[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 227 (Monday, November 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64910-64911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25507]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2019-0608]


Cooperative Research and Development Agreement--Cloud Suitability 
of Radio Frequency (RF) Communications Capabilities

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to enter into a 
cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with several 
companies to evaluate the suitability of implementing Radio Frequency 
(RF) communications capabilities as virtualized services in a 
commercial cloud/Secure Cloud Computing Architecture (SCCA) 
environment. This CRADA would leverage CG network infrastructure, DISA 
Cloud Access Points (CAPs) and commercial cloud offerings to evaluate 
RF detection, processing, recording and distribution services. The 
CRADA will explore communication services that are developed to 
leverage virtualization and cloud hosting environments under a variety 
of scenarios. The Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with 
General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) and solicits public comment on 
the possible participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA, and 
the nature of that participation. 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 https://www.regulations.gov, or on or before December 26, 2019.
    Synopses of proposals regarding future CRADAs must reach the Coast 
Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) on or before December 26, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments online at https://www.regulations.gov by 
searching docket number ``USCG-2019-0608'' and following website 
instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice 
or wish to submit proposals for future CRADAs, contact LCDR Grant 
Wyman, Project Official, IT and Networks Branch, U.S. Coast Guard 
Research and Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 
06320, telephone 860-271-2727, 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 commenter and may modify our proposal in light of comments.
    Comments should be marked with docket number USCG-2019-0608 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 rulemaking 
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using https://www.regulations.gov, contact the Coast Guard 
using the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice. 
Documents mentioned in this notice and all public comments, are in our 
online docket at https://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.
    You may submit detailed proposals for future CRADAs directly to the 
Coast Guard using the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 
notice.

Discussion

    CRADAs are authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3710(a).\1\ A CRADA promotes 
the transfer of technology to the private

[[Page 64911]]

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 Coast Guard's Research and 
Development Center (RDC) will collaborate with one or more non-Federal 
participants. Together, the RDC and the non-Federal participants will 
evaluate cloud suitability of Radio Frequency (RF) communications to 
learn best practices for implementing RF communications in a cloud 
environment.
    We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the 
proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Develop a test plan for execution under the CRADA;
    (2) Provide commercial cloud or government cloud access, data, 
facilities, and approvals required for work under the CRADA;
    (8) Collect and analyze test plan data; and
    (9) Develop a report documenting the methodologies, findings, 
conclusions, and recommendations related to this CRADA work.
    We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions 
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide cloud ready RF services to conduct work to be described 
in test plan;
    (2) Provide required operators and technicians to perform work 
identified in the test plan;
    (3) Provide technical data for the RF cloud services to be 
utilized;
    (4) Provide shipment and delivery of any RF cloud services 
ancillary equipment required;
    (5) Provide travel and associated personnel and other expenses as 
required for subject work.
    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 no 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 General Dynamics Mission 
Systems (GDMS), for participation in this CRADA. However, we do not 
wish to exclude other viable participants from this or future similar 
CRADAs.
    This is a technology suitability effort. The goal of this CRADA is 
to evaluate the suitability of implementing RF communications 
capabilities as virtualized services in a cloud environment. 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).

    Dated: November 8, 2019.
Gregory C. Rothrock,
Captain, USCG, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and 
Development Center.
[FR Doc. 2019-25507 Filed 11-22-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P