Rome Laboratory/PK, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY 13441-4514

A -- INFORMATION INSTITUTE HBCU/MI RESEARCH PROGRAM SOL BAA 97-04-PKPX POC Dr. Heather Dussault, Laboratory Program Manager and Interim Director, Rome Laboratory's Information Institute (315)330-3251; and Joetta Bernhard, Contracting Officer (315)330-2308. E-MAIL: Click here to contact the Contracting Officer., bernhardj@pintail.pk.rl.af.mil. Rome Laboratory is soliciting research proposals under the "Information Institute HBCU/MI Research Program" Broad Agency Announcement BAA-97-04-PKPX. The purpose of Rome Laboratory's Information Institute is to conduct pioneering research in information technologies at a basic (i.e., university) research level. Efforts that will be performed as part of the Information Institute's research program are intended to be collaborative university efforts designed to provide Rome Laboratory with cutting edge research that can be applied to a variety of Rome Laboratory and Air Force needs. Universities conducting research as part of the Information Institute are encouraged to work collaboratively with other institutions and to leverage from on-going Rome Laboratory research programs and capabilities. The Information Institute HBCU/MI Research Program is set-aside for HBCU/MI qualified institutions. HBCU/MIs may include non-HBCU/MI institutions as sub-contractors, but the majority of the research shall be accomplished by the principal offeror. While not a contract requirement, participants in the Information Institute HBCU/MI Research Program are strongly encouraged to join the Information Institute Education Partnership. Additional information on Rome Laboratory's Information Institute can be found on the Internet at the following URL: http://www.rl.af.mil/Technology/II. Research areas of interest include innovative approaches and basic research projects in the area of information science and technology. Information science and technology areas of interest to the Information Institute include: information fusion; information security and privacy; networking and distributed computing; robust computing; high performance computing; optical computing and networking; distributed databases; and specialized C4I (command, control, communications, computer and intelligence) research projects for Rome Laboratory. The information fusion research area of is of fundamental interest for this announcement. Principal funding for proposals selected from this announcement will begin in FY97. Each award is limited to $200,000 and no more than 24 months in duration. The funding ceiling for this BAA is $1.0 million. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. Offerors are required to submit three (3) copies of a two (2) to three (3) page white paper on their proposed research topic to Dr. Heather Dussault, Rome Laboratory / CA-II, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY 13441-4514, Reference BAA-97-04-PKPX, and one (1) copy (First Class Mail, Unclassified Only) to Ms. Janis Norelli, Rome Laboratory/XPD, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY 13441-4514. The white paper should be formatted as follows: Section A: Title, period of performance, cost of effort, and name of institution; Section B: task objective; and Section C: technical summary. Multiple white papers may be submitted in different areas of technology. The purpose of the white paper is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of the offeror whose work is not of interest under this BAA. Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of the BAA and of interest to the Government may be invited to submit a proposal. Complete instructions for proposal preparation and submission will be forwarded with any proposal invitation. Such invitation does not assure that the submitting organization will be awarded a subsequent contract. Proposals submitted will be evaluated as they are received. Individual proposal evaluations will be based upon acceptability or non-acceptability without regard to other proposals submitted under the announcement. Evaluation of proposals will be performed using the following criteria: (1) The overall scientific and/or technical merits of the proposal; (2) The innovativeness of the proposed approach and/or techniques; and (3) The reasonableness and realism of the proposed costs and fees, if any. In addition, the Government may consider other factors, such as past performance on recent Government contracts and the capacity and capability of the offerors to perform the requirements of the effort. No further evaluation criteria will be used in selecting proposals. The criteria used to evaluate the proposals will also be used to determine whether the white papers submitted are consistent with the intent of this BAA and of interest to the Government. Options are discouraged, and unpriced options will not be considered for award. Respondees are requested to provide their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number and reference number RL-BAA-97-04-PKPX with their submissions. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors are advised that their participation is subject to foreign disclosure review procedures. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors should immediately contact the contracting focal point for information if they contemplate responding. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract, but it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect costs as specified in FAR 31.205-18. An Ombudsman exists for this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is to receive and resolve significant concerns from interested parties and potential offerors, offerors, and institution representatives when they would prefer not to use established channels of communication during the proposal development phase. The Ombudsman will communicate significant issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the appropriate Government organization or individual. The role of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the contracting officer or program manager but to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Mr. Vincent Palmiero, Chief, Policy & Management Division, at (315) 330-7746. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman will not participate in either the evaluation of the proposals or the source selection decision for this acquisition. Any qualified HBCU/MI may submit a white paper that shall be considered. This announcement is open and effective until 30 Sep 99. Offerors are warned that only contracting officers are legally authorized to commit the Government. For more information contact Dr. Heather Dussault, Program Manager and Interim Director of the Information Institute, at (315) 330-3251 or electronically at dussaulth@rl.af.mil. Go to http://www.rl.af.mil/Lab/DO/BC/BAA/baa-mail.html to download a copy of Rome Laboratory PRDA & BAA: A Guide for Industry, March 1994, or write to Ms. Lucille Argenzia, Rome Laboratory/PKR, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome NY 13441-4514. (0114)

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