[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5560-5562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2510]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2003-16711]


Cooperative Research and Development Agreements

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

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ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to enter into a 
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) and seeks 
inquiries and proposals from potential participants. The goal of this 
CRADA will be the development of a display tool for the Coast Guard's 
use in visualizing its future ``world of work.''

DATES: Preliminary inquiries must be received by February 17, 2004. The 
deadline for receiving proposals is March 8, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Inquiries and proposals from potential participants must be 
sent to Bert Macesker, Risk Technologies Program Area Manager, U.S. 
Coast Guard Research & Development Center, 1082 Shennecossett Road, 
Groton, CT 06340 (e-mail: [email protected]).
    The general public can comment on this notice or on the Coast 
Guard's CRADA procedures. These comments will be docketed in the Docket 
Management System (DMS). Include the docket number (USCG-2003-16711) of 
this notice, and submit it using the DMS Web site (http://dms.dot.gov) 
or the Federal eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov). You can 
also fax comments to 202-493-2251 or mail or hand-deliver them to: 
Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 
Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice 
or the proposed CRADA, contact Bert Macesker, Risk Technologies Program 
Area Manager, U.S. Coast Guard Research & Development Center, 1082 
Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, telephone (860) 441-2726, e-mail: 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or submitting 
material to the docket, call Andrea M. Jenkins, Program Manager, Docket 
Operations, telephone 202-366-0271.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Cooperative Research and Development Agreements

    Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, or CRADAs, are 
authorized by the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-
502, codified at 15 U.S.C. 3710a). A CRADA promotes the transfer of 
technology to the private sector for commercial use as well as 
specified research or development efforts that are consistent with the 
mission of the Federal parties to the CRADA. The Federal party or 
parties agree with one or more non-Federal parties to share research 
resources (but the Federal party does not contribute funding). The 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as an executive agency under 5 
U.S.C. 105, is a Federal agency for purposes of 15 U.S.C. 3710a and may 
enter into a CRADA. DHS delegated its authority to the Commandant of 
the Coast Guard (see DHS Delegation No. 0160) and the Commandant has 
delegated his authority to the Coast Guard Research and Development 
Center.

Goal of Proposed CRADA

    Under the proposed agreement, the Coast Guard's Research & 
Development Center (RDC) plans to collaborate with industry. Together, 
the RDC and its CRADA participant(s) will examine how the U.S. Coast 
Guard (USCG) can visualize its ``world of work'' in the future.
    At the unit level, ``world of work'' implies a complete picture of 
the Commanding Officer's (CO's) area of responsibility and beyond. This 
complete picture includes a display (or displays) that offers 
personalized views of maritime risks and USCG readiness. The CO needs 
this information to decide how to reduce risks to the public and the 
costs to manage those risks. As an example, the CO wants to answer the 
question: How do we best balance USCG activities and resources against 
risk on any given day?
    At the Commandant level, ``world of work'' looks across multiple 
units and at specific programs throughout the USCG. For example, the 
Commandant wants to answer the question: How much do our activities 
reduce risks?
    The tool will provide information for risk-based decision making in 
a future environment. The information will assist USCG personnel in 
making both short-term operational decisions and longer-term strategic 
decisions.
    The RDC, with its CRADA participant(s), will create a structured 
and collaborative environment to advance concepts and technologies for 
a display tool. The desired products of the proposed collaboration are 
a shared vision and an operationally relevant situation display tool. 
We currently envision the display tool as a two-dimensional, geographic 
display of maritime system risks and organizational readiness. 
Desirable display concepts include the ability to (1) integrate into 
the common operating picture of the future and (2) support a systematic 
approach to allocating USCG resources based on risk.

Party Contributions

    We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the 
proposed CRADA will include:
    (1) A structured opportunity to receive pertinent real world 
Integrated Maritime Command Center (IMCC) data, including the 
opportunity to establish real-time internet protocol (IP) data 
connections for access to IMCC-Miami data, to test and demonstrate 
CRADA products;
    (2) Access to a Miami Area of Responsibility (AOR) risk profile, 
readiness, and response activity data;
    (3) Feedback from USCG staff who are working in risk, readiness, 
and activity resource management modeling; and
    (4) Feedback from USCG staff who are involved in defining IMCC 
situation display requirements.
    We anticipate that the non-Federal parties' contributions under the 
proposed CRADA will include:
    (1) Making the real-time, IP data connections to relevant data 
source locations;
    (2) Qualified personnel and procedures (certified by the 
appropriate authority) for the proper handling of all data provided by 
the USCG, other federal, state, local, law enforcement, and private 
organizations under this CRADA;
    (3) At least two ``innovative, alternative IMCC-Miami Situation 
Displays'' provided to the USCG via real-time, IP data connections, 
which meet all USCG-specified requirements (including security 
requirements); and
    (4) Periodic updates of the design/layout of these ``innovative 
alternative'' IMCC-Miami Situation Displays based upon insights gained 
during the CRADA research.

Selection Criteria

    The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA partners 
all, some, or none of the proposals in response to this notice. The 
Coast Guard will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal 
development costs. Proposals (or any other material) submitted in 
response to this notice will not be returned. Proposals submitted are 
expected to be unclassified and have no more than 4 single-sided pages 
(excluding cover page and resumes). The Coast Guard will select 
proposals at its sole discretion on the basis of:
    (1) How well they communicate an understanding of, and ability to 
meet, the proposed CRADA's goal; and
    (2) How well they address the following criteria:
    (a) Technical capability to support the non-Federal party 
contributions described;

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    (b) Resources available for supporting the non-Federal party 
contributions described; and
    (c) Technical expertise/understanding of Maritime Domain Awareness, 
maritime common operational picture, USCG port operations, and industry 
best practices in situational display technologies.
    This is a technology transfer/development effort. So far, the Coast 
Guard has no forecast to procure the technology. Proposals should 
clearly discuss how the concepts and technologies, e.g., for two-
dimensional, GIS-based display of maritime system risks and 
organizational readiness, could improve existing USCG capabilities and 
aid the USCG in visualizing its future ``world of work.''
    Special consideration will be given to small business firms/
consortia, and preference will be given to business units located in 
the U.S. which agree that products embodying inventions made under the 
CRADA or produced through the use of such inventions will be 
manufactured substantially in the U.S.

    Dated: January 29, 2004.
F.A. Dutch,
Capt USCG, Commanding Officer, R&D Center.
[FR Doc. 04-2510 Filed 2-4-04; 8:45 am]
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