COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT (CRADA) In publishing the monthly U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Report, the Census Bureau publishes numerous data products at many levels of aggregation. Current publications reflect approximately 18,000 imported and 9,000 exported commodities, shipments through 45 customs areas, and trade from or to 246 foreign countries. One current publication summarizes U.S. exports of goods by state and by 2-digit Standard Industrial Classification-based product code. Census Bureau marketing studies and comments from data users have shown that there is interest in having state export statistics published in more useful commodity detail and electronic format. For example, most trade statistics are published using the Harmonized System (HS) of product classification (Schedule B, Statistical Classification of Domestic and Foreign Commodities Export from the United States) and there is interest in having state export statistics published on a comparable HS basis. In addition, there is interest in having access to the voluminous U.S. trade statistics through more user-friendly software that includes a graphical user interface, ways to manipulate the data more easily, and options to create and produce user-specified reports and files. The Census Bureau believes that private industry has substantial expertise in designing complex databases and related software, and that this expertise can be used to improve current trade data publications and benefit private industry, the Census Bureau, and U.S. export statistics data users. The Census Bureau would like to explore a cooperative effort with private companies for joint research to create a new electronic data publication that provides export data by state and HS-based commodity classification, is user-friendly, and can be produced using commercially available software. Software production and marketing will be contingent upon joint research into whether such state export data can be published without revealing confidential respondent information. The Census Bureau envisions that the parties to this research will cooperate to explore whether available database and software can produce a publication that will be useful, marketable, and fully confidential. The Census Bureau is interested in discussing work under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with private companies that are qualified in trade statistics publication, database design, and software development. Accordingly, the Census Bureau Cooperative Research Laboratory invites proposals from parties interested in entering into a CRADA to conduct this joint research work. Any CRADA for this purpose will be undertaken pursuant to the Federal Technology Transfer Act, Title 15, United States Code, Section 3710a, which allows Federal laboratories to enter into cooperative research agreements with qualified parties. Under this law, the Census Bureau may provide personnel, service, facilities, equipment or other resources with or without reimbursement, but may not provide funds. For further information, contact Haydn R. Mearkle, (301) 457-2246, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233-6700, e-mail: Haydn_R_Mearkle@ccMail.census.gov. Posted 12/14/98 (W-SN279885).

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