[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 241 (Friday, December 16, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-31006]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: December 16, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Availability of Solicitation for Aviation Research Grants
Proposals
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is soliciting
proposals for research grants and cooperative agreements addressing the
long-term technical needs of the National Airspace System (NAS)
pursuant to Section 9205, Aviation Research Grant Program, and Section
9208, Catastrophic Failure Prevention Research Program, of the FAA
Research, Engineering, and Development Authorization Act of 1990
(Public Law 101-508), and Section 107, Aviation Security Improvement
Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-604). Specific research areas include air
traffic control (ATC) automation, aviation applications of artificial
intelligence, aviation training techniques and technologies, human
factors in highly automated environments, and aircraft safety. Although
Sections 9208 and 9209 of Public Law 101-508 permit the FAA
Administrator to establish Centers of Excellence, availability of
solicitations for Centers of Excellence will be announced in the
Federal Register as they become available.
Availability of Solicitation
Grants for Aviation Research Program Solicitation No. 95.1 is
available by contacting the office identified in the Addresses
paragraph. Recipients of the previous solicitation, No. 93.1, will
automatically be mailed the new document. Solicitation 95.1 and all
necessary forms are also available on the FAA Technical Center World
Wide Web Server at URL http://www.tc.faa.gov, or anonymous ftp at
ftp.tc.faa.gov. The INTERNET address is 155.178.180.3.
ADDRESSES: Inquiries regarding this subject matter should be directed
to: Aviation Research Grants Program, Office of Research and Technology
Applications, ACL-1, FAA Technical Center, Building 270, Room B115,
Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey 08405, Phone (609) 485-
4424, Fax (609) 485-6509.
DATES: Proposals may be submitted to the office listed in the ADDRESSES
section at any time after the effective release date of this NOTICE.
This solicitation is open until further notice in the Federal Register.
Applicants should allow at least 3 months for review and processing of
proposals.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Title IX, The Aircraft Safety and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990
(Public Law 101-508), was enacted to enhance the FAA's access to
resources and research facilities available at colleges, universities,
and other non-profit research institutions. The Aviation Research Grant
Program, Section 9205, permits the ``Administrator to make grants to
colleges, universities, and nonprofit research organizations to conduct
aviation research into areas deemed by the Administrator to be required
for the long-term growth of civil aviation.'' The Catastrophic Failure
Prevention Research Grants Program, Section 9208, directs the FAA ``to
conduct aviation research relating to development of technologies and
methods to assess the risk and prevent defects, failures, and
malfunctions of products, parts, processes, and articles manufactured
for use in aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, and appliances that
could result in a catastrophic failure of an aircraft.'' The Act
authorizes the FAA to establish a research grant program that
encompasses a broad spectrum of aviation research activities that are
targeted at specific areas of long-term aviation research.
The Aviation Security Improvement Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-604)
authorized the creation of a grants program ``to accelerate and expand
the research, development, and implementation of technologies and
procedures to counteract terrorist acts against civil aviation.'' There
is a special emphasis on human factors projects that include ``research
and development of both technological improvements and ways to enhance
human performance.''
The central purpose of the FAA Research Grant Program is to
encourage and support innovative, advanced research of potential
benefit to the long-term growth of civil aviation.
Research Areas
The legislation cited earlier provides for aviation research grants
programs in three general categories: (1) Areas deemed by the FAA
Administrator to be required for the long-term growth of civil
aviation; (2) areas related to research on the prevention of
catastrophic failures; and (3) areas related to research, development,
and implementation of technologies and procedures to counteract
terrorist acts against civil aviation. These three specific areas are
comprised of program areas identified in the FAA Research, Engineering,
& Development (RE&D) Plan of the agency's research and development
initiatives. The areas, which contribute to the FAA's mission of
improving aviation safety, capacity, efficiency, and security, are as
follows:
a. Capacity and Air Traffic Control Technology;
b. Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance;
c. Aviation Weather;
d. Airports;
e. Aircraft Safety Technology;
f. System Security Technology;
g. Human Factors and Aviation Medicine;
h. Environment and Energy;
i. Systems Science/Operations Research.
More detailed descriptions of these nine programs and a detailed
description of the grants process is contained in the Grants for
Aviation Research Program Solicitation 95.1.
Eligibility
Applicant eligibility for the award of an aviation research grant
or cooperative agreement depends on the nature of the proposer's
organization as well as the character of work proposed. In general,
colleges, universities, and other non-profit research institutions are
eligible to qualify for grants to perform research in all specified
areas. Other appropriate research institutions, including for-profit
research institutions, may qualify for grants or cooperative agreements
for research and development activities in aviation security under
Section 107 of Public Law 101-604.
The FAA seeks to ensure an equitable geographical distribution of
grant funds and the inclusion of historically black colleges and
universities and other minority institutions for funding consideration.
Proposal Submission
Guidelines for the application format and content are contained in
the Solicitation. Every effort will be made to reach a decision and
inform the applicant promptly. Unless and until an award is made, the
FAA is not responsible for any expenditures incurred by the proposing
organization.
Funding
Appropriated discretionary funds are not currently available for
grants. Awards will be made via program funding sponsorship.
Award Date
Recipients of FAA research grants will be announced on a continuous
basis.
Issued in Atlantic County, New Jersey, on November 11, 1994.
November 22, 1994.
Harvey B. Safeer,
Director, FAA Technical Center, ACT-1.
[FR Doc. 94-31006 Filed 12-15-94; 8:45 am]
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