[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]
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