[Federal Register: July 26, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 143)]
[Notices]
[Page 42438-42439]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26jy06-130]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Availability of Grant Funds for the Thermal Imaging Inspection System Project
AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This document announces the availability of grant funding
under FMCSA's FY2006 Research Grants program as specified in the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy
For Users. The program provides one-time funding for a demonstration
project that uses a thermal imaging inspection system that leverages
state-of-the-art thermal imagery technology, integrated with signature
recognition software, providing the capability to identify, in real
time, faults and failures in tires, brakes, and bearings mounted on
commercial motor vehicles. The period of performance for this project
is 24 months from the date of award.
DATES: Applications for grant funding should be sent to FMCSA
Headquarters no later than August 25, 2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jeff Loftus, Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration, Office of Research and Analysis, Technology
Division (MC-RRT), 202-385-2363, 202-385-2422 (fax),
jeff.loftus@dot.gov, 400 Virginia Avenue, SW., Suite 600, Washington,
DC 20024. Office hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., e.t., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 5513(a) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users (SAFETEA-LU) [Pub. L.
109-59, August 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1829] authorizes the thermal imaging
inspection system (TIIS) project for FY2006 only. The authorized
funding for the program is $2 million. Funding is subject to reductions
resulting from obligation limitations, recisions, and takedowns as
specified in SAFETEA-LU or other legislation. The actual amount
available for this project after these reductions is $1,412,044. FMCSA
anticipates making one award to one recipient. Incremental payments
will be made at intervals corresponding to performance milestones
agreed upon by the parties.
Funds are available to public nonprofit institutions/organizations,
profit organizations, private nonprofit institutions/organizations,
other private institutions/organizations, and institutions of higher
education including public, private, or state colleges and universities
who are eligible recipients of Federal assistance.
The Federal share of the funds is established by SAFETEA-LU as 80
percent. The 20 percent match may be in the form of dedicated funding,
equipment, or in-kind services for this project. Allocations remain
available for expenditure until fully spent.
Additional information on the TIIS project and its application
process is available from the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) on the Internet at http://www.cfda.gov. The TIIS project is
listed as CFDA number 20.236.
TIIS Project Objectives
The objectives of this project are to:
Employ a TIIS in a field environment, along the
interstate, to further assess the system's ability to identify faults
in tires, brakes, and bearings mounted on commercial motor vehicles
(CMVs); Establish, through statistical analysis, the probability
of failure for each component; and
Develop and integrate a predictive tool into the TIIS,
which identifies an impending tire, brake, or bearing failure and
provides a timeframe in which this failure may occur.
Application and Selection Process
The Secretary may enter a grant agreement with a public or private
organization including an institution of higher education that has the
most responsive grant application to the objectives of this project.
The applicant must submit an application form (SF-424, SF-424A, and
SF-424B) and proposal to FMCSA Office of Research and Analysis,
Technology Division no later than August 25, 2006.
The application must include sections on relevant past performance,
technical and management approach, budget, schedule, and personnel.
Additionally, it must address the following project tasks:
Develop a project work plan,
Develop a concept of operations document,
Conduct technology trade-off analyses,
Develop a test and evaluation plan,
Conduct analyses of component failures,
Develop a predictive decision support tool,
Integrate the tool into the TIIS,
Conduct a demonstration of the TIIS with the predictive
tool along the interstate,
Write an annual report of progress and activities, and
Write a final report.
To receive consideration for award, an applicant must submit its
budget along with adequate documentation that supports the factors
listed below. The documentation must demonstrate a clear understanding
of and the ability to accomplish the project objectives.
Factor 1: Past Performance
The past performance data must not exceed one page for each grant
or contract referenced.
To substantiate its past performance, each applicant is requested
to submit information on at least three of the Government grants or
contracts or commercial contracts it performed within the past three
years. The applicant must provide demonstrated experience in work
effort similar in size, scope, magnitude, complexity, and cost to the
project objectives. The past performance data can include information
on grants or contracts on which the applicant, or any proposed
subgrantee or subcontractor, has performed or is performing. The
applicant must include the following on each grant or contract
referenced in its proposal:
Project statistical information
[cir] Name and address of the activity;
[cir] Grant or contract number;
[cir] Agreement type;
[cir] Place of performance;
[cir] Date of project and period of performance;
[cir] Total project value;
[cir] Government Sponsor's name, telephone number, and e-mail
address;
[cir] Program Manager's name, telephone number, and e-mail address; and
[cir] List of major subgrantees or subcontractors.
The applicant must include a description of the projects
cited in order to demonstrate relevance to the requirements outlined in
the project objectives. The applicant must also identify and state the
reasons for any terminations.
Note: In the event that an applicant has no past performance
history, e.g., a new firm, [[Page 42439]]
this rating factor will be considered neutral and will neither
increase an applicant's overall rating nor decrease it.
Factor 2: Technical and Management Approach
This section cannot exceed 30 pages.
The applicant's proposed approach must include adequate
documentation to clearly demonstrate a thorough understanding of the
project objectives. Each applicant must:
Describe in sufficient detail the technical capability of
its proposed resources to meet the project objectives, including
projects completed and current training completed that are applicable
to the functions to be performed;
Provide a proposed matrix that demonstrates that it
possesses the capability to manage and the staff to perform the work;
Provide an unpriced matrix that includes labor category/
skill level and labor category descriptions;
List the skills of the Program Manager, including relative
experience and expertise; and
Describe its proposed quality control measures in
sufficient detail to demonstrate that established procedures would
adequately recognize substandard performance and document corrective
actions.
Factor 3: Budget
The applicant must provide budget information as required in SF-
424, SF-424A, and SF-424B as well as all associated budget supplemental
documentation.
As an alternative, an applicant can apply for the TIIS project
funding by using the grants.gov electronic application process. To use
this process, the applicant must have a DUNS number and be registered
with grants.gov. To obtain a DUNS number or register with grants.gov,
go to http://www.grants.gov/GetStartedRoles?type=aor.
To apply for a grant using the grants.gov process, the applicant
must download, complete, and submit the grant application package. This
can be done on the Internet at http://www.grants.gov/Apply?campaignid=tabnavtracking081105.
The grants.gov application process will be available for use by the TIIS project on July 26, 2006.
Grant Evaluation Criteria
Upon receipt, the applications will be evaluated by FMCSA for
potential funding. Selection of a successful applicant will be made
based upon the evaluation criteria stated below.
Factor 1: Past Performance
FMCSA will conduct a performance risk assessment based upon the
applicant's past performance, as well as that of its proposed
subgrantees and subcontractors, as it relates to the probability of
successful accomplishment of the project. When assessing performance
risk, FMCSA will focus its inquiry on the past performance of the
applicant and its proposed subgrantees and subcontractors as to cost,
schedule, and performance--including the applicant's adherence to
project schedules and administrative aspects of performance as well as
its history for reasonable and cooperative commitment to Federally-
assisted programs.
The assessment of performance risk is not intended to be the
product of a mechanical or mathematical analysis of an applicant's
performance on a list of grants but rather the product of subjective
judgment of the evaluation team after it considers all available
information. FMCSA's definitions of performance risk are:
High Performance Risk: Based on the applicant's
performance record, or lack of related experience on which past
performance may be measured, significant doubt exists that the
applicant can successfully complete the project within the estimated
cost and schedule.
Moderate Performance Risk: Based on the applicant's
performance record, some doubt exists that the applicant can
successfully complete the project within the estimated cost and
schedule.
Low Performance Risk: Based on the applicant's performance
record, little doubt exists that the applicant can successfully
complete the project within the estimated cost and schedule.
Neutral Rating: There is no evidence that past performance
information exists for the applicant.
Factor 2: Technical and Management Approach
FMCSA will evaluate the applicant's:
Proposed technical and management approach to ensure that
it clearly demonstrates a thorough understanding of the project, Information to determine the technical capability of its
proposed resources to meet the requirements outlined in the project
objectives,
Proposed personnel matrix to determine if sufficient
resources exist that demonstrate that the applicant possesses the
capability to manage and the staff to carry out the project,
Unpriced personnel matrix to ensure it includes the right
mix of labor category/skill level, and
Proposed quality control measures to determine if
established procedures will adequately recognize problems and employ
appropriate corrective actions.
Factor 3: Budget
Budget information will be analyzed for reasonableness and
completeness to include the 24-month period of the project. This
evaluation may include a comparison of the applicant's proposed prices
to those of other applicants and to prices paid under similar grants.
The applicant who has been approved for funding will enter into a
grant agreement with FMCSA. The grant agreement must be in accordance
with OMB Circulars A-21, A-110, A-122, and A-133.
Issued on: July 18, 2006.
David H. Hugel,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-11875 Filed 7-25-06; 8:45 am]
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