[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
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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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