ESC/PKR, R&D Contracting Division, 104 Barksdale St., Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-1806

A -- GEOPHYSICS SCHOLAR PROGRAM SOL F19628-98-R-0006 POC Robert W. Tyrrell, Contracting Officer, 781-377-2930, Therese C. Pierce, Contract Specialist, 781-377-2414 WEB: N/A,. E-MAIL: Click Here to E-mail the POC, plourdet@hanscom.af.mil. Notice of Contract Action in support of the Geophysics Scholar Program in the Environmental Sciences for the Air Force Research Laboratory at Hanscom AFB, MA. A competitive acquisition among degree granting institutions and/or organizations with close ties to, or with a working relationship with, degree granting universities is contempleted. A forty-eight (48) month performance period is anticipated to conduct basic and applied research in the environmental sciences through a Geophysics Scholar Program. Various scientific areas of interest pertinent to the Air Force Research Laboratory at Hanscom include: (1) specify the space radiation environment and develop techniques to predict solar hazards for the design and operation of space systems; (2) to characterize the earth's ionosphere and its current systems; (3) to determine the effects of a disturbed ionosphere on Air Force communications, tracking, and detection systems; (4) to determine the impact of major solar events such as flares, radio emission, and proton events on the earth's ionosphere and on the earth's magnetic field; (5) to determine experimentally and analytically the structure of the upper atmosphere (its composition, temperature, density, and transport factors), and to determine the distribution of minor constituents in the atmosphere; (6) to understand the spatial and temporal variation of the radiance and emission of the earth's atmosphere and develop models to specify these properties accurately for all phases of solar conditions; (7) to develop advanced models of water and ice in the atmosphere with possible adaptation to the performance of electro-optical and millimeter wave systems; (8) to develop advanced analytical or active and passive remote sensing techniques that will improve significantly the measurement, analysis, modeling, and prediction of meteorological properties for mesoscale applications and simulations of weather on computers; (9) to develop computer techniques to produce physically correct atmospheric simulations (including clouds) from the near ultraviolet to millimeter wavelength regions of the spectrum; (10) to determine characteristics of celestial sources and to analyze state of the art celestial data and construct validated models of celestial phenomena. In addition, there will be a requirement for lecturers to develop and present seminars on state-of-the-art methods and techniques for managing technical programs on an as needed basis not to exceed four per year. It is expected that the required technical capability will come from scientists with newly acquired doctoral degrees and from faculty members of universities and graduate schools. The work will be performed at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Hanscom AFB, MA. Organizations responding should have a broad and in-depth involvement with the academic physical sciences research community and be able to provide individual post doctoral capability and technical skills to bear upon the varied aspects of the Air Force Research Laboratory research program. Evaluation criteria for responding organizations will include a requirement that the personnel proposed by the contractor to judge and evaluate the capabilities of the scholar program applicants must be experienced scientists or professors holding the PhD degree in the scientific areas with which the Air Force Research Laboratory is concerned and which are outlined above. This criterion is required because the scholar program applicants must be PhD scientists who must not be judged or chosen by less experienced or less professional people. Other criteria are that the successful organization will be a consortium of universities, degree granting organizations, or will have close ties to, or a close interaction with, the university and academic community, and in addition, such organizations will be able to show a capability to recruit, or experience in recruiting, PhD level scientific expertise to participate in such a program. Degree granting organizations must also demonstrate that degrees they grant are in scientific areas, listed above, with which the Air Force Researc Laboratory is concerned. All work performed under the contract must be fully authorized and defined by a Task Requirement Notice (TRN) prepared and issued in accordance with Instructions for Processing Task Requirement Notices. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicle Directorate, has been assigned the responsibility for providing the necessary acquisition/technical management of this effort. In support of this effort, Dynamics Research Corp (DRC), and ESC Technical and Engineering Management Support (TEMS) Contractor, shall provide acquisition/support to the Government's Program Manager during evaluation of proposals and contract performance. Firms responding to this synopsis should indicate whether they are a large business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a) concern, or woman-owned small business, and whether they are a U.S. or foreign-owned firm. Disclosure of classified and export-controlled unclassified (including sensitive unclassified) information shall be denied to Foreign Governments and Foreign Nationals, including firms under foreign ownership, influence, or control, even if the firm has been granted a reciprocal industrial security facility clearance. This Foreign Disclosure denial applies to both the solicitation and to contract performance, and it also applies to prime contractors as well as to all subcontractors. The Government will solicit those firms meeting the screening criteria in this synopsis. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes, does not constitute an RFP, and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. Offerors are requested to provide a name and telephone number for point of contact. Organizations responding to this Notice of Contract Action will not be notified as to whether or not they meet the screening criteria. Any offeror initially judged to be unqualified will be provided a copy of the solicitation upon request and any offer such a firm might submit will be evaluated without prejudice. An Ombudsman has been appointed to address concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The Ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the program director or Contracting Officer, but communicates contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman shall maintain strict confidentially as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. Interested parties are invited to call Colonel Lee H. Hughes, ESC/CX, at 781-377-5106. Offerors interested in receiving a copy of Request for Proposal No. F19628-98-R-0006, scheduled for release in February l998, should reference Purchase Request GF712168803000 when submitting a letter request to the Electronic Systems Center (ESC/PKRB), 104 Barksdale Street, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-1806, ATTN: Therese C. Pierce. This acquisition was previously published in the Commerce Business Daily on 12 September l997. CLOSING DATE for submission of responses is fifteen (15) days from publication of this notice. See Note 26. (0028)

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