[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 63 (Monday, April 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19678-19680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7788]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2012-0220]


Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Asset Tracking 
and Reporting Technology

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a 
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with General 
Dynamics C4 Systems, Inc. (General Dynamics), to test, evaluate, and 
document the strengths and weaknesses of at least one technical 
approach for exchanging asset position, status, and brief collaborative 
messages between the Coast Guard Incident Command Staff (ICS), deployed 
Coast Guard and non-Coast Guard personnel, and other mobile assets 
which are engaged within an ICS managed, Incident of National 
Significance Response. While the Coast Guard is currently considering 
partnering with General Dynamics, we are soliciting public comment on 
the nature of and participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA. 
In addition, the Coast Guard also invites other potential participants 
to submit proposals for consideration in similar CRADAs.

DATES: Comments and related material on the proposed CRADA must either 
be submitted to our online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or 
before May 2, 2012, or reach the Docket Management Facility by that 
date. Notifications from parties interested in participating as a non-
Federal participant in a CRADA similar to the one described in this 
notice must reach the Docket Management Facility on or before May 2, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments on this notice identified by 
docket number USCG-2012-0220 using any one of the following methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (3) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (4) Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.

[[Page 19679]]

    To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods. 
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on 
submitting comments.
    Do not submit detailed proposals for different CRADAs to the Docket 
Management Facility. Instead, if you are interested in being a non-
Federal participant in a different CRADA, you may submit detailed 
proposals to Ms. Monica Cisternelli, U.S. Coast Guard Research and 
Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 06320 email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions concerning this 
notice or desire to submit a CRADA proposal, please contact Ms. Monica 
Cisternelli, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center, 1 
Chelsea Street, New London, CT 06320, telephone 860-271-2741, email: 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, call Ms. Renee V. Wright, Program 
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments and related material on this 
notice. All comments received will be posted, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information you have 
provided.

Submitting Comments

    If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
notice (USCG-2012-0220) and provide a reason for each suggestion or 
recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online via 
http://www.regulations.gov, or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but 
please use only one of these means. If you submit a comment online via 
http://www.regulations.gov, it will be considered received by the Coast 
Guard when you successfully transmit the comment. If you fax, hand 
deliver, or mail your comment, it will be considered as having been 
received by the Coast Guard when it is received at the Docket 
Management Facility. We recommend that you include your name and a 
mailing address, an email address, or a telephone number in the body of 
your document so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding 
your submission.
    To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov and 
type ``USCG-2012-0220'' in the ``Keyword'' box. If you submit your 
comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no 
larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic 
filing. If you submit comments by mail and would like to know that they 
reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard 
or envelope. We will consider all comments and material received during 
the comment period.

Viewing Comments and Related Material

    To view the comments and related material, go to http://www.regulations.gov, click on the ``read comments'' box, which will 
then become highlighted in blue. In the ``Keyword'' box, insert ``USCG-
2012-0220'' and click ``Search.'' Click the ``Open Docket Folder'' in 
the ``Actions'' column. If you do not have access to the Internet, you 
may view the docket online by visiting the Docket Management Facility 
in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the Department of Transportation 
West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. We have an agreement with the Department of Transportation to 
use the Docket Management Facility.

Privacy Act

    Anyone can search the electronic form of comments received into any 
of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or 
signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review a Privacy Act, system of 
records notice regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008, 
issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

Cooperative Research and Development Agreements

    Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), are 
authorized by the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-
502, codified at 15 U.S.C. 3710(a)). 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. 3710(a) and 
may enter into a CRADA. DHS delegated its authority to the Commandant 
of the Coast Guard (see DHS Delegation No. 0160.1, para. 2.B(34)), and 
the Commandant has delegated his authority to the Coast Guard's 
Research and Development Center (R&DC).
    CRADAs are not procurement contracts. Care is taken to ensure that 
CRADAs are not used to circumvent the contracting process. CRADAs have 
a specific purpose and should not be confused with other types of 
agreements such as procurement contracts, grants, and cooperative 
agreements.

Goal of Proposed CRADA

    Under the proposed CRADA, the Coast Guard's R&DC would collaborate 
with non-Federal participants. Together, the R&DC and the non-Federal 
participants would test, evaluate, and document the strengths and 
weaknesses of at least one technical approach for exchanging asset 
position, status, and brief collaborative messages between the Coast 
Guard Incident Command Staff (ICS), deployed Coast Guard and non-Coast 
Guard personnel, and other mobile assets, which are engaged within an 
ICS-managed, Incident of National Significance (IONS) Response. The 
CRADA partners will determine the viability of technical approaches for 
asset tracking and non-verbal communications exchange by conducting a 
live test in conjunction with a Coast Guard response exercise. The 
response exercise will utilize emergency personnel, such as Oil Spill 
Response Organizations (OSROs) and non-Federal CRADA partner-provided 
handheld devices and interoperable communications technology.

Party Contributions

    We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the 
proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide CRADA partners with access to, and appropriate use of 
Coast Guard assets, facilities and personnel engaged in a Coast Guard 
response exercise;
    (2) Provide CRADA partners with all necessary approvals and access 
for their installation of the asset tracking and non-verbal 
communications exchange technology on at least one Coast Guard vessel 
or shore facility; and
    (3) Develop the Technology Demonstration Concept Document, 
Technology Test Objectives, Test Plan, and Project Report for the CRADA 
work.
    We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions 
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:

[[Page 19680]]

    (1) Provide appropriate input to the R&DC for the development of 
the Technology Demonstration Concept Document, Technology Test 
Objectives, Test Plan, and Project Report;
    (2) Provide, install, operate, maintain, and remove all material 
(including hardware, software, and test equipment), along with the 
associated labor, needed for the Technology Demonstration as set forth 
within the Test Plan; and
    (3) Provide the R&DC with a Test Report documenting the results of 
the Technology Demonstration.

Selection Criteria

    The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants 
all, some, or none of the proposals received 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 four 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; and
    (b) Resources available for supporting the non-Federal party 
contributions described.
    Currently, the Coast Guard is considering General Dynamics for 
participation in this CRADA. This consideration is based on General 
Dynamics': (1) Expertise, experience, and interest in asset tracking 
and non-verbal communications exchange technology; and (2) capability 
to provide the significant contributions required for the CRADA work. 
However, we do not wish to exclude other viable participants from this 
or future similar CRADAs.
    This is a technology transfer/development effort. Presently, the 
Coast Guard has no plan to acquire asset tracking and non-verbal 
communications exchange technology. Since the goal of this CRADA is to 
identify and investigate the advantages, disadvantages, performance, 
costs, and other issues associated with using asset tracking and non-
verbal communications exchange technology, and not to set future Coast 
Guard acquisition requirements for such technology, non-Federal CRADA 
partners will not be excluded from any future Coast Guard procurements 
based solely on their participation within this CRADA.
    Special consideration will be given to small business firms/
consortia, and preference will be given to business units located in 
the U.S.

Authority

    This notice is issued under the authority of 15 U.S.C. 3710(a), 5 
U.S.C. 552(a), and 33 CFR 1.05-1.

    Dated: March 19, 2012.
Alan N. Arsenault,
Captain, USCG, Commanding Officer, Research and Development Center.
[FR Doc. 2012-7788 Filed 3-30-12; 8:45 am]
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