U.S. Geological Survey Grant for the Development of an Operational Rapid Situational Awareness System

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the U.S. Geological Survey’s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition.

ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement G16AS00003
Project Title Development of an operational Rapid Situational Awareness (RSA) system employing low cast sensors.
Recipient Universidad de Chile (UdC)
Principal Investigator / Program Manager Dr. Sergio Barrientos

Dr. Ben Brooks
Anticipated Federal Amount $50,000.00
Cost Share No
Total Anticipated Award Amount $50,000.00
New Award or Continuation? New
Anticipated Period of Performance 08/01/2016 07/31/2019
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
CFDA # and Title 15.808 Research & Data Collection
USGS Point of Contact Stewart Evans sevans@usgs.gov

OVERVIEW

This project is to facilitate the creation of a Rapid Situational Awareness (RSA) system in the Chile Trench a highly active seismogenic and tsunamigenic region.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

UdC and USGS personnel will collaborate on the development, deployment, and training of an operational RSA system employing low cost sensors. UdC will assist USGS personnel in acquiring access to the specific locations where the system is scheduled to be deployed. They will assist in all planning aspects of the project and training to allow the work to continue after the USGS presence is no longer needed.

USGS INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part USGS is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. In particular, USGS will be responsible for the following:

1. Collaborate with the Chilean Centro Sismologico Nacional (CSN) representative Dr. Sergio Barrientos.

2. Joint participation with CSN in field work during field projects to build and test systems and acquire new data.

3. Mutual training of personnel

4. Conduct regular meetings to discuss status and formulate plans.

5. Review and approve early stages of work before the later stages begin.

SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award. The justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable.

In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

(1) Unsolicited Proposal – The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives;

(2) Continuation – The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity;

(3) Legislative intent – The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress’ intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose;

(4) Unique Qualifications – The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications;

(5) Emergencies – Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed.

(6) Cooperative Agreements – USGS Unique Authority cited at 43 U.S.C. 36d (Federal, State, and academic partners) or DOI Authority cited at 43 U.S.C. 1457b (not-for-profit organizations).

USGS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria:

Single Source Justification Description:

Condition 4: Unique Qualifications.

UdC is uniquely qualified because the UdC through its operation of the Centro Sismologico Nacional operates and maintains the national seismological network in Chile. They are the only organization publicly responsible for developing Earthquake Early Warning in Chile. The UdC will contribute seismological data from their network as part of this project. Further, they will allow use of their computational clusters for data processing. This is a substantial and unique in terms of property ownership and cost-share. The UdC group will participate critically in field operations, including site choice, permissions, and maintenance. Additionally UdC personnel will participate in data analysis and algorithm design.

Condition 6: TITLE 43 – PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 2 – UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
§ 36d. Cooperative agreements
Notwithstanding the provisions of the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 (31U.S.C. 6301–6308), the United States Geological Survey is authorized to continue existing, and on and after November 10, 2003, to enter into new cooperative agreements directed towards a particular cooperator, in support of joint research and data collection activities with Federal, State, and academic partners funded by appropriations herein, including those that provide for space in cooperator facilities.
(Pub. L. 108–108, title I, Nov. 10, 2003, 117 Stat. 1254.)

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

43 USC 36d