[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 114 (Tuesday, June 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38725-38726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14074]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2016-0446]
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Diesel Outboard
Engine Development
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 Cox
Powertrain (Cox) to evaluate and test the advantages, disadvantages,
required technology enhancements, performance, costs, and other issues
associated with diesel outboard engine technology. A test schedule has
been proposed in which Cox will provide and install two of their diesel
outboard engines onto a selected Coast Guard boat platform; the Coast
Guard Research and Development Center (R&D Center) will outfit the
platform with the necessary instrumentation to monitor power, speed,
and fuel consumption; and a Coast Guard field unit will operate the
boat for performance testing over a six-month period to collect
information on reliability, maintenance requirements, and availability
data. While the Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with
Cox, the agency is 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
to propose 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 July 14, 2016.
Synopses of proposals regarding future CRADAs must reach the Coast
Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) on or before July 14, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments online at http://www.regulations.gov
following Web site instructions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice
or wish to submit proposals for future CRADAs, contact LT Keely Higbie,
Project Official, Surface Branch, U.S. Coast Guard Research and
Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 06320, telephone
860-271-2815, 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-2016-0446 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 Web site'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 will collect information/data for performance, reliability,
maintenance requirements, and other data on diesel outboard engines.
After an initial performance test, the Coast Guard plans to operate to
test and evaluate the designated platform outfitted with the diesel
outboard engine technology for a period of six months.
We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the
proposed CRADA will include the following:
(1) Work with non-Federal participant to develop the test plan to
be executed under the CRADA;
(2) Provide the test platform, test platform support, facilities,
and seek all required approvals for testing under the CRADA;
(3) Prepare the test platform for diesel outboard engine install
and operations;
(4) Provide fuel and test platform operators for the performance
and reliability, maintenance, and availability testing;
(5) Collect and analyze data in accordance with the CRADA test
plan; and
(6) Work with non-Federal participant to develop a Final Report,
which will document the methodologies, findings, conclusions, and
recommendations of this CRADA work.
[[Page 38726]]
We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
(1) Work with R&D Center to develop the test plan to be executed
under the CRADA;
(2) Provide the technical data package for all equipments,
including dimensions, weight, power requirements, and other technical
considerations for the additional components to be utilized under this
CRADA;
(3) Provide for shipment, delivery, and install of diesel outboard
engines required for testing under this CRADA;
(4) Provide technical oversight, technical engine, and operator
training on the engines provided for testing under this CRADA; and
(5) Provide/pay for travel and other associated personnel costs and
other required expenses.
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 Cox for participation in
this CRADA. This consideration is based on the fact that Cox has
demonstrated its technical ability as the developer and manufacturer of
diesel outboard engines. However, we do not wish to exclude other
viable participants from this or future similar CRADAs.
This is a technology assessment effort. The goal for the Coast
Guard of this CRADA is to better understand the advantages,
disadvantages, required technology enhancements, performance, costs,
and other issues associated with diesel outboard engines. 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: June 2, 2016.
Dennis C. Evans,
Commanding Officer, CAPT, USCG, U.S. Coast Guard Research and
Development Center.
[FR Doc. 2016-14074 Filed 6-13-16; 8:45 am]
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