Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Acquisition and Federal Assistance, Mail Stop 205B, Room 6A404, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 22092

T -- FGDC NATIONAL SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE (NSDI) FRAMEWORK DOCUMENTATION PROJECTS PROGRAM DUE 062896 POC Karen Phillips (703)648-7372 (contact), Patrick Robertson (703)648-7368 (CO) The FGDC invites proposals for projects that test the framework concept. The purpose of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Framework Demonstration Projects Program is to facilitate and provide resources for the development and implementation of the NSDI framework concept. The framework concept outlined in the report ''Development of a National Digital Geospatial Data Framework'' (April 1995) proposes a means by which the geospatial data community can work together to produce and maintain commonly needed themes of data for national, regional, state, and local analyses. Included in this report is the definition of a basic information content, and the technical, institutional, and business contexts by which a distributed, collaborative data collection and maintenance effort for the nation would operate. These projects will demonstrate the sustained ability, over a geographic area, to supply data to the greater geospatial data community from locally available data sources through the framework process. Activities funded under this FY 1996 program announcement include the development and testing of institutions and technology needed for the framework operations. Applicants are being sought who are establishing long-term organizational structures, and cooperative arrangements with other organizations in sustained efforts to build, maintain, and disseminate framework data. The result of these projects will include information that will provide guidance on policies and practices for the establishment of operational framework sites. The projects will also act as examples of applied framework for other implementers and as starting points for future framework research and development. Applied research and development will highlight the successes and failures in implementing the framework concept; innovative alternatives that are developed; descriptions of framework institutional and technical practices; evaluations of user satisfaction; and suggestions for future work. The maximum award amount will not exceed $125,000 and with up to 4 awards. The awards will be cooperative agreements and not contracts. Each project must involve two or more organizations. The program announcement and application forms are expected to be available on or about May 29, 1996. Applications must be received on or before June 28, 1996. Copies of Program Announcement 1434-HQ-96-PA-00003 may be obtained by writing to Patrick Robertson, U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Acquisition and Federal Assistance, Mail Stop 205B, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 22092. Requests may also be made by facsimile to (703) 648-7901. Confirmation by telephone at (703) 648-7372 is recommended. Applications may be submitted by state and local government agencies, educational institutions, private firms, private foundations, and Federally acknowledged or state-recognized Native American tribes or groups. No telephone request for this package will be accepted. (0127)

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