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A -- BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT: ISSUES IN RESEARCH & EVALUATION & THE DIFFUSION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS IN THE PUBLIC & NON-PROFIT SECTORS SOL BAA-SBNT-98-01 DUE 062299 POC Francine Jefferson, Ph.D., (202) 482-2048 WEB: NIST Contracts Homepage, http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm. E-MAIL: NIST Contracts Office, Contract@nist.gov. BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA), Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP) is soliciting proposals from non-commercial entities (i.e., public and non-profit organizations) for projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of the mission and strategic plan both of NTIA and TIIAP. NTIA is the Executive Branch agency principally responsible for domestic and international telecommunications and information policy issues. NTIA's mission is to promote the efficient and effective use of telecommunications and information resources in a manner that creates job opportunities, enhances U.S. competitiveness, and raises the standard of living. TIIAP supports this mission by promoting the widespread availability and use of the information infrastructure in both the public and nonprofit sectors. TIIAP provides matching grants to state and local governments and many other public and nonprofit institutions for innovative telecommunications and information technology projects. TIIAP-funded projects demonstrate how telecommunications and information technologies can be used to provide valuable services to communities and extend opportunities to underserved Americans. This CBD notice itself constitutes TIIAP's Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) as contemplated by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2). A formal Request For Proposal (RFP) or other solicitation regarding this announcement will not be issued. Requests for same will be disregarded. A BAA provides for the competitive selection of research proposals for scientific study or experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding. Readers should note that this is an announcement to declare NTIA's broad role in competitively funding meritorious research and evaluation projects that pertain to telecommunications and information technology applications. Research proposals shall build on the experiences of information infrastructure projects in the public and nonprofit sectors, including those supported by TIIAP. The goals of this BAA are to: 1) increase understanding of the use and effects of information infrastructure in public and nonprofit sectors; 2) establish a knowledge base of public and nonprofit sector applications of telecommunications and information technologies for nationwide information dissemination, technical assistance, and continued research and evaluation in support of the development of a national information infrastructure that will be accessible to all Americans; and 3) accelerate the diffusion of technology innovations in the public and nonprofit sectors. TIIAP is especially interested in research proposals that pertain to: 1) interoperability and scalability of telecommunications and information technology systems and networks; 2) community involvement in the development and implementation of technology-mediated projects; 3) reducing disparities and providing access to information infrastructure technologies; 4) telecommunications and information technology-induced organizational change (including emerging forms of partnerships and collaborations); 5) innovative techniques and methodologies for evaluating applications of telecommunications and information technology projects in the public and nonprofit sectors; and 6) assessments of future information infrastructure needs in the public and nonprofit sectors. This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to make any award or to pay for any response preparation costs. This announcement will be open for one (1) year from the date of publication. Due to appropriation limitations, ONLY PROPOSALS FROM NON-COMMERCIAL, NON-PROFIT ENTITIES SHALL BE CONSIDERED. Proposals may be submitted any time during this period and awards may be made at any time throughout the year. However, proposals submitted at the beginning or end of the Federal Government's fiscal year may be delayed pending congressional budget activities and funding decisions. Before preparing proposals, potential offerors are encouraged to contact the TIIAP Point of Contact (POC). In addition, short informal proposals or letters of interest are welcome. Information on TIIAP projects and copies of the NTIA strategic plan and other relevant documents are available on the Internet at: http://www.ntia.doc.gov. Proposals identified for funding may result in a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement, depending on the nature of the work proposed. Proposals relating to research and evaluation activities which may not directly accomplish a TIIAP mission but further information technology/telecommunications applications research may result in a grant or cooperative agreement award. For awards made as contracts, the socio-economic merits of each proposal will be evaluated based on the commitment to provide meaningful subcontracting opportunities for small businesses, small-disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses, historically black colleges and universities, and minority institutions. Award decisions will be based on a competitive selection of proposals resulting from a peer and/or scientific review. Evaluations will be conducted using evaluation criteria listed below and availability of funds. Although TIIAP has no strict prescription for proposal format and submission, some general guidelines are provided in the following paragraph. Where to submit: U.S. Department of Commerce, NTIA/Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications, Attn: Francine E. Jefferson, Ph.D., TIIAP, Room 4096, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230. An original and two (2) copies of the proposal must be submitted. The proposal must be signed by the principal investigator(s) and the offeror's authorized representative. This representative must be an official authorized to commit the offeror to the proposed project and to enter into negotiations with the Government. There is no specific length requirement for proposals; however, every effort should be made to keep them as brief as possible, concentrating on substantive material essential for a complete understanding of the project. Any necessary additional information should be included as attachments rather than in the main body of the proposal. A complete set of attachments is necessary for each copy of the proposal. PROPOSAL OUTLINE 1. Cover page -- Basic Information: a) Name and address of institution; b) Title of proposal; c) Statement that "This proposal is submitted pursuant to BAA-SBNT-98-01"; d) Funding requested from NTIA/TIIAP; e) Duration of effort. Projects shall be no more than 24 months; f) Names and telephone numbers of the technical and administrative personnel who may be contacted for evaluation or negotiation purposes; and g) Dates of submission and signature(s) of official(s) authorized to obligate the institution contractually. 2. Technical Information: a) Concise (approximately 200 words) abstract of the proposed effort; b) Discussion of how the proposed research or evaluation will respond to NTIA's mission and the goals of TIIAP; c) Statement of Work: Describe in detail the research/evaluation to be undertaken. State the objectives and technical approach and the relationship to state-of-knowledge in the field and to similar work in progress. Include appropriate literature citations. Discuss the nature of expected results. Outline the tasks to be performed and who will perform them, including approximate time and other information appropriate to each task; d) Personnel: Describe the qualifications of the principal investigator and other researchers involved in the project. Include resumes (or curriculum vitae) and bibliographies. For consortia or collaborations, one individual should be the designated principal investigator for purposes of technical responsibilities; e) Rationale for requested support of any facilities, equipment, or materials; and f) Description of general and special facilities and equipment available for performing the proposed work. 3. Budget/Cost Information: a) Proposed price or total estimated cost; and b) A cost estimate for the proposed effort that is sufficiently detailed for meaningful evaluation. Offerors shall provide supporting information on all items listed in the proposal budget. The budget must include the total cost of the project, as well as a breakdown of the amount(s) by source(s) of funding, e.g., non-federal funds to be provided as cost sharing. 4. Supporting Information: a) List of other research projects currently being undertaken by the principal investigator; b) Extent of institution participation and support for the program; c) Names of other agencies receiving the proposal and/or currently supporting the effort; d) Indication of how the proposed effort might be coordinated with other federal and nonprofit research initiatives of telecommunications and information technology applications; and e) Joint Proposals: Some projects involve joint efforts among individuals in different organizations. Where multiple organizations are involved, the proposal may be submitted by only one of them. In this event, it should clearly describe the role to be played by the other organizations and indicate the legal and managerial arrangements contemplated. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS: Award decisions will be based on a selection of proposals resulting from a scientific/technical review. Reviewers will evaluate each proposal using the following criteria, listed in descending order of importance: 1) Overall scientific and technical merits of the proposal; 2) Potential contributions of the effort to NTIA's mission and the goals of TIIAP. Specifically, the potential impact of the research to enhance TIIAP's capacity to: (a) increase understanding of the use and effects of a national information infrastructure in public and nonprofit sectors; (b) establish a knowledge base of the social applications of telecommunications and information technologies for nationwide information dissemination, technical assistance, and continued research and evaluation in supportof the development of an NII that will be accessible to all Americans; and (c) accelerate the diffusion of technology innovations in the public and nonprofit sectors; 3) Potential impact of proposal on the development of innovative research techniques and methodologies for (a) evaluating and analyzing public and nonprofit sector applications of telecommunications and information technology projects, and (b) assessing future information infrastructure needs in the public and nonprofit sectors; 4) The offeror's capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques, or unique combinations of these which are integral factors for achieving the proposed objectives; 5) The qualifications, capabilities, and experiences of the proposed principal investigator, team leader, or key personnel critical to achieving the proposed objectives; 6) Realism of the proposed cost; and 7) Potential impact of interactions with other organizations engaged in related research, particularly industrial organizations, other federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations that perform research concerning development of, and access to, the national information infrastructure. SELECTION CRITERIA: The primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be technical, importance to agency programs, and funding availability. (0174)

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