[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5830-5831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3295]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration


Availability of Solicitation for Center of Excellence (COE) in 
Operations Research

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is soliciting competitive proposals from academic 
institutions to form an aviation operations research Center of 
Excellence (COE). The COE will be a consortium consisting of the FAA, 
universities, airlines, and other private industry to work collectively 
on business and operational issues of mutual interest and concern.

DATES: The closing date for submitting final proposals is April 15, 
1996.

ADDRESSES: Solicitation packages may be obtained by contacting the COE 
Program Office. Contact Ms. Patricia Watts or Mr. David Nesterok, 
Office of Research and Technology Applications, AAR, Building 270, 
Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey, 08405, Fax Number 
(609) 485-6509.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA intends to award a grant to 
establish a Center of Excellence in Operations Research to a qualified 
college university, or to a team of such institutions.
    The FAA has identified a need for a Center of Excellence in 
aviation operations research. The need was determined by surveying the 
aviation transportation community. This survey identified a series of 
functional areas that best represent the concerns of a broad spectrum 
of aviation transportation users. Accordingly, the Center will conduct 
basic research in the following seven functional areas:

1. Air Traffic Control
2. Human-in-the-Loop Systems
3. System Performance and Assessment Measures
4. Flow Control, Scheduling, and Work Load Distribution
5. Operations Research and Simulation ``Tool kit'' Enhancements
6. Inter and Intra Governmental Communication, and Communications among 
FAA and Airspace Users
7. Navigation, Communication, and Data Transfer

[[Page 5831]]


Eligibility

    Colleges and universities are eligible for continuing grants to 
establish a Center of Excellence in Operations Research. The FAA is 
seeking to ensure an equitable geographical distribution of funds and 
to encourage the inclusion of minority institutions.

Matching Funds Requirement

    A Center of Excellence receives funding annually in the form of 
single or multiple continuing research grants over a three-year period. 
The federal government provides 50 percent of the cost to establish and 
operate a Center of Excellence. The institution must show a continuing 
source of non-Federal matching funds available for the remaining 
research and operational expenses at the Center. Once the COE is 
established, a fiscal report declaring the sources and amount of 
funding and expenditures must be submitted for review every six (6) 
months to The Office of Research and Technology Applications at the FAA 
Technical Center. A full review and grant close-out takes place at the 
conclusion of each three-year phase.
    The Center of Excellence and the agency shall agree upon the 
maximum expected costs in each fiscal year. Any cost incurred in excess 
of the maximum costs agreed upon with the agency shall be the sole 
obligation of the Center of Excellence.
    The Center of Excellence is expected to account for all funds 
granted and matched, utilized to establish, operate, and conduct the 
specified research activities of the Center of Excellence.

Maintenance of Effort and Center Operations

    The Center of Excellence is required to maintain its aggregate 
expenditures from all other sources for establishing and operating the 
Center of Excellence and related research activities at or above the 
average level of such expenditures in its two (2) fiscal years 
preceding November 5, 1990. The establishment of a Center of Excellence 
is intended to augment the level of aviation research activities at the 
institution.
    The Center of Excellence shall maintain a close working 
relationship with the corresponding agency research program office. 
This relationship shall extend to participation in conferences, 
meetings, joint research efforts, and submission of significant 
activity reports to the FAA on a routine basis. The COE shall prepare 
quarterly and semi-annual reports, and a fully inclusive annual report 
on research projects and fiscal expenditures, and shall host an on-site 
review of all research activities.
    The FAA may require the COE to hold an annual joint symposium with 
the agency on topics relating to the status and results of the 
designated technology area. Researchers at the COE may serve as 
consultants by providing technical advice to the sponsoring agency 
program office. They may also be asked to participate on major planning 
and investigative committees related to operations research.
    The COE will be selected on the basis of the following criteria 
mandated by Congress:

--The extent to which the needs of the State in which the applicant is 
located are representative of the needs of the region for improved air 
transportation services and facilities.
--The demonstrated research and extension resources available to the 
applicant for carrying out the intent of the legislation.
--The capability of the applicant to provide leadership in making 
national and regional contributions to the solution of both long-range 
and immediate air transportation problems.
--The extent to which the applicant has an established air 
transportation program.
--The demonstrated ability of the applicant to disseminate results of 
air transportation research and educational programs through a 
statewide or region-wide continuing education program.
--The research projects that the applicant proposes to carry out under 
the grant.

Research Area

    The COE is envisioned as a source of exceptional expertise in 
aviation operations research. We anticipate the COE will attract 
interest from other organizations such as the airline industry, other 
industrial groups, and governmental entities to solve unique and 
difficult aviation transportation problems. These other organizations 
may contribute funding to the COE. This work will require members of 
the COE to carry out sophisticated research on contemporary aviation 
transportation issues as noted in the seven functional areas. The 
functional areas are intended to give applicants a fee for the 
complexity and scope of work that may be required of the COE. Typical 
research areas may include, but are not limited to, issues such as free 
flight, airport or airspace capacity, controller workload, threat 
modeling, program analysis, risk assessment, and resource allocation. 
The COE may anticipate that work will not be required in all functional 
areas at the same time. Nevertheless the COE must anticipate that, over 
the life of the COE, work may be required in any of these functional 
areas from time to time. The COE should thus develop a plan that 
anticipates being able to do work in each of these functional areas as 
the COE matures and attracts more business. This philosophy reflects 
the FAA's vision of the DOE as a long-term, consistent, dependable 
source for tackling aviation operations research issues.

Who May Apply

    1. Colleges and universities may submit proposals for continuing 
grant awards to establish and operate the Center of Excellence in 
Operations Research.
    2. Individuals are not eligible for a COE designation and do not 
qualify for grants under this programs.
    3. Before final proposal submission, the proposal may be discussed 
with the Center of Excellence Program Manager, Ms. Patricia Watts, or 
the Program Technical Advisor, David Nesterok, at (609) 485-5043/(609) 
485-4042, or Fax (609) 485-6509.

Award Date

    The final selection of the Center of Excellence in Operations 
Research will be announced by the Administrator within this fiscal 
year.

    Issued in Atlantic County, New Jersey on February 7, 1996.
Andres Zellweger,
Director, Office of Aviation Research, AAR-1.
[FR Doc. 96-3295 Filed 2-13-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M