[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 150 (Monday, August 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63456-63458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17213]


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DEPARTMENT of STATE

[Public Notice: 12480]


Proposed Establishment of a Federally Funded Research and 
Development Center--Second Notice

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of State (DoS), Bureau of

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Administration, intends to sponsor a Federally Funded Research and 
Development Center (FFRDC) to facilitate public-private collaboration 
for numerous activities related to diplomacy and modernization. This is 
the second of three notices which must be published over a 90-day 
period in order to advise the public of the agency's intention to 
sponsor an FFRDC.

DATES: Written comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on 
August 15, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Please send any comments, identified by title of the action 
and Regulatory Information Number (RIN) by any of the following 
methods:
    [ssquf] Through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
www.regulations.gov and search for nonrulemaking docket [DOS-2024-
0021].
    [ssquf] By email: Submit electronic comments to [email protected].
    [ssquf] The summary of this rule can be found at 
www.regulations.gov/document/DOS-2024-0021.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of State leads US engagement 
around the world building alliances and partnerships; facing up to 
aggression; aiding and supporting emerging democracies; and preserving 
U.S. interests abroad. In a rapidly changing world with shifting 
politics, accelerated economic developments, global challenges such as 
climate change, and the increasing role digitization plays for both 
opportunity and threats, the Department is committed to leading through 
both policy and operational engagement on behalf of the nation and our 
government.
    In a letter introducing the Department of State and U.S. Agency for 
International Development Joint Strategic Plan for 2022-2026, Secretary 
Blinken stated, ``we are working to modernize and equip the Department 
and USAID to lead on 21st-Century challenges and deliver for the 
American people.''
    Achieving U.S. goals for global leadership over the next decade 
will require the following:
     A diplomatic corps to use data in new ways to develop more 
foresight and insight, to inform policy options, to take actions and 
measure their effectiveness;
     New cross-sector partnerships and coalitions;
     Intergovernmental partnerships with the Department of 
Defense, the intelligence agencies, the Departments of Commerce, 
Treasury, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services, and cross-
government Councils (e.g., National Economic Council, National Security 
Council);
     New capabilities to plan, manage and execute initiatives 
and programs;
     A workforce that uses digital technology as tools to 
advance democracy and protect our interests and counter the use of 
these same technologies as a threat; and
     An organization and operation that is agile and adaptive 
to a changing environment; attractive to new talent; and fosters long-
term commitment between the organization and its people.
    The Department requires long-term partnerships with organizations 
that can bring research, development, innovation, and support needed to 
guide the leadership and employees through this transformative period 
in our history. This will allow the Department to focus on the mission 
at hand, while adopting and integrating changes necessary to make 
consistent progress on these goals and surge, when needed, to address 
urgent issues that require data, partnerships, technology and insights 
applied in near-term operational situations.
    To meet this need, the Department seeks to establish and sponsor 
one (1) FFRDC under the authority of 48 CFR 35.017.

FFRDC Center

    The FFRDC will be available to provide a wide range of support 
including, but not limited to the activities under three focus areas 
delineated below. The Department anticipates that the focus areas below 
will be managed as a single-award FFRDC. This strategy and focus area 
list have been updated since the first Federal Register notice 
published on May 17, 2024:

 Diplomatic Innovation and Modernization (DIM)

    The purpose of the DIM focus area is to strengthen global 
engagement and humanitarian outcomes by pioneering research and 
development initiatives that address emerging threats and foster 
international cooperation.

 Global CyberTech Solutions (GCS)

    The purpose of the GCS focus area is to enhance global stability 
through cutting edge research and development in IT, cyber defense, 
systems engineering, and data analytics.

     Global Operations and Acquisitions (GOA)

    The purpose of the GOA focus area is to advance diplomatic 
effectiveness through collaborative and cutting-edge acquisition 
methodologies and tools, and data assessments of broad scale Department 
needs, international cooperation, and innovative operational practices.
    The FFRDC will partner with the Department of State in the design 
and pursuit of mission goals; provide rapid responsiveness to changing 
requirements for personnel in all aspects of strategic, technical and 
program management; recognize Government objectives as its own 
objectives, partner in pursuit of excellence in public service; and 
allow for use of the FFRDC by non-sponsors.
    The Department is publishing this notice in accordance with 48 CFR 
5.205(b) of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) to enable 
interested members of the public to provide comments on this proposed 
action. This is the second of three notices issued under the authority 
of 48 CFR 5.205(b).

Information Requested

    In particular, we are interested in feedback regarding the proposed 
focus areas to be performed under the FFRDC, and the presence of any 
existing private- or public-sector capabilities in these areas that the 
Department should be considering.
    The Department anticipates releasing the final RFP in calendar year 
2024.

Public Comments

    Since the first notice, the Department has received the following 
comments/questions and is hereby providing the following responses:
    The Department received ten comments on the first notice.
    Six of these expressed interest in submitting responses, 
capabilities, or eventually proposals for the FFRDC. The Department 
appreciates the interest and looks forward to receiving further 
comments/questions and submissions in response to the eventual RFP. 
While the Department is not taking meetings at this time, all 
interested parties should continue to monitor for the third Federal 
Register notice to receive more information about the upcoming 
acquisition actions and industry engagement activities.
    One comment questioned whether this initiative would expand the 
State Department and its budget. At this time, the FFRDC is intended to 
provide long-term research and development in areas that the State 
Department is already exploring in other capacities and projects are 
intended to be funded through the Department's existing appropriated or 
other types of funds. The Department plans to initially provide 
oversight for the FFRDC by leveraging the existing Procurement Shared 
Services Working Capital Fund.
    Another comment identified climate and sustainability research as a 
potential focus area, which the

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Department already plans to include under the ``Emerging Threats'' 
topic in the DIM focus area. This commenter also identified 
cybersecurity tracking and decryption techniques as well as 
telecommunications as areas for inclusion in the GCS focus area; 
however, this comment focused on stricter penalties and increased law 
enforcement and regulations, which is outside the scope of the 
Department's research and development requirements.
    One comment suggested moving the ``Systems Engineering, System 
Architecture and Integration'' work elements from the ``Information 
Technology and Cyber Operations FFRDC'' to the ``Emerging Threats, 
Concept Exploration, Experimentation and Evaluation'' FFRDC. However, 
as a result of internal comments and requirements definitions, the 
focus areas have all been merged into one FFRDC, which makes this 
comment moot.
    The final comment stated that the focus on technology duplicates 
existing bureaus' portfolios and requested a focus area on 
organizational development challenges; however, this focus area would 
fall under the GOA focus area and does not negate the need for long-
term IT research and development activities that foster data and 
collaboration across the agency.

Michael W. Derrios,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, & Senior Procurement 
Executive, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2024-17213 Filed 8-2-24; 8:45 am]
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