Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF JULY 20, 2006 FBO #1697
SOLICITATION NOTICE

A -- MICRO AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY(MAST)COLLABORATIVE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE(CTA)DRAFT PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT

Notice Date

7/18/2006
 

Notice Type

Solicitation Notice
 

NAICS

541710 — Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
 

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-0006
 

Response Due

10/15/2006
 

Archive Date

12/14/2006
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

MAST Pre-Proposal Conference: New realities demand innovative concepts to focus the talent of industry and academia on critical technology needs of the Army. The strategy employed by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) focuses in-house laboratory research on Army-specific business areas while establishing extramural centers of research in areas where state-of-the-art expertise could be leveraged to satisfy Army technology needs. One of the models created to facilitate this, ARLs Collaborative Technology Alliance (CTA), has been s uccessful in developing science and transitioning technology using the paradigm of collaborative work involving government, industry, and academia. As a result, the Army now desires to establish a new CTA, the Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST ) CTA. The objective of the MAST CTA is to perform enabling research and transition technology to enhance tactical situational awareness in urban and complex terrain by enabling the autonomous operation of a collaborative ensemble of multifunctional, mobile micro systems. To achieve this objective the Alliance is expected to advance fundamental science and technology in several key areas including small-scale aeromechanics and ambulation; propulsion; sensing, processing, and communications; navigation and control; microdevices and integration; platform packaging; and systems architectures. The MAST CTA consists of two components: (1) the Fundamental Research Component; and (2) the Technology Transition Component. The Fundamental Research Component will provide for research, the results of which will be in the public domain. A fundamental research program is sought in four research areas. The first three research areas are focused on Microsystems Mechanics, Processing for Autonomous Operation, and Microelectronics. These research areas will be conducted in academic institutions hereinafte r referred to as Centers. The fourth research area, Integration, is focused on system analysis, modeling and experimentation research, and other integration issues and is expected, but not required, to be conducted by an industrial concern. The performan ce of collaborative (involving government, industrial and academic concerns) research is expected to result in integrated results and solutions in MAST. The Technology Transition Component will provide for the application of the fundamental research resul ts to military and other Government applications. A DRAFT Program Announcement (PA) is being issued that will result in the award of two instruments for the MAST CTA: (1) a cooperative agreement as defined at 31 U.S.C. 6305 for the execution of a Fundamental Research Component; and (2) a procurement cont ract as defined in 31 U.S.C. 6303 for the execution of a Technology Transition Component. The cooperative agreement for the Fundamental Research Component will be awarded to a Consortium consisting of four Principal Members coinciding with the four resear ch areas set forth above. This Consortium may also include General Members as necessary and appropriate to fulfill the goals of the MAST CTA Program. The Principal Member for Integration is expected (but not required to be) an industrial concern, and wil l also be considered the Lead of the Consortium. The Principal Members associated with the research Centers for Microsystems Mechanics, Processing for Autonomous Operation and Microelectronics must be academic concerns. Under the PA, proposals are sought to select the four Principal Members for the MAST CTA. Proposals must address only one of the four research areas described above. Should an offeror desire to propose under more than one of the research areas, a complet e separate proposal must be submitted for each area. A critical element in deploying microsystem technology is the interplay between individual technologies. Responses to the PA should consider crosscutting themes carefully. Radical design and engineeri ng methodol ogies are envisioned in which system-level performance is emphasized over the optimization of individual functions. The Government will make award to the Consortium (consisting of the four Principal Members selected for award, and any General Members incl uded in their proposals) that offers the best value to the Government, conforming to the PA, cost and other factors considered. The projected scope of the MAST CTA Fundamental Research Component is approximately $50 million over the first five years and $50 million for a five-year option. The procurement contract will be awarded to the Lead of the Consortium. Individual tasks wil l be issued under the procurement contract as transition opportunities and funding for such are identified from the research results under the cooperative agreement. Exercise of the five-year option (for both the cooperative agreement and the procurement contract) will be based on a comprehensive review of technical performance, the availability of funds and Army needs. A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on Tuesday, 15 August, at 9:00 am local time, in the Washington DC/Baltimore, MD area. Details concerning the Conference (pre-registration is required to attend) are available through the MAST CTA website at www.arl. army.mil/MASTCTA. The MAST CTA website is expected to be accessible beginning on or about 19 July 2006. Information presented at the Conference will be made available for those who would like to have a copy of this information and for those who are unabl e to attend. Technical Point of Contact is Joesph Mait at Area Code 301-394-2462.
 

Place of Performance

Address: RDECOM Acquisition Center - Research Triangle Park ATTN: AMSSB-ACR, Research Triangle Park Contracting Division, P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park NC

Zip Code: 27709-2211

Country: US
 

Record

SN01091756-W 20060720/060718220957 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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