[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 4 (Tuesday, January 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 726-727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00033]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2019-0879]


Cooperative Research and Development Agreement--Shipboard 
Information Technology Network Optimization

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 Wide Area Network 
(WAN) optimization technology in a shipboard environment. The CRADA 
will explore WAN optimization technologies and how they can be 
implemented for shipboard use under a variety of scenarios. While the 
Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with SWISH DATA 
CORPORATION (SWISH), we are soliciting public comment on the possible 
participation of other parties in the 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 February 6, 2020.
    Synopses of proposals regarding future CRADAs must reach the Coast 
Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) on or before February 6, 
2020.

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 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-2019-0879 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 http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the Coast

[[Page 727]]

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 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 the suitability of WAN optimization technologies in a 
shipboard 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 network access, data, facilities, and approvals 
required for work under the CRADA;
    (3) Collect and analyze test plan data; and
    (4) 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 WAN optimization technologies 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 equipment and services to be 
utilized;
    (4) Provide shipment and delivery of any 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 SWISH, 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 WAN optimization technology 
in a shipboard 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: December 17, 2019.
Captain Gregory C. Rothrock,
Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center.
[FR Doc. 2020-00033 Filed 1-6-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P