[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 159 (Friday, August 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53641-53643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20882]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Discretionary Cooperative Agreement To Advance Occupant 
Protection Technology in Passenger Vehicles

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Announcement of Discretionary Cooperative Agreement to Advance 
Occupant Protection Technology in Passenger Vehicles.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
announces a discretionary cooperative agreement to advance occupant 
protection technology in passenger vehicles. NHTSA solicits 
applications from for-profit organizations (small or large), non-profit 
organization and educational institutions. One of NHTSA's objectives is 
to develop and evaluate new technologies and methodologies, which have 
the potential for improving the crashworthiness of passenger vehicles 
and protecting their occupants. NHTSA seeks to establish a 
collaborative research effort with a qualified research organization to 
meet the above objective.

DATES: Applications must be received at the office designated below by 
3 p.m. on or before September 16, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted to the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Contracts and Procurement 
(NAD-30), ATTN.: Henrietta R. Mosley, 400 Seventh Street SW., Room 
5301, Washington, DC 20590. All applications submitted must include a 
reference to NHTSA Cooperative Agreement Number DTNH22-R-01-2-07292.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General administrative questions may 
be directed to Henrietta R. Mosley, Office of Contracts and 
Procurement. All questions and requests for copies may be directed by 
e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (202) 366-9570. 
Programmatic questions should be directed to Mr. Ron Pack, 
Crashworthiness Research, NHTSA, Room 6226 (NRD-11), 400 Seventh Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-4697. Interested applicants are 
advised that no separate application package exists beyond the contents 
of this announcement.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Statement of Work

Background

    Each year in the United States, more than 40,000 deaths and 
millions of injuries occur as the direct result of motor vehicle 
traffic crashes. As part of its mission to alleviate this toll, the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration vigorously conducts an 
extensive research program to develop and evaluate new technologies and 
methodologies, which have the potential for improving the 
crashworthiness of passenger vehicles and protecting their occupants. 
NHTSA is conducting crashworthiness research to develop new or enhanced 
injury countermeasures.

Objective and Purpose

    The proposed cooperative research agreement program seeks to 
establish collaborative research efforts between NHTSA and a qualified 
research organization to study advanced methodologies for occupant 
protection in passenger vehicle crashes. The collaboration will include 
problem definition, sharing of scientific and technical data, joint 
research and the development of new methodologies and technologies for 
occupant crash protection. Research areas could include, but are not 
limited to, the following:

--Advanced frontal occupant restraints.
--Advanced air bag inflator and/or air bag inflation methodologies.
--Adaptive air bag systems to tailor bag deployment over the expected 
range of crash severities, occupant sizes,

[[Page 53642]]

occupant ages, occupant positioning, etc.
--Advanced occupant seating systems.
--Ejection mitigation technologies.
--Intrusion resistance countermeasures.
--Coupling of air bag inflation with anticipatory crash sensing 
technologies.
--Improved vehicle crash sensing methodologies.
--Integration of the above in production/near production vehicles to 
show feasibility and evaluate performance.

    The above list of potential programs constitutes only a sampling of 
the potential research areas. Applicants are also encouraged to suggest 
other areas that are believed to provide the potential for practical 
improvement over current occupant crash protection and are most 
amenable to the special skills and experience of the applicant.
    The program shall include a maximum of three phases including the 
following: (1) Preliminary studies identifying the system performance 
improvement desired, an estimate of additional production costs related 
to the improvement, the benefits to be appreciated from such 
improvement, and the approximate magnitude of national injuries and 
fatalities now occurring due to the absence of the improvement. (2) 
Prototype development and establishment of reliable production costs. 
(3) Prototype demonstration. The duration of each phase will vary 
according to current state-of-the-art, and in some instances, may be 
overlapped.

NHTSA Involvement

    NHTSA will be involved in all activities undertaken as part of the 
cooperative agreement program and will:
    1. Provide 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 
coordinate activities between the cooperative agreement participant 
organization and the NHTSA.
    2. Make available information and technical assistance from 
government sources, within available resources and as determined 
appropriate by the COTR.
    3. Provide liaison with other government agencies and 
organizations, as appropriate.
    4. Stimulate the exchange of ideas, problems, and solutions among 
cooperative agreement recipients who agree to such sharing, and if 
appropriate, NHTSA contractors and other interested parties; and
    5. Share nonproprietary information developed at Government expense 
with the scientific and industrial community.

Number of Cooperative Agreements, Award Amounts and Period of Support

    Depending on the merits of the applications received, NHTSA 
anticipates awarding multiple cooperative agreements for a base period 
of twelve (12) months with three (3) one (1) year option periods. 
Offerors should clearly identify the timeline for their proposed 
effort. It is anticipated that individual award amounts shall range 
from $25,000 to $150,00 (not to exceed $150,000) per twelve (12) month 
period. Upon completion of the base period, NHTSA may choose to extend 
the period of performance under this agreement for the three (3) 
additional twelve (12) month periods, subject to availability of funds 
and satisfactory progress. Funds allocated for these cooperative 
agreements are not intended to cover all of the costs that will be 
incurred in completing the project. Applicants should demonstrate a 
commitment of financial or in-kind resources to support the proposed 
project.

Eligibility Requirements

    In order to be eligible to participate in this cooperative 
agreement program, an applicant must be a for-profit organization 
(small or large), a non-profit organization, or an educational 
institution. Consortiums of organizations from any of the above 
categories may apply. Regardless of the type of organization applying 
for Federal assistance, no fee or profit will be allowed.

Application Procedure

    Each applicant must submit one original and three copies of its 
application package to: DOT/National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, Office of Contracts and Procurement (NAD-30), ATTN: 
Henrietta R. Mosley, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 5301, Washington, DC 
20590. An additional three copies will facilitate the review process, 
but are not required. Applications are due no later than 30 days after 
the appearance of the announcement in the Federal Register. The 
applicant shall specifically identify any information in the 
application, which is to be treated as proprietary, in accordance with 
the procedures of 49 CFR 512, Confidential Business Information. 
Applications must include a reference to NHTSA Cooperative Agreement 
Number DTNH22-02-R-07292. The proposal shall not exceed 35 pages, not 
including budget proposal, letters of endorsement or support, and 
resumes. Only complete application packages received on or before 4 
p.m. on September 16, 2002 will be considered.

Application Contents

    1. The application package must be submitted with OMB Standard Form 
424 (REV. 7-97), including 424A and 424B), Application for Federal 
Assistance, with the required information filled in and assurances 
signed (SF 424B). The OMB Standard Forms SF-424, SF-424A, and SF424B 
may be downloaded directly from the OMB Internet Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/OMB/grants/index.html. 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 to provide for a meaningful evaluation of the proposed 
costs. A supplemental sheet should be provided which presents a 
detailed breakdown of the proposed costs (direct labor, including labor 
categories, level of effort and rate; direct material, including 
itemized equipment; travel and transportation, including projected 
trips and number of people traveling; subcontracts with similar cost 
detail, if known; and overhead costs) as well as any costs which the 
applicant proposes to contribute in support of this effort. The budget 
should detail costs for each year of the proposed project. Applicants 
shall assume that awards will be made by September 30, 2002 and shall 
prepare their applications accordingly.
    2. The application shall include a program narrative statement, 
which addresses the following:

    a. A description of the research to be pursued which addresses:

    a. The objectives, goals, and anticipated outcomes of the proposed 
research effort;
    b. The method or methods that will be used;
    c. The source of crash and injury statistics to be used;
    d. The vehicle occupant protection population and crash modes to be 
addressed;

    b. Organizational plan detailing a plan of action on how the 
proposed work will be accomplished. The plan should include a time line 
of projected activities and milestones. The proposed program director 
and other key personnel should be identified, including a description 
of their qualifications and their organizational responsibilities.
    c. A description of the facilities and equipment currently 
available or to be

[[Page 53643]]

obtained for use in the conduct of the proposed research and 
development effort.
    d. A description of the applicant's previous experience or on-going 
research program that is related to this proposed research effort.
    e. A detailed schedule and budget for the proposed research effort, 
including any cost-sharing contribution proposed by the applicant as 
well as any additional financial commitments made by other sources.
    f. A statement of any technical assistance, which the applicant may 
require of NHTSA in order to successfully complete the proposed 
program.

Application Review Process and Evaluation Criteria

    Initially, all applications will be screened to ensure that they 
meet the eligibility requirements and to ensure that applications 
contain all information required by the Application Contents Section of 
this Notice. An Evaluation committee will then evaluate each complete 
application from an eligible recipient. The applications will be 
evaluated using the following criteria:
    1. Understanding the Problem (30%). 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 research and development effort. Specific 
attention shall be placed upon the applicant's stated proposed 
development and demonstration effort.
    2. Technical Merit (30%). The potential of the proposed research 
effort accomplishments to make a timely and an innovative and/or 
significant contribution to occupant protection technology knowledge as 
it may be applied to saving lives and reducing injuries resulting from 
motor vehicle crashes. The technical merit of the proposed research 
effort will include the feasibility of the approach, practicability, 
planned methodology, and anticipated results.
    3. Financial Merit (20%). Financial merit will be estimated by the 
cost of the cooperative agreement to be borne by NHTSA and the in-kind 
contribution provided by the applicant as compared to the anticipated 
benefits to vehicle crash occupants.
    4. Facilities and Equipment (10%). The adequacy of facilities and 
equipment identified to accomplish the proposed research.
    5. Program Staff (10%). 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. Prior to award, the recipient must comply with the certification 
requirements of 49 CFR part 29--Department of Transportation 
Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and 
Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants). The 
protection of the rights and welfare of human subjects in NHTSA-
sponsored experiments is governed by 49 CFR part 11. Any recipient 
proposing the use of human subjects must satisfy the requirements of 49 
CFR part 11 prior to award of the cooperative agreement. The 
cooperative agreements will include the provisions of Federal 
Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 52 contract clause 52.227-11 Patent 
Rights Retention by the Contractor (short form).
    2. Reporting Requirements
a. Written Research Reports
    The recipient shall submit research reports every two months 
suitable for public dissemination which shall be due 15 days after the 
reporting period, and a final research report within 45 days after 
completion of the research effort. An original and three copies of each 
of these research reports shall be submitted to the COTR.
b. Oral Briefings
    The recipient shall conduct semiannual oral presentations of 
research results for the COTR and other interested NHTSA personnel. 
These presentations will be conducted at the NHTSA Office of Vehicle 
Safety Research, Washington DC. An original and three copies shall be 
submitted to the COTR.
c. Data Reports
    Dynamic and other data measured in research, development, and 
prototype evaluation and demonstration tests will be provided by the 
recipient within 3 weeks after the data is obtained, in the format of a 
data package as described below. The recipient may be relieved of the 
data package report requirement for certain activities by agreement 
from the COTR.
    A data package consists of high speed film, paper test report, and 
magnetic tape complying with NHTSA Data Tape Reference Guide. The 
NHTSA's Crashworthiness Division maintains a Vehicle Crash Test and a 
Component Data Base, which it provides upon request to the public, 
including educational institutions and other research organizations.
    To facilitate the input of data as well as the exchange of 
information, the recipient must provide the magnetic tape in the format 
specified in the ``NHTSA Data Tape Reference Guide''. A copy of this 
document may be obtained from the programmatic information contact or 
on the NHTSA Web site: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
    3. During the effective performance period of the Cooperative 
Agreements awarded as a result of this announcement, the agreements 
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 29. Each agreement with a non-profit organization or an 
educational institution shall also be subject to the general 
administrative requirements of 49 CFR part 19.

An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded by accessing the 
Federal Register home page at http://www.nara.gov/nara/fedreg and the 
Government Printing Office database at http://www.acess.gpo.gov/su_docs.

    Issued on: August 9, 2002.
Joseph N. Kanianthra,
Director of Office of Vehicle Safety Research.
[FR Doc. 02-20882 Filed 8-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P