[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 72 (Tuesday, April 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21255-21256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08547]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2014-0233]


Proposed Cooperative Research and Development Agreement--Maritime 
Smart Phone Public Safety Answering Point Forwarding Into Rescue21

AGENCY: Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security (``DHS'').

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to enter into a 
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop, 
demonstrate, evaluate, and document viable technical approaches for 
securely forwarding maritime-related smart phone (voice image position 
and text) through Next Generation/Enhanced 9-1-1 (NG 911) into the 
Coast Guard Rescue21 System. The Coast Guard solicits public comment on 
the possible nature of and participation of other parties in the

[[Page 21256]]

proposed CRADA. The Coast Guard also invites other potential non-
Federal participants, who have the interest and capability to bring 
similar contributions to this type of research, to consider submitting 
proposals for consideration in similar CRADAs.

DATES: Comments must be submitted to the online docket via http://www.regulations.gov, or reach the Docket Management Facility, on or 
before May 15, 2014.
    Synopses of proposals regarding future, similar CRADAs must reach 
the Docket Management Facility on or before October 14, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments using one of the listed methods, and see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for more information on public comments.
     Online--http://www.regulations.gov following Web site 
instructions.
     Fax--202-493-2251.
     Mail or hand deliver--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. Hours 
for hand delivery are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays (telephone 202-366-9329).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
contact Ms. Valerie M. Arris, Project Official, C4ISR Branch, U.S. 
Coast Guard Research and Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New 
London, CT 06320, telephone 860-271-2849, email 
[email protected]. For information about viewing or submitting 
material to the docket, call Cheryl Collins, Program Manager, Docket 
Operations, telephone 202-366-9826, toll free 1-800-647-5527.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Participation and Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments. Comments should be marked with 
docket number USCG-2014-0233 and should provide a reason for each 
suggestion or recommendation. You should provide personal contact 
information so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding 
your comments; but please note that all comments will be posted to the 
online docket without change and that any personal information you 
include can be searchable online (see the Federal Register Privacy Act 
notice regarding our public dockets, 73 FR 3316, Jan. 17, 2008).
    Mailed or hand-delivered comments should be in an unbound 8\1/2\ x 
11 inch format suitable for reproduction. The Docket Management 
Facility will acknowledge receipt of mailed comments if you enclose a 
stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope with your submission.
    Documents mentioned in this notice, and all public comments, are in 
our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by 
following the Web site's instructions. You can also view the docket at 
the Docket Management Facility (see the mailing address under 
ADDRESSES) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.
    Do not submit detailed proposals for future CRADAs to the Docket 
Management Facility. Potential non-Federal CRADA participants should 
submit these documents to the Coast Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT).

Discussion

    The Coast Guard is authorized to enter into CRADAs by the Federal 
Technology Transfer Act of 1986, Public Law 99-502, codified at 15 
U.S.C. 3710(a); DHS Delegation No. 0160.1, para. 2.B(34). 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.
    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.
    The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants 
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 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 (a) their 
expertise, experience and interest in maritime-related smart phone 
NG911 (voice image position and text) forwarding, (b) their capability 
to provide the significant in-kind contributions required for the CRADA 
work and (c) their compatibility with the Coast Guard's situational 
awareness system(s). 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 procure a maritime-related smart phone NG911 
forwarding (voice image position and text) capability. Since the goal 
of this CRADA is to identify and investigate the advantages, 
disadvantages, required technology enhancements, performance, costs, 
and other issues associated with using maritime-related smart phone 
NG911 forwarding (voice image position and text) capabilities, non-
Federal CRADA participants will not be excluded from any future Coast 
Guard procurements based solely on their participation in 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.
    This notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 15 
U.S.C. 3710(a).

    Dated: April 4, 2014.
Captain Alan N. Arsenault,
USCG, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development 
Center.
[FR Doc. 2014-08547 Filed 4-14-14; 8:45 am]
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