SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- SNOW AND ICE DISTRIBUTED ACTIVE ARCHIVE CENTER FOR NASA EARTH OBSERVINGSYSTEM DATA AND INFORMATION SYSTEM
- Notice Date
- 2/28/2013
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 210.Y, Greenbelt, MD 20771
- ZIP Code
- 20771
- Solicitation Number
- 4200443117
- Response Due
- 3/15/2013
- Archive Date
- 2/28/2014
- Point of Contact
- Tiffanie C Ferrell, Purchasing Agent, Phone 301-614-5323, Fax 301-286-5373, Email Tiffanie.C.Ferrell@nasa.gov - Sislyn P Barrett, Contracting Officer, Phone 301-614-5533, Fax 301-286-5373, Email Sislyn.P.Barrett@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Tiffanie C Ferrell
(Tiffanie.C.Ferrell@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NASA/GSFC has a requirement for a five (5) year (1 year base period plus 4 one-year options) contract with the University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB) for continued development and operation of the Snow and Ice (SI) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for NASAs Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) pursuant to FAR 6.302-3, Industrial mobilization; engineering, developmental or research capability; or expert services. Specifically, the effort will provide for the following: identify and obtain sources of SI data, calibrate the data, process and archive the data, provide access to the data, support development and generation of new information products and services oriented to researchers utilizing the data, and provide the information products and services to a spectrum of users from fundamental and applied researchers to operational users and the general public. There can be no interruption in services to the contract that expires May 31, 2013. According to FAR 6.302-3(b)(2)(ii), the use of the authority at (a)(2)(ii) is appropriate when it is necessary to: Establish or maintain an essential capability for engineering or developmental work calling for the practical application of investigative findings and theories of a scientific or technical nature. The current sets of capabilities possessed by UCB are essential to NASA in that the combination of technological skills, scientific and theoretical knowledge and practical. hands-on experience are necessary to operate and manage the SI DAAC. NASA requirements include the following: 1) Implement improved geophysical algorithms in conjunction with the user community for cryospheric and polar processes including ice concentration and types, ice surface temperature, surface albedo, snow extent, and snow water equivalent; 2) Develop and improve methods for acquiring and assimilating data streams and producing research quality data products to meet science objectives for the cryosphere and polar regions; 3) Compile a multidecadal record of key cryospheric parameters and improve global model treatment of these parameters; 4) Improve the ability to forecast and assess risks by providing snow cover (and water equivalent) and snowmelt forecasting; 5) Develop greater support by scientists for broad science communication and education efforts; 6) Make information accessible to the broad continuum of Earth Science Mission Directorate information customers, including the general public, media, publishers, and industry; and 7) Implement data search and discovery technology and procedures to enable access to EOSDIS archive data sets and products via the Internet. The contractor for the SI DAAC shall meet the following NASA and EOSDIS program goals: 1) Ingest, archive and distribute Earth Science data designated for the EOSDIS Snow and Ice Distributed Active Archive Center using the EOSDIS Core System as a base component 2) Provide operations support for acquiring, processing, archiving and distribution of data for new and future missions as well as supporting/validation of data from in-situ sources. 3) Meet needs of users. Keep abreast of uses of the data. Ensure data is archived and served in a way that facilitates its use. Recommend to NASA data formats or additional data products that might better serve community needs. 4) Provided leadership in the cryospheric community on data formats, strategic services, data interoperability, data usability, and data capabilities. UCB have unique capabilities making it the only facility that meets the requirements for a SI DAAC. This includes their expertise in cryospheric data sets needed for development, utilization, calibration, and validation of snow and ice algorithms to make the cryospheric research data sets usable to researchers. Specifically, SI DAAC (at UCB) scientists and engineers have developed and continue to enhance the Equal-Area Scalable Earth Grid (EASE-Grid) software tool. This tool is composed of a multitude of algorithms used for the validation of data and calibration of algorithms provided by other scientists. At present, SI DAAC (at UCB) is implementing SMAP (a new mission) early adopter simulation and validation data distribution studies for its radiometer data. Expertise validating and calibrating earth science satellite data is required here which UCB uniquely has. The requirement to ingest, archive and distribute the data from the UCB is further compelled by the critical effort of evaluating and enhancing the data and data services. The UCB is required to provide unique services reformatting, subsampling and subsetting the datasets, which are best done in the same facility with the experts. Skill sets and experience needed to accomplish this type of validation requires intimate knowledge of the cryosphere. SI DAAC (at UCB) has been doing this type of work for the past 15 years, so clearly has the experience. SI DAAC (at UCB) has 12 affiliated scientists covering areas of sea ice, ice sheets, glaciers, snow hydrology, and permafrost. This broad cryospheric expertise not only provides the skills necessary to validate data and algorithms, but they also have the skills needed to communicate with the public the importance of their work relative to climate change. As an example, UCB has had over 30 cryospheric related articles in the news already for 2013. Finally, this group of UCB affiliated scientists along with the Boulder research community sustains a large body of scientists who actively pursue research in the cryospheric sciences. The combination of the institutional elements with an active science community make UCB a unique and unduplicated location both nationally and internationally for cryospheric science research. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than March 15, 2013 Eastern Standard Time. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. All contractual and technical questions must be submitted in writing via email to Tiffanie Ferrell at Tiffanie.C.Ferrell@nasa.gov. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.
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- Record
- SN02998705-W 20130302/130228234917-a440da1b36e499495a6ea021446fc4ca (fbodaily.com)
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