NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Procurement Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812

A -- NATIONAL SPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER (NSSTC) SOL 8-1-0-SD-C7058 DUE 062300 POC Carlos M. Smiley, Contracting Officer, Phone (256) 544-0355, Fax (256) 544-8656, Email carlos.smiley@msfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=62#8-1-0-SD- C7058. E-MAIL: Carlos M. Smiley, carlos.smiley@msfc.nasa.gov. NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center, on behalf of the NSSTC, is soliciting expressions of interest to complement our existing resources in order to strengthen the proposals to be submitted for future research. The respondent should understand that initial contributions of resources will be at the expense of the provider. However, this investment in time, personnel, and/or facilities may result in the award of peer-reviewed research in which the respondent would be a partner. This will be the basis for establishing potential cooperative agreements between the NSSTC and the organization for the partnership endeavor. The NSSTC is a collaborative research and education initiative focused on selected key scientific disciplines. It consists of researchers and resources from government, academia, and industry collaborating in an environment that enables cutting edge basic and applied research and fosters education of the next generation of scientists and engineers. The scientific disciplines include Earth Science, Space Science, Materials Science, Biotechnology, Optics and Energy Technology, Space Propulsion Physics, and Information Technology. The NSSTC has been formed initially with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the State of Alabama through the Space Science and Technology Alliance (SSTA). The SSTA is comprised of the following six research universities of the State of Alabama: Alabama A&M, Auburn University, University of Alabama, University of Alabama in Birmingham, University of Alabama in Huntsville, and University of South Alabama. The effective period of the arrangement is 5 years with three 5-year option periods to follow. The NSSTC is planned to be a virtual research center without walls. Teams of researchers, that can include universities, industry, and government representatives, each working at their own location or in a location as deemed most effective, will conduct the research. The research performed by the NSSTC will cover the range of maturity from pure science to technology development to mission operations and data analysis. The NSSTC will be implemented through the following seven science research centers: 1. SPACE SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER The Space Science Research Center will consist of researchers in solar physics, astrophysics, astrobiology, space plasma physics, and high-energy plasma physics. Major research areas include high-energy astrophysics (gamma and x-ray astronomy and cosmic ray physics) and solar-terrestrial physics (solar and space plasma physics and planetary atmospheres). Primary customers for this unit will include NASA's OSS (Structure and Evolution of the Universe, Origins, and Sun-Earth Connection themes), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Defense, National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Energy. 2. GLOBAL HYDROLOGY AND CLIMATE CENTER The Global Hydrology and Climate Center will consist of researchers in the global hydrology and climate science disciplines. Research associated with the energy and water cycle of the atmosphere and exchanges between the land, oceans and atmosphere will be performed. Major research areas include troposphere winds and dynamics, lightning and severe storms, passive and active microwave measurements of the atmosphere, water vapor and aerosol measurements, monitoring climate variability, regional and climate modeling, atmospheric chemistry, land use change, urban impacts, and archeological uses of remote sensing. In addition to Energy and Water Cycle research, the Earth Science unit, through the Global Hydrology and Climate Center, has strong outreach, education, and application components building on the science activity. Primary customers will be the NASA's Office of Earth Science, the Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA, and NSF. 3. MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER The Materials Science Research Center will be organized into focused research product teams that optimize materials science advancement to provide materials technologies that meet and exceed performance requirements for today's cutting edge space transportation and space science programs. Major areas of interest will include electronic and photonic materials, composite fiber development, polymer research, lightweight alloy development, materials characterization and producibility of in-space manufactured structures, and materials development for space environmental durability, including radiation shielding, electronic and opto-electronic materials, bio-materials, oxides and ceramics, polymeric and nano-materials. Primary customers for this center will include NASA's Advanced Space Transportation Program and NASA's Space Science Enterprise. 4. BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER The Biotechnology Research Center (BRC) will pursue the goals of Science in the National Interest by providing research in Biotechnology to complement the HEDS activity. The scientists and engineers of the BRC, working in collaboration with NASA and industrial scientists, will conduct research in selected areas of biotechnology of interest and importance to NASA. The BRC will obtain new knowledge in biological and chemical systems, and where feasible, facilitate the application of that knowledge to commercially viable products and processes. The primary customers of the BRC are the National Research Community (Principal and Guest Investigators), National Science Community (Academia, Industry, Government), HEDS Enterprise Code U and Code M, and MSFC Space Product Development Department. 5. OPTICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER The Optics and Energy Technology Center will consist of researchers and engineers focused on advanced research and development in the areas of optical analysis, design, fabrication, engineering, testing and metrology of optical components and systems. Other areas of research will include optoelectronic components and systems for lightweight compact optical information processing and high-speed optical communications. Additionally, optical scientists and engineers will provide enabling support to other NSSTC units, other NASA centers, other government agencies, and industry customers. The work of this center will be fully integrated with graduate and undergraduate education in optical science and engineering as well as supporting a K-12 optics outreach program. 6. PROPULSION PHYSICS RESEARCH CENTER The Propulsion Physics Research Center will consist of scientists in the propulsion physics area. These scientists may be from NASA, universities, or the private sector. Primary customers for this unit will include the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics element of NASA's Advanced Space Transportation Program, the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC), and various advanced technology programs sponsored by the U.S. government. 7. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER The Information Technology Research Center (ITRC) will perform research and development in data, information and knowledge areas in multiple scales and disciplines, as well as address associated high performance networking issues. Basic and applied research will be performed to develop new computational techniques and systems that ultimately solve real-world problems by the transfer of innovative technologies and knowledge. Students, faculty and research scientists will be involved in all aspects of ITRC. Interested parties should contact NASA/MSFC NSSTC Administrative Officer, Sandra Weber, at 256-922-5750, to obtain a detailed package of information regarding the Scope of Work for each discipline research center and the skill or capability shortfall of each. An industry briefing will be held at the Global Hydrology and Climate Center, 977 Explorer Boulevard, Huntsville, AL, 35809, on July 19, 2000, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. There will be time for a question and answer period. Interested parties should provide a 'capabilities' statement that should include as a minimum but not be limited to the following: A. An overview of the organization, B. Specific capabilities (skills and/or facilities) the organization can provide to one or more of the discipline research centers,C. Rationale as to the importance of these capabilities and how they complement the NSSTC skills, D. Self-assessment as to the strength these capabilities will add to the NSSTC, E. Resumes on key personnel, F. Descriptions of facilities which could contribute to the NSSTC research areas, and G. Current or similar endeavors with customers to substantiate experience. A panel of scientists and engineers will review the information to determine the list of respondents that best meets the NSSTC needs. These organizations will be invited to the NSSTC to make a formal presentation of their capabilities, to respond to questions, and to obtain clarification regarding the NSSTC and its research centers. Capabilities statements will be received through December 31, 2000. Posted 06/07/00 (D-SN462214). (0159)

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