[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48451-48453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20834]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2018-0853]


Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Automatic 
Identification System/Data Marker Buoy (AIS/DMB) Using/Adapting COTS 
Technology

AGENCY: U.S. Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a 
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Astronics 
DME to investigate adding/substituting an AIS component into the RB-100 
series DMB. While the Coast Guard is currently considering 
collaborating with Astronics DME, we are soliciting public comment on 
the possible nature of and participation of other parties in the 
proposed CRADA. In addition, 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

[[Page 48452]]

Docket Management Facility, on or before October 25, 2018.
    Synopses of proposals regarding future CRADAs must reach the Coast 
Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) on or before October 25, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments online at http://www.regulations.gov 
following website instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice 
or wish to submit proposals for future CRADAs, contact LT Carlon 
Brietzke, Project Official, Science & Technology Innovation Center, 
U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New 
London, CT 06320, telephone 860-271-2891, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We request public comments on this notice. Although we do not plan 
to respond to comments in the Federal Register, we will respond 
directly to commenters and may modify our proposal in light of 
comments.
    Comments should be marked with docket number USCG-2018-0853 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). We also accept anonymous comments.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the Coast Guard 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 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 that website's 
instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up 
for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted or a 
final rule is published.
    Do not submit detailed proposals for future CRADAs to the Docket 
Management Facility. Instead, submit them directly to the Coast Guard 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Discussion

    CRADAs are authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3710(a).\1\ 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.
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    \1\ The statute confers this authority on the head of each 
Federal agency. The Secretary of DHS's authority is delegated to the 
Coast Guard and other DHS organizational elements by DHS Delegation 
No. 0160.1, para. II.B.34.
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    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 procurement 
contracts, grants, and other type of agreements.
    Under the proposed CRADA, the R&D Center will collaborate with one 
non-Federal participant. Together, the R&D Center and the non-Federal 
participant using the RB-100 series DMB (this product has been in use 
by the aviation community for several years and is a proven design that 
utilizes AM/FM Radio Frequency location) will investigate adding/
substituting an AIS component into the RB-100 series DMB.
    We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the 
proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide a USCG AIS transmitter system technical data package 
for evaluation, modification, fabrication, and testing of an AIS 
transmitter system for incorporation into an RB-100 series DMB.
    (2) Provide technical input related to the AIS transmitter system 
and its technical data package, as required, along with specific data 
on known or suspected design weaknesses in the AIS transmitter based on 
operational assessments.
    (3) Provide all support resources, including travel, for Coast 
Guard staff that supports this CRADA.
    (4) Shall accomplish a deployment trial and operational assessment 
of the demo prototypes AIS-DMBs and share assessment results.
    We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions 
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide appropriate staff with pertinent expertise to support 
the above mentioned tasks.
    (2) Provide all necessary facility resources needed to integrate 
the existing or modified USCG AIS transmitter into the existing AM/FM 
DMB in such a way as to preserve the air deployment stability, water 
stability and mission reliability characteristics of the existing AM/FM 
DMB in the resulting AIS-DMB product.
    (3) Support testing and analysis efforts as the AIS-DMB evolves 
during development and completes advanced development tasks, in order 
to verify achievement of CRADA objectives.
    (4) Support an AIS-DMB deployment trial and operational assessment.
    The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants 
all, some, or no proposals submitted for this CRADA. The Coast Guard 
will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal development 
costs. Proposals and any other material submitted in response to this 
notice will not be returned. Proposals submitted are expected to be 
unclassified and have not more than five single-sided pages (excluding 
cover page, DD 1494, JF-12, etc.). 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 Astronics DME for 
participation in this CRADA. This consideration is based on the fact 
that Astronics DME manufactures the RB-100 series Datum Marker Buoy. 
However, we do not wish to exclude other viable participants who 
manufacture Datum Marker Buoys and/or AIS technologies from this or 
future similar CRADAs.
    This is a technology merging effort. The goal of the Coast Guard 
for this CRADA is to merge AIS capabilities into Datum Marker Buoys to 
reduce the amount of manpower, time, and asset availability needed to 
track and recover jettisoned cargo, derelict vessels, and aid in 
search-and-rescue cases. 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).


[[Page 48453]]


    Dated: September 11, 2018.
G.C. Rothrock,
Captain, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development 
Center.
[FR Doc. 2018-20834 Filed 9-24-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P