Notice2024-17213
Proposed Establishment of a Federally Funded Research and Development Center-Second Notice
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 5, 2024
Issuing agencies
State Department
Abstract
The United States Department of State (DoS), Bureau of Administration, intends to sponsor a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) to facilitate public-private collaboration for numerous activities related to diplomacy and modernization. This is the second of three notices which must be published over a 90-day period in order to advise the public of the agency's intention to sponsor an FFRDC.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 150 (Monday, August 5, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 150 (Monday, August 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63456-63458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17213]
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DEPARTMENT of STATE
[Public Notice: 12480]
Proposed Establishment of a Federally Funded Research and
Development Center--Second Notice
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The United States Department of State (DoS), Bureau of
[[Page 63457]]
Administration, intends to sponsor a Federally Funded Research and
Development Center (FFRDC) to facilitate public-private collaboration
for numerous activities related to diplomacy and modernization. This is
the second of three notices which must be published over a 90-day
period in order to advise the public of the agency's intention to
sponsor an FFRDC.
DATES: Written comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on
August 15, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please send any comments, identified by title of the action
and Regulatory Information Number (RIN) by any of the following
methods:
[ssquf] Through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and search for nonrulemaking docket [DOS-2024-
0021].
[ssquf] By email: Submit electronic comments to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e6a0a0b4a2a5a69592879283c8818990"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bafcfce8fef9fac9cedbcedf94ddd5cc">[email protected]</span></a>.
[ssquf] The summary of this rule can be found at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov/document/DOS-2024-0021">www.regulations.gov/document/DOS-2024-0021</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of State leads US engagement
around the world building alliances and partnerships; facing up to
aggression; aiding and supporting emerging democracies; and preserving
U.S. interests abroad. In a rapidly changing world with shifting
politics, accelerated economic developments, global challenges such as
climate change, and the increasing role digitization plays for both
opportunity and threats, the Department is committed to leading through
both policy and operational engagement on behalf of the nation and our
government.
In a letter introducing the Department of State and U.S. Agency for
International Development Joint Strategic Plan for 2022-2026, Secretary
Blinken stated, ``we are working to modernize and equip the Department
and USAID to lead on 21st-Century challenges and deliver for the
American people.''
Achieving U.S. goals for global leadership over the next decade
will require the following:
<bullet> A diplomatic corps to use data in new ways to develop more
foresight and insight, to inform policy options, to take actions and
measure their effectiveness;
<bullet> New cross-sector partnerships and coalitions;
<bullet> Intergovernmental partnerships with the Department of
Defense, the intelligence agencies, the Departments of Commerce,
Treasury, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services, and cross-
government Councils (e.g., National Economic Council, National Security
Council);
<bullet> New capabilities to plan, manage and execute initiatives
and programs;
<bullet> A workforce that uses digital technology as tools to
advance democracy and protect our interests and counter the use of
these same technologies as a threat; and
<bullet> An organization and operation that is agile and adaptive
to a changing environment; attractive to new talent; and fosters long-
term commitment between the organization and its people.
The Department requires long-term partnerships with organizations
that can bring research, development, innovation, and support needed to
guide the leadership and employees through this transformative period
in our history. This will allow the Department to focus on the mission
at hand, while adopting and integrating changes necessary to make
consistent progress on these goals and surge, when needed, to address
urgent issues that require data, partnerships, technology and insights
applied in near-term operational situations.
To meet this need, the Department seeks to establish and sponsor
one (1) FFRDC under the authority of 48 CFR 35.017.
FFRDC Center
The FFRDC will be available to provide a wide range of support
including, but not limited to the activities under three focus areas
delineated below. The Department anticipates that the focus areas below
will be managed as a single-award FFRDC. This strategy and focus area
list have been updated since the first Federal Register notice
published on May 17, 2024:
<bullet> Diplomatic Innovation and Modernization (DIM)
The purpose of the DIM focus area is to strengthen global
engagement and humanitarian outcomes by pioneering research and
development initiatives that address emerging threats and foster
international cooperation.
<bullet> Global CyberTech Solutions (GCS)
The purpose of the GCS focus area is to enhance global stability
through cutting edge research and development in IT, cyber defense,
systems engineering, and data analytics.
<bullet> Global Operations and Acquisitions (GOA)
The purpose of the GOA focus area is to advance diplomatic
effectiveness through collaborative and cutting-edge acquisition
methodologies and tools, and data assessments of broad scale Department
needs, international cooperation, and innovative operational practices.
The FFRDC will partner with the Department of State in the design
and pursuit of mission goals; provide rapid responsiveness to changing
requirements for personnel in all aspects of strategic, technical and
program management; recognize Government objectives as its own
objectives, partner in pursuit of excellence in public service; and
allow for use of the FFRDC by non-sponsors.
The Department is publishing this notice in accordance with 48 CFR
5.205(b) of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) to enable
interested members of the public to provide comments on this proposed
action. This is the second of three notices issued under the authority
of 48 CFR 5.205(b).
Information Requested
In particular, we are interested in feedback regarding the proposed
focus areas to be performed under the FFRDC, and the presence of any
existing private- or public-sector capabilities in these areas that the
Department should be considering.
The Department anticipates releasing the final RFP in calendar year
2024.
Public Comments
Since the first notice, the Department has received the following
comments/questions and is hereby providing the following responses:
The Department received ten comments on the first notice.
Six of these expressed interest in submitting responses,
capabilities, or eventually proposals for the FFRDC. The Department
appreciates the interest and looks forward to receiving further
comments/questions and submissions in response to the eventual RFP.
While the Department is not taking meetings at this time, all
interested parties should continue to monitor for the third Federal
Register notice to receive more information about the upcoming
acquisition actions and industry engagement activities.
One comment questioned whether this initiative would expand the
State Department and its budget. At this time, the FFRDC is intended to
provide long-term research and development in areas that the State
Department is already exploring in other capacities and projects are
intended to be funded through the Department's existing appropriated or
other types of funds. The Department plans to initially provide
oversight for the FFRDC by leveraging the existing Procurement Shared
Services Working Capital Fund.
Another comment identified climate and sustainability research as a
potential focus area, which the
[[Page 63458]]
Department already plans to include under the ``Emerging Threats''
topic in the DIM focus area. This commenter also identified
cybersecurity tracking and decryption techniques as well as
telecommunications as areas for inclusion in the GCS focus area;
however, this comment focused on stricter penalties and increased law
enforcement and regulations, which is outside the scope of the
Department's research and development requirements.
One comment suggested moving the ``Systems Engineering, System
Architecture and Integration'' work elements from the ``Information
Technology and Cyber Operations FFRDC'' to the ``Emerging Threats,
Concept Exploration, Experimentation and Evaluation'' FFRDC. However,
as a result of internal comments and requirements definitions, the
focus areas have all been merged into one FFRDC, which makes this
comment moot.
The final comment stated that the focus on technology duplicates
existing bureaus' portfolios and requested a focus area on
organizational development challenges; however, this focus area would
fall under the GOA focus area and does not negate the need for long-
term IT research and development activities that foster data and
collaboration across the agency.
Michael W. Derrios,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, & Senior Procurement
Executive, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2024-17213 Filed 8-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-24-P
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