[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 154 (Thursday, August 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39428-39429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17054]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG376


Notice of Availability of a Request for Information: Expressions 
of Interest in Conducting Collaborative Research and Development on 
Innovative Approaches for Exploiting Environmental Data

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for information.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is 
seeking expression of interest from private firms interested in 
entering into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) 
with NOAA to conduct collaborative research and development (R&D) on 
new and innovative approaches that could lead to new and better ways of 
processing, exploiting and disseminating space-based Earth and space 
weather observations from NOAA developed and deployed satellites, with 
a wide range of applications, societal and economic benefits.

DATES: Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on September 24, 2018. Any 
questions pertaining to this Request for Information must be submitted 
no later than August 24, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document by the following 
method:
    Email: [email protected]. Please include the subject heading of 
``Response to Collaborative R&D RFI''. Attachments to electronic 
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word or Excel, or Adobe PDF 
formats only.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NOAA. Comments containing references, studies, 
research, and other empirical data that are not widely published should 
include copies or electronic links of the referenced materials. 
Comments that contain profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other 
inappropriate language will not be considered.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Derek Parks, Technology Transfer 
Program Manager, Technology Partnerships Office, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of

[[Page 39429]]

Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, Room 2617, 1305 East West Hwy, Bldg. 
SSMC4, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3278. (Phone: 301-628-1010, email: 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) is seeking expression of interest from private 
firms interested in entering into a Cooperative Research and 
Development Agreement (CRADA) with NOAA to conduct collaborative 
research and development (R&D) on new and innovative approaches that 
could lead to new and better ways of processing, exploiting and 
disseminating space-based Earth and space weather observations from 
NOAA developed and deployed satellites, with a wide range of 
applications, societal and economic benefits.
    The initial period of performance for this CRADA is expected to be 
from fiscal year 2019 through fiscal year 2021 (three years), with 
extensions possible if all parties agree.
    This notice does not constitute an Invitation for Bid or Request 
for Proposal and is not to be construed as a commitment by the 
Government. No contracts will be awarded as a result of this notice. No 
reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing 
information in response to this notice or for any follow-up requests 
for information. NOAA may contact respondents for clarification and 
discussion of the submitted responses.

Synopsis

    NOAA wishes to conduct collaborative R&D with one or more private 
firms or non-government groups on new techniques to be used, new 
products to be generated, enhancement of the use of satellite data in 
existing or new applications, and exploring potential new services that 
will enhance the value and enable wider use of data obtained from 
NOAA's space-based assets. General areas of R&D interest include, but 
are not limited to, exploring creating new products and eliciting new 
information for geophysical applications benefiting citizens, 
communities, local, state and federal governments and the private 
sector, and the use of new numerical approaches such as machine 
learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to maximize the information 
gathered from satellite observations. Some potential R&D topics on 
specific uses of data could include: (1) Atmospheric composition for 
air quality, and visibility applications, (2) atmospheric data for 
measuring instability and therefore severe weather and turbulence 
applications, (3) ocean and coastal data for ecosystems, severe 
weather, inundation, and water quality management, (4) land data for 
multiple applications such as wildfires, agriculture, droughts, 
flooding, urban planning, etc., (5) information delivery systems for 
extreme environmental conditions, (6) satellite-based data of volcanic 
ash for aviation safety and societal applications, (7) day-night band 
for new applications such as detection of fires, population migration, 
etc., (8) satellite data for renewable energy availability, (9) space-
based data for measuring economic vulnerability (to space weather, to 
drought, etc.), (10) compositing multiple geophysical data sets to 
generate user-ready decision-making products for different economic 
sectors (insurance, health, transportation, tourism, education, energy, 
agriculture, etc.), and (11) cloud information for better 
characterizing the state of the atmosphere in all sky situations for 
use as initial conditions in numerical model forecasts.

Documentation of Interest

    Responders may document their interest in entering into a CRADA 
with a comment to Derek Parks, Technology Transfer Program Manager. See 
contact information above in ADDRESSES. Responders must include, in 
writing, detailed information regarding their technical qualifications, 
the company name, address, point of contact, telephone number, and 
business size. Information submitted should be pertinent and specific 
in the technical areas described above under consideration. Any other 
specific and pertinent information as pertains to this particular 
undertaking that would enhance the information submitted will be 
considered by the agency.
    Additional information requested:
     (A) Institution's name, address, point of contact, phone number 
and email address.
     (B) If a business, include the firm's DUNS number and Cage Code as 
provided under the SAM system.
     (C) If a business, then state the firm's SBA certified small 
business concern status or other socioeconomic status. Specifically 
identify if your firm is HUBZone-certified, Service Disabled Veteran 
Owned, Women Owned, or in the SBA's 8(a) program. If your institution 
is not a small business, please state that it is a large business, 
FFRDC, university, UARC, or other.
     (D) Institution's previous work experience that is similar to that 
described above.
     (E) Any other pertinent documentation or information.
     (F) Responses should be no more than 10 pages.
    All information submitted in response to this notice is voluntary; 
the United States Government will not pay for information requested nor 
will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing 
information provided to the United States Government. No hard copy 
submittals will be accepted or considered. All responses to this 
Request for Information shall be submitted only via email to 
[email protected] (see ADDRESSES).

    Dated: August 2, 2018.
Sid Boukabara,
Senior Scientist for Strategic Initiatives, Center for Satellite 
Applications and Research, NOAA Satellite and Information Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-17054 Filed 8-8-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-HR-P