Notice2025-17361
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: “VoiceBrain”
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
September 10, 2025
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentCoast Guard
Abstract
The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with VoiceBrain to determine the efficacy of artificial intelligence multicast overlays into operational communication platforms currently in use by the Coast Guard. While the Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with VoiceBrain, we are soliciting public comment on the possible nature of and participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA. In addition, the Coast Guard also invites other potential Federal participants, who have the interest and capability to bring similar contributions to this type of research, to consider submitting proposals for consideration in similar CRADAs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 173 (Wednesday, September 10, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 10, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43619-43621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-17361]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG-2025-0292]
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: ``VoiceBrain''
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with VoiceBrain
to determine the efficacy of artificial intelligence multicast overlays
into operational communication platforms currently in use by the Coast
Guard. While the Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with
VoiceBrain, we are soliciting public comment on the possible nature of
and participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA. In addition,
the Coast Guard also invites other potential Federal participants, who
have the interest and capability to bring similar contributions to this
type of research, to consider submitting proposals for consideration in
similar CRADAs.
DATES: Your comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on
or before October 10, 2025.
[[Page 43620]]
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2025-0292 using the Federal portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. See
the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further instructions on
submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this
notice of intent, call or email Lieutenant Alex Benhart, U.S. Coast
Guard Research and Development Center; telephone 860-271-2600, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#04564047296d6a626b44717767632a696d68"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0a584e492763646c654a7f79696d24676366">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Table of Abbreviations
DHS Department of Homeland Security
U.S.C. United States Code
II. Background and Purpose
The Coast Guard currently leverages a variety of communication
capturing methodologies in operational communication platforms to
provide accurate maritime response capabilities. The incorporation of
VoiceBrain within the maritime response communication ecosystem is
expected to identify and automate notifications for the safety of the
local mariners and assets.
Additionally, VoiceBrain's integration into existing and future
multicast communication systems provides an opportunity to streamline
and enhance the process of maritime response by eliminating human error
and fatigue.
III. Public Participation and Request for Comments
We request public comments on this notice. Although we do not plan
to respond to comments in the Federal Register, we will respond
directly to commenters and may modify our proposal in light of
comments.
We encourage you to submit comments in response to this notice of
inquiry through the Federal Docket Management System at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. To do so, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, type
USCG-2025-0292 in the search box and click ``Search.'' Next, look for
this document in the Search Results column, and click on it. Then click
on the Comment option. In your submission, please include the docket
number for this notice of inquiry and provide a reason for each
suggestion or recommendation. If your material cannot be submitted
using <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, contact the person in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate
instructions. To view documents mentioned in this notice of inquiry as
being available in the docket, find the docket as described in the
previous paragraph, and then select ``Supporting & Related Material''
in the Document Type column. Public comments will also be placed in our
online docket and can be viewed by following instructions on the
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> Frequently Asked Questions web page.
We accept anonymous comments. Comments we post to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> will include any personal information you have
provided. For more about privacy and submissions in response to this
document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records notice (85 FR 14226,
March 11, 2020).
IV. Discussion
CRADAs are authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3710a.\1\ A CRADA promotes
the transfer of technology to the private sector for commercial use, as
well as specified research or development efforts that are consistent
with the mission of the Federal parties to the CRADA. The Federal party
or parties agree with one or more non-Federal parties to share research
resources, but the Federal party does not contribute funding.
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\1\ The statute confers this authority on the head of each
Federal agency. The Secretary of DHS's authority is delegated to the
Coast Guard and other DHS organizational elements by DHS Delegation
No. 0160.1, para. II.B.34.
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CRADAs are not procurement contracts. Care is taken to ensure that
CRADAs are not used to circumvent the contracting process. CRADAs have
a specific purpose and should not be confused with procurement
contracts, grants, and other types of agreements.
Under the proposed CRADA, the R&D Center will collaborate with one
non-Federal participant. Together, the R&D Center and the non-Federal
participant will conduct testing, development, and evaluation of
artificial intelligence data analytics within multicast operational
communication platforms used by the Coast Guard.
We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the
proposed CRADA will include the following:
1. Provide appropriate staff with pertinent expertise to take the
lead in accomplishing the required tasks;
2. Provide all support resources, including travel, for Coast Guard
staff that support this CRADA;
3. Obtain, transport and provide all ensemble items to be used
during the evaluation;
4. Provide personnel support to non-Federal participants to assist
with setting up and executing testing in accordance with the agreed
upon test plan;
5. Work with non-Federal participant to develop a Final Report,
which will document the methodologies, findings, conclusions, and
recommendations of this CRADA work.
We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
1. Provide appropriate staff with pertinent expertise to support
the above-mentioned tasks;
2. Provide all necessary resources to incorporate VoiceBrain into
the Coast Guard infrastructure;
3. Provide technical approach for the system evaluation;
4. Work with the Federal participant to develop a Final Report,
which will document the methodologies, findings, conclusions, and
recommendations of this CRADA work.
The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants
all, some, or no proposals submitted for this CRADA. The Coast Guard
will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal development
costs. Proposals and any other material submitted in response to this
notice will not be returned. Proposals submitted are expected to be
unclassified and consist of no more than five single-sided pages
(excluding cover page, DD 1494, JF-12). The Coast Guard will select
proposals at its sole discretion on the basis of:
1. How well they communicate an understanding, of and ability to
meet, the proposed CRADA's goal; and
2. How well they address the following criteria:
a. Technical capability to support the non-Federal party
contributions described, and
b. Resources available for supporting the non-Federal party
contributions described.
Currently, the Coast Guard is considering VoiceBrain for
participation in this CRADA. This consideration is based on the fact
that VoiceBrain has demonstrated its technical ability and availability
of appropriate expertise to seamlessly integrate and test artificial
intelligence platforms within existing audible communication channels.
However, we do not wish to exclude other viable participants from this
or future similar CRADAs.
This is a technology assessment effort. The goal of the Coast Guard
for this CRADA is to determine the efficacy of artificial intelligence
multicast overlays into operational communication platforms currently
in use by the Coast Guard. Special consideration will be given to small
business firms and
[[Page 43621]]
consortia, and preference will be given to business units located in
the United States. This notice is issued under the authority of 5
U.S.C. 552(a).
Dated: September 5, 2025.
M.P. Chien,
Captain, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development
Center.
[FR Doc. 2025-17361 Filed 9-9-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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