[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 250 (Friday, December 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68271-68272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32910]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health


National Library of Medicine (NLM); Opportunity for a Cooperative 
Research and Development Agreement for Research and Development of 
Document Imaging and Information Retrieval Software and Systems

AGENCY: Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, NLM, 
NIH, DHHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications 
(LHNCBC), an R&D division of the National Library of Medicine, seeks a 
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with a software 
company with a reputation in the software research, development and 
marketing communities, as demonstrated by the quality of its 
information products, particularly its document imaging and information 
retrieval software and systems.
    The Collaborator must be able to collaborate with NLM staff to 
produce high quality information products. The Collaborator must have a 
demonstrated record of success in privately producing and marketing 
scientific information resources.
    The term of the CRADA will be up to five (5) years.

DATES: Interested parties should notify this office in writing no later 
than February 25, 1997. Parties should document their qualifications as 
identified in selection criteria in this initial submission. Parties 
will be subsequently selected for developing a formal proposal.

ADDRESSES: Inquires and proposals regarding this opportunity should be 
addressed to William Joseph Cotreau, J.D. (Tel. #301-496-0477, FAX 
#301-402-2177), Office of Technology Development, National Cancer 
Institute, Executive Plaza South, Suite 450, 6120 Executive Blvd. MSC 
7182, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A CRADA is the anticipated joint agreement 
to be entered into by LHNCBC pursuant to the Federal Technology 
Transfer Act of 1986, as amended by the National Technology Transfer 
Act (Pub. L. 104-1993 (1996)) and by Executive Order 12591 of October 
10, 1987. The Communications Engineering Branch of LHNCBC is presently 
developing document-imaging systems, called DocView and WILL. DocView 
is a client-software package, based in the Microsoft Windows 
environment, designed to handle document images received over the 
Internet via scanning systems such as Ariel and external client 
software such as MIME E-mail or Web browers. WILL is a document-sending 
system, integrating a scanner, PC, image processing boards, printer, 
barcode reader, fax, and other equipment. WILL is designed to automate 
almost all aspects of document production, from retrieval of requests 
to document delivery, and updating of request status.
    Under the present proposal, the goal of the CRADA will be the 
development of the following technology:
     Development of Macintosh and Unix versions for DocView;
     Development of Netscape Plug-in modules for 
Macintosh and Unix versions of DocView;
     Development of WILL for faster document capture, improved 
user interface, improved scanning abilities, and replacement of the 
present file management with a more efficient DBMS; and
     Development of an improved document-request interface for 
WILL.
    All necessary existing rights and assets currently held by LHNCBC 
for the production of identified software will be transferred as needed 
to the Collaborator.

Party Contributions

    The role of the LHNCBC includes the following:
    (1) Provide Collaborator with the DocView and WILL source codes, if 
and as necessary, and all licenses necessary for the further 
development of DocView and WILL;
    (2) Provide staff, expertise, and materials for the development of 
DocView software and the WILL system;
    (3) Evaluate the work product of Collaborator to ensure progress 
toward meeting the CRADA goals; and
    (4) Provide work space and equipment for production and testing of 
any document-retrieval software products developed.
    The role of the successful Collaborator will include the following:
    (1) Provide funding, if and as necessary, in support of production 
and dissemination of DocView and WILL;
    (2) Provide expertise and assistance in the production and 
marketing of DocView and WILL;
    (3) Provide staff, expertise, and materials for the development of 
DocView and WILL software; and
    (4) Provide quality assurance testing, operator training, and user 
support for any document-manipulation software products resulting from 
this CRADA.

Selection Criteria

    Proposals submitted for consideration should fully address each of 
the following qualifications:
    (1) Expertise:
    A. Demonstrated expertise in developing and producing high quality 
document imaging software and systems;
    B. Demonstrated ability to secure national and international 
marketing and distribution of software;
    C. Demonstrated expertise in overseeing all aspects of product 
development;
    D. Demonstrated intellectual ability to guide development of 
product line which addresses the requirements of LHNCBC;
    E. Demonstrated expertise in serving and supporting a significant 
client base; and
    F. Familiarity with library systems and interlibrary loan and 
document delivery services.
    (2) Reputation: The successful Collaborator must be reorganized in 
the software industry for:
    A. Producing, marketing and supporting quality document imaging 
software;
    B. Indications of high levels of satisfaction by software experts, 
libraries, document suppliers and

[[Page 68272]]

similar entities with the information products and services; and
    C. The range of products and services it produces.
    (3) Physical Resources:
    A. An established headquarters with offices, space, and equipment;
    B. Access to the organization during business hours by telephone, 
mail, e-mail, the Internet, and other evolving technologies; and
    C. Sufficient financial and technologies resources to support, at a 
minimum, the current activities of the CRADA to meet the needs of 
LHNCBC.

    Dated: December 12, 1996.
Barbara McGarey,
Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 96-32910 Filed 12-26-96; 8:45 am]
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