2017-02935. Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Diesel Outboard Engine Development

AGENCY:

Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION:

Notice of intent; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Coast Guard announces its intent to enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Mack Boring & Parts Co (hence forth referred to as Mack) to evaluate and test the advantages, disadvantages, required technology enhancements, performance, costs, and other issues associated with diesel outboard engine technology. A test schedule has been proposed in which Mack will provide and install two of their diesel outboard engines onto a selected Coast Guard boat platform; the Coast Guard Research and Development Center (R&D Center) will outfit the platform with the necessary instrumentation to monitor power, speed, and fuel consumption; and a Coast Guard field unit will operate the boat for performance testing over a six-month period to collect information on reliability, maintenance requirements, and availability data. While the Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with Mack the agency is soliciting public comment on the possible nature of and participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA. In addition, the Coast Guard also invites other potential non-Federal participants to propose similar CRADAs.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted to the online docket via http://www.regulations.gov,, or reach the Docket Management Facility, on or before March 16, 2017.

Synopses of proposals regarding future CRADAs must reach the Coast Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) on or before March 16, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments online at http://www.regulations.gov following Web site instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

If you have questions on this notice or wish to submit proposals for future CRADAs, contact LT Carlon F. Brietzke, Project Official, Surface Branch, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 06320, telephone [phone], email [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

We request public comments on this notice. Although we do not plan to respond to comments in the Federal Register, we will respond directly to commenters and may modify our proposal in light of comments.

Comments should be marked with docket number USCG-2017-0069 and should provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. You should provide personal contact information so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding your comments; but please note that all comments will be posted to the online docket without change and that any personal information you include can be searchable online (see the Federal Register Privacy Act notice regarding our public dockets, 73 FR 3316, Jan. 17, 2008). We also accept anonymous comments.

We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be submitted using http://www.regulations.gov,, contact the Coast Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Documents mentioned in this notice, and all public comments, are in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that Web site's instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted or a final rule is published.

Do not submit detailed proposals for future CRADAs to the Docket Management Facility. Instead, submit them directly to the Coast Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Discussion

CRADAs are authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3710(a).^[1] A CRADA promotes the transfer of technology to the private sector for commercial use, as well as specified research or development efforts that are consistent with the mission of the Federal parties to the CRADA. The Federal party or parties agree with one or more non-Federal parties to share research resources, but the Federal party does not contribute funding.

CRADAs are not procurement contracts. Care is taken to ensure that CRADAs are not used to circumvent the contracting process. CRADAs have a specific purpose and should not be confused with procurement contracts, grants, and other type of agreements.

Under the proposed CRADA, the R&D Center will collaborate with one non-Federal participant. Together, the R&D Center and the non-Federal participant will collect information/data for performance, reliability, maintenance requirements, and other data on diesel outboard engines. After an initial performance test, the Coast Guard plans to operate to test and evaluate the designated platform outfitted with the diesel outboard engine technology for a period of six months.

We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the proposed CRADA will include the following:

(1) Work with non-Federal participant to develop the test plan to be executed under the CRADA;

(2) Provide the test platform, test platform support, facilities, and seek all required approvals for testing under the CRADA;

(3) Prepare the test platform for diesel outboard engine install and operations;

(4) Provide fuel and test platform operators for the performance and reliability, maintenance, and availability testing;

(5) Collect and analyze data in accordance with the CRADA test plan; and

(6) Work with non-Federal participant to develop a Final Report, which will document the methodologies, findings, conclusions, and recommendations of this CRADA work.

We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions under the proposed CRADA will include the following:

(1) Work with R&D Center to develop the test plan to be executed under the CRADA;

(2) Provide the technical data package for all equipments, including dimensions, weight, power requirements, and other technical considerations for the additional components to be utilized under this CRADA;

(3) Provide for shipment, delivery, and install of diesel outboard engines required for testing under this CRADA;

(4) Provide technical oversight, technical engine, and operator training on the engines provided for testing under this CRADA; and

(5) Provide/pay for travel and other associated personnel costs and other required expenses.

The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants all, some, or no proposals submitted for this CRADA. The Coast Guard will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal development costs. Proposals and any other material submitted in response to this notice will not be returned. Proposals submitted are expected to be unclassified and have no more than five single-sided pages (excluding cover page, DD 1494, JF-12, etc.). The Coast Guard will select proposals at its sole discretion on the basis of:

(1) How well they communicate an understanding of, and ability to meet, the proposed CRADA's goal; and

(2) How well they address the following criteria:

(a) Technical capability to support the non-Federal party contributions described; and

(b) Resources available for supporting the non-Federal party contributions described.

Currently, the Coast Guard is considering Mack for participation in this CRADA. This consideration is based on the fact that Mack has demonstrated its technical ability as a U.S. Distributor of diesel outboard engines. However, we do not wish to exclude other viable participants from this or future similar CRADAs.

This is a technology assessment effort. The goal of the Coast Guard for this CRADA is to better understand the advantages, disadvantages, required technology enhancements, performance, costs, and other issues associated with diesel outboard engines. Special consideration will be given to small business firms/consortia, and preference will be given to business units located in the U.S. This notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

Dated: January 30, 2017.

Captain Dennis C. Evans, USCG,

Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center.

Footnotes

1.  The statute confers this authority on the head of each Federal agency. The Secretary of DHS's authority is delegated to the Coast Guard and other DHS organizational elements by DHS Delegation No. 0160.1, para. II.B.34.