SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Army High Performance Computing Research Center (AHPCRC)
- Notice Date
- 2/15/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- RDECOM Acquisition Center - Research Triangle Park, ATTN: AMSSB-ACR, Research Triangle Park Contracting Division, P.O. Box 12211, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211
- ZIP Code
- 27709-2211
- Solicitation Number
- W911NF-06-R-0003
- Response Due
- 5/15/2006
- Archive Date
- 7/14/2006
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The U.S. Army has made a significant investment in basic research in High Performance Computing (HPC) and its application as well as the infrastructure to support such research. This was underscored by the establishment, in 1989, and the continued s ustainment thereafter of the Army High Performance Computing Research Center (AHPCRC), hereinafter called the Center. Armys investments in HPC have resulted in the increasing utilization of computer based modeling and simulation by the Army scientific an d engineering community. These investments have also created a steady source of well-trained scientists and engineers in this critical area. The establishment of the Center and the continuation of the AHPCRC Program was and shall continue to be the embod iment of the Army's support of the broader national effort to maintain U.S. leadership in computing technology and its application to issues critical to U.S. national security. While other HPC related initiatives funded by other agencies exist (i.e. the Na tional Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, and other U.S. Department of Defense organizations), this Center is committed to insuring that the needs relevant to Army problems, in particular, are properly developed in predictable directions, witho ut waiting for initiatives which may be primarily driven by commercial or other federal or Defense needs. Through the AHPCRC Program, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) helps to stimulate and support the public purpose of furthering science in HPC an d also helps fulfill the research and development goals of the Department of Army. More information about the current Center and AHPCRC Program can be found at http://www.ahpcrc.org. A key to the success of the AHPCRC Program is the collaborative research environment established between Government, Academia, and Industry. Under this collaborative research environment, basic research is conducted in computational sciences and engineeri ng. The research covers research areas related to computational sciences and engineering, to include interdisciplinary computational research (i.e. research involving more than one scientific discipline); Scalable Algorithms and Software Technology; and E nabling Technologies. The objective of the basic research efforts include conducting innovative computational research in collaboration with Army scientists to accelerate the infusion of new technologies in support of Army Transformation; provide for the m utual exchange of researchers between the Army and the AHPCRC to facilitate the execution of joint research projects including the exploitation of high performance computing; and provide on- and off-site symposia and educational programs to increase awaren ess of this partnership program, to foster scientific interchange, and to facilitate transition of new technologies emerging as a result of this program to Army laboratories and development centers. Early access HPC systems are acquired, maintained and ex ploited for computational sciences research. This involves installing, integrating, operating and maintaining presently owned Government Furnished Property (GFP) at several sites and identifying, acquiring, installing, integrating and operating new and/or emerging HPC resources. All of these support efforts must be conducted in coordination with the DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Office (HPCMO) concerning HPC systems. The availability and use of these HPC resources is both integral and cri tical to support the research being performed under the AHPCRC Program. The U. S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is hereby announcing its intention to issue a Program Announcement (PA) to solicit proposals to continue the AHPCRC Program. Award will be made on the basis of the best value to the Government. The Government anti cipates awarding one Cooperative Agreement (31 U.S.C. 6305) for the AHPCRC Program under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2358 to fulfill the needs of the AHPCRC Program. In accordance with the DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations (DoDGARs) that govern the use of Cooperative Agreements, Profit or Fee will be prohibited for the research efforts, i.e. all efforts that are substantive to performance of the AHP CRC program. However, certain aspects of the support of the HPC resources described above may be considered goods and services needed to carry out the AHPCRC program; and thus the Recipient may be eligible to receive a profit or fee for those goods or ser vices. The award is expected to provide for a basic performance period of five (5) years with one (1) optional five (5) year extension period, bringing the total performance period to a potential maximum of ten (10) years. Interested Parties will be requ ired to form a Consortium in order to respond to the Program Announcement. While the Consortium can be incorporated as a legal entity, there is no requirement for the Consortium to do so. The Consortium will be required to draft Articles of Collaboration that will address various internal operational aspects of the Consortium. Proposals that do not include Articles of Collaboration signed by duly authorized representatives of each Consortium member will be considered non-responsive and the proposal will r eceive no further consideration for award. The Consortium must be capable of providing a research program over a five-year period with an option for an additional five-year period. Minimum Consortium Membership requirements include a (1) a University Lead for Research; (2) a Lead for Support and Administration; and (3) a Historically Black College or University/Minority Institution (HBCU/MI) Member. Other members (both educational an d industrial) may be added as necessary to meet the goals of the AHPCRC Program. The University Lead for Research must be an accredited advanced degree (Ph. D.) granting U.S. educational institution noted for world-class research in interdisciplinary com putational sciences, algorithms and software development, and enabling technologies. The University Lead for Research is responsible for leading all of the research efforts of the Consortium, and managing transition, outreach and educational opportunities . It is envisioned (but not required) that the Lead for Support and Administration be an industrial concern. The Lead for Support and Administration is responsible for acquiring, installing, operating, and managing HPC systems and housing a significant amount of the existing HPC resources. They may also be involved in outreach and educational opportunities, as well as transitioning of the research results to Army scientists, and thus, the Lead for Support and Administration will be required to have Secr et facility clearance. Further, the Lead for Support and Administration will be responsible for distributing the funding to the Consortium members based on the currently approved Program Plan of effort to be conducted under the cooperative agreement betwe en the Army and the Consortium. In addition, Lead for Support and Administration will be responsible for monitoring and processing disbursements through the Army. Funding levels for the resultant Cooperative Agreement are subject to the availability of funds. Three types of funding are expected to be provided for under the Cooperative Agreement, i.e. funding for basic research efforts, funding for technology transi tion, educational opportunities, outreach and support of the HPC systems described above; and funding for the acquisition of new HPC resources. Two levels of funding are identified for this program, based on current budget submissions and supplemental fun ding that historically has been received for this program. Based on budget submissions, research efforts would be funded at estimated value of $2,000,000.00 per year, and efforts to operate and support the existing HPC resources of the program would be fu nded at an estimated value of $1,000,000.00 per year, over the potential ten year period of performance, with no budgeted Army procurement funding. However, based on supplemental funding that has been historically received for the program, funding above the budget submission values described above is possible. Addi tional funding for support of the HPC resources, technology transition, educational and outreach efforts, and management of the research program and the research partners is estimated at $15,000,000.00 per year, over the potential ten year period of perfor mance. With respect to supplemental funding that historically has been received for acquiring new HPC resources, the estimated total value is $30,0000,000.00 for the basic period of performance of five years, and $30,000,000.00 for the optional additional five-year period of performance. Proposals submitted in response to the PA are expected to be provided at both funding levels listed above. The Government expects the funding levels to fluctuate over the period of performance and envisions adjusting th e program goals to coincide with these fluctuations. The Government will assess the progress of the research effort yearly. Exercise of the five-year option will be based on a comprehensive review of technical performance, the availability of funds and Ar my needs. The complete PA will be posted on the ARL web site http://www.arl.army.mil/main/Main/default.cfm?Action=6&Page=8 on or about 15 March 2006. A Pre-Proposal Conference is expected to be held in early April 2006, at the current AHPCRC facility in Minneapolis, MN. The purpose of this Conference is to provide an opportunity to potential Offerors to interchange with the Government concerning the AH PCRC Program, and also provide potential Offerors with an opportunity to view the existing HPC resources. Details concerning the date, time and location of this Conference will be published in a subsequent announcement.
- Record
- SN00988851-W 20060217/060215212358 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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