 
Development, Evaluation, and Deployment of Collision Avoidance Systems

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Announcement of Discretionary Cooperative Agreement to 
Accelerate the Development, Evaluation, and Deployment of Collision 
Avoidance Systems.

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SUMMARY: NHTSA announces this discretionary cooperative agreement 
program to support collision avoidance system research studies and 
solicits applications for projects under this program.

[[Page 24666]] DATES: Applications must be received on or before July 
7, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted to the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Contracts and Procurement 
(NAD-30), ATTN: Richard Bellamy, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 5301, 
Washington, DC 20590. All applications submitted must include a 
reference to NHTSA Cooperative Agreement Program No. DTNH22-95-R-07301 
and identify the program area for which the application is submitted. 
Interested applicants are advised that no separate application package 
exists beyond the contents of this announcement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard Bellamy, Office of Contracts and Procurement, at (202) 366-8902 
for general administrative questions. Programmatic questions relating 
to this cooperative agreement program should be directed to John J. 
Ference, Office of Crash Avoidance Research (NRD-51), National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administrative, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 6220, 
Washington, DC 20590; phone: (202) 366-0168.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Objectives

    The NHTSA has the responsibility to devise strategies to reduce the 
number of motor vehicle collisions and to save lives and reduce 
injuries and property damage through the prevention and reduction in 
severity of motor vehicle collisions. The NHTSA Office of Crash 
Avoidance Research conducts and manages research intended to analyze 
driver-vehicle interaction, identify specific vehicle designs, 
components, or parameters associated with driver performance errors and 
resulting collisions, and develop and evaluate vehicle-based collision 
avoidance countermeasure concepts and devices.
    The importance of NHTSA's role in the field of Intelligent 
Transportation Systems (ITS) was noted in a September 12, 1991 report 
of the Senate Committee on Appropriations accompanying the Department 
of Transportation appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 1992 (102-148; 
page 120):

    The Committee believes that assessing the capabilities of the 
technology being developed to improve safety and to assist in its 
development and application should be a priority for NHTSA research. 
The early implementation of collision avoidance systems including 
such technology as radar warning/braking, blind spot monitoring, 
driver performance monitoring, infrared imaging for night vision 
enhancement, and adaptive cruise control will yield a major payoff 
in the long term because of the cumulative effect that accrues as 
more vehicles are equipped. It is also important for NHTSA to work 
in partnership with technology developers and States to develop 
innovative demonstrations of safety systems.

    In accordance with NHTSA research priorities and the program 
direction outlined above, the purpose of this cooperative agreement 
program is to accelerate the development, evaluation, and development 
of collision avoidance enabling technologies, products, and systems and 
to expand the knowledge base of collision avoidance as a result of the 
studies conducted.
    Applicants should identify the program area(s) which their proposed 
research projects would address. Program areas of current interest 
include:
    (a) Development and validation of procedures, methodologies and 
techniques for measuring and evaluating collision avoidance/warning 
system performance and determining which collision avoidance/warning 
functions and operating characteristics should be industry standards, 
and
    (b) Application of advanced technologies, including integration of 
information available from other collision avoidance systems, to 
improve driver vision during nighttime and inclement weather.
    These program areas have been identified as the focus for this 
solicitation. However, proposals in other program areas which 
applicants believe will accelerate the development and deployment of 
effective collision avoidance systems will also be consider.

NHTSA Involvement

    The NHTSA Office of Crash Avoidance Research will be involved in 
all activities undertaken as part of this cooperative agreement program 
and will:
    1. Provide, on an as-available basis, one professional staff 
person, to be designated as the Contracting Officer's Technical 
Representative (COTR), to participate in the planning and management of 
the cooperative agreement, and to coordinate activities between the 
organization and NHTSA;
    2. Make available information and technical assistance from 
government sources, within available resources and as determined 
appropriate by the COTR. This shall include collision data from state 
and national accident databases, and human factors data that may be of 
use in supporting research efforts;
    3. Provide liaison with other government agencies and organizations 
as appropriate; and
    4. Help expand the knowledge base of collision avoidance systems 
and enabling technologies by publishing nonproprietary information 
developed at Government expense in the scientific literature, thus 
making it available to all organizations involved in research and 
product development in this area.

Period of Support

    The research and development effort described in this notice may be 
supported through the award of a cooperative agreement. NHTSA reserves 
the right to make multiple cooperative agreement awards for the effort 
described in this notice depending on the merits of the applications 
received and the amount of Federal funding available.
    Contingent on the availability of funds and satisfactory 
performance, cooperative agreement(s) will be awarded to eligible 
organization(s) for project periods of up to 3 years. It is currently 
intended that no cooperative agreement awarded as a result of this 
notice shall exceed $500,000 per year.

Eligibility Requirements

    To be eligible to participate in this cooperative agreement 
program, an applicant must be a commercial organization (small or 
large), a non-profit organization or an educational institution. 
Regardless of the type of organization applying for Federal funding 
assistance, no fee or profit will be allowed.

Application Procedure

    Each application must submit one original and two copies of its 
application package to: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
Office of Contracts and Procurement (NAD-30), ATTN: Richard Bellamy, 
400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 5301, Washington, DC 20590. Only complete 
application packages received on or before July 7, 1995 shall be 
considered. Submission of three additional copies will expedite 
processing, but is not required. The applicant shall specifically 
identify any information in the application for which confidentiality 
is asserted, in accordance with the procedures of 49 CFR part 512, 
Confidential Business Information.

Application Contents

    The application package must be submitted with OMB Standard Form 
424 (Rev. 4-88), including 424A and 424B), with the required 
information filled in and the certified assurances included. While the 
Form 424-A deals with budget information, and Section B identifies 
budget categories, the available space does not permit a level of 
detail which is sufficient for a [[Page 24667]] meaningful evaluation 
of proposed costs. A supplemental sheet should be provided which 
presents a detailed breakdown of all proposed costs, as well as the 
costs which the applicant proposes to contribute in support of this 
effort, or any additional financial commitment made by other sources.
    Applicants shall include a program narrative statement which 
addresses the following:
    1. A description of the research to be pursued which addresses:
    a. the objectives, goals, anticipated outcomes, and development 
efforts that will be undertaken as part of the proposed research 
effort;
    b. the impact the proposed research effort will have on fostering 
the competitiveness of the United States ITS industry in national and 
international markets;
    c. the potential of the proposed research effort accomplishments to 
make a significant contribution to the deployment of collision 
avoidance systems and the potential for improving the rate of 
deployment of proven collision avoidance technology;
    d. the major tasks and sub tasks to be undertaken as part of the 
proposed research effort identified and described in the form of a 
statement of work. The program narrative and statement of work should 
be described in sufficient detail to demonstrate proficiency in 
technical areas relevant to the proposed project and an understanding 
of the purpose and unique problems represented by the research 
objectives of this cooperative agreement program.
    2. The proposed program director and other key personnel identified 
for participation in the proposed research effort, including a 
description of their qualifications and their respective organizational 
responsibilities.
    3. A description of the test facilities and equipment currently 
available or to be obtained for use in the conduct of the proposed 
research effort.
    4. A description of the applicant's previous experience or on-going 
research program that is related to this proposed research effort.
    5. Detailed narrative descriptions which include:
    a. A detailed task schedule, Gantt, or PERT chart showing the 
duration, relationship and sequencing of proposed tasks, sub tasks, 
project milestones, project deliverables and all planned oral 
presentations.
    b. A management plan that demonstrates the ability to direct and 
coordinate the project tasks and manage administrative activities.
    c. A budget for the proposed research effort, including the cost-
sharing contribution proposed by the applicant, as well as any 
additional financial commitments made by other sources. The budget 
detail shall include all cost components of the project, including 
applicable overhead rates. Labor categories, hourly labor rates, and 
projected labor hours for each labor category by major task and sub 
task should be included, as well as all materials, computer time, test 
facility fees, etc.
    d. A detailed description of deliverables that will be provided to 
NHTSA during the project and upon completion of the research effort. 
All written reports delivered to NHTSA should be suitable for public 
release.
    6. A detailed statement of any technical assistance which the 
applicant may require of NHTSA in order to successfully complete the 
proposed research effort.

Application Review Process and Criteria

    Initially, all applications will be reviewed to confirm that the 
applicant is an eligible recipient and to ensure that the application 
contains all the information required by the Application Contents 
section of this notice.
    Each complete application from an eligible recipient will then be 
evaluated by a Technical Evaluation Committee. The applications will be 
evaluated using the following criteria:
    1. The applicant's understanding of the purpose and unique problems 
represented by the research objectives of this cooperative agreement 
program as evidenced in the description of their proposed project. The 
impact the proposed research effort will have on fostering the 
competitiveness of the United States ITS industry in national and 
international markets will also be evaluated. Specific attention shall 
be placed upon the applicant's stated proposed research effort as 
described in its program narrative and statement of work.
    2. The potential of the proposed research effort accomplishments to 
make a significant contribution to the deployment of collision 
avoidance systems and the potential for improving the rate of 
deployment of proven collision avoidance technology will be a primary 
consideration.
    3. The technical and financial merit of the proposed research 
effort, including the feasibility of approach, practicality, planned 
methodology, and anticipated results. Financial merit will be estimated 
by the cost of the cooperative agreement to be borne by NHTSA compared 
to the resources that would be contributed by the applicant and other 
sources relative to the potential of the proposed research effort 
accomplishments to make a significant contribution to the deployment of 
collision avoidance systems and the potential for improving the rate of 
deployment of proven collision avoidance technology.
    4. The adequacy and availability of relevant test facilities and 
equipment identified to accomplish the proposed research effort.
    5. The adequacy of the organizational plan for accomplishing the 
proposed research effort, including the qualifications and experience 
of the research team, the various disciplines represented, and the 
relative level of effort proposed for professional, technical, and 
support staff.

Terms and Conditions of the Award

    1. If applicable, the protection of the rights and welfare of human 
subjects in NHTSA-sponsored experiments is established in NHTSA Orders 
700-1 and 700-3. Any recipient must satisfy the requirements and 
guidelines of the NHTSA Orders 700 series prior to award of the 
cooperative agreement. It is not anticipated that non-human subjects 
will be used in any testing performed under this cooperative agreement. 
A copy of the NHTSA Orders 700 series may be obtained from the 
administrative information contact designated in this notice.
    2. Prior to award, the recipient must comply with the certification 
requirements of 49 CFR Part 20--Department of Transportation New 
Restrictions on Lobbying and 49 CFR Part 29--Department of 
Transportation Government-wide Debarment and Suspension 
(Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free 
Workplace (Grants).
    3. Cooperative agreement(s) will be negotiated to include 
provisions appropriate to organizational conflicts of interest and 
rights in data (e.g., patent rights, copyright). At the time of 
negotiation, applicants may be required to disclose all actual or 
apparent conflicts of interest.
    4. During the effective period of the cooperative agreement(s) 
awarded as a result of this notice, the agreement(s) shall be subject 
to NHTSA's General Provisions for Assistance Agreements, the cost 
principles of OMB Circular A-21, A-122, or FAR 31.2, as applicable to 
the recipient, and the requirements of 49 CFR Part 20 and Part 29. The 
agreement(s) shall also be subject to the general administrative 
requirements of 49 CFR Part 19--Department of Transportation Uniform 
Administrative Requirements for Grants and [[Page 24668]] Agreements 
with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit 
Organizations.
    5. Reporting Requirements:
    a. Written Research Reports: The recipient shall submit bimonthly 
research reports due 15 days after each reporting period. The recipient 
shall also submit an annual report for each year of performance due 30 
days after each reporting year, and a final research report due 30 days 
following completion of the research effort. An unbound original and 
five copies of all written research reports shall be submitted to the 
COTR.
    b. Oral Briefings: The recipient shall conduct a kickoff briefing 
within 30 days after award and two semiannual oral presentations of 
research results during each year of performance. For planning 
purposes, assume that all presentations will be held in the Nassif 
Building at U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC. An unbound original and ten copies of all 
briefing materials shall be submitted to the COTR five working days 
prior to each oral presentation.

    Issued on: May 4, 1995.
William A. Leasure, Jr.,
Acting Associate Administrator for Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 95-11388 Filed 5-8-95; 8:45 am]
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