Research in transportation, safety, and logistics related programs with respect to: modeling, safety, security, technology, policy and conservation.

1.0 Description The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), Research and Innovative Technology Administration, John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), Cambridge, MA, issues this Sources Sought to assist the Government in its acquisition strategy. This synopsis does not constitute a Request for Proposal. The Volpe Center is seeking potential offerors that are capable of supporting research in transportation, safety, and logistics related programs with respect to: modeling, safety, security, technology, policy and conservation. 2.0 Background The Volpe Center seeks to conduct research in transportation in the aforementioned areas to verify new technologies, automation and decision support tools and advanced human-machine interfaces in transportation systems. The research is needed to address issues that could affect the integrity of vehicles, human-vehicle systems, network of manned/unmanned vehicles and workstations, and to develop preventions and mitigations. The research may include: • Testing of human subjects using simulators relating to transportation safety and planning; • Testing of human subjects relating to teamwork, team interaction and communication principles enhance transportations operations; • Testing of the resilience of air and ground transportation systems to cyber security threats to operations, command and control and communications systems. • Modeling pollutant migration and predicting cleanup actions. 3.0 Scope The U.S. DOT is seeking a capability statement from all interested parties who are capable of supporting one or more of the following areas: • Application of advanced computer techniques to air traffic control, air and surface traffic management systems; • Availability of test facilities to verify new technologies, automation and decision support tools and advanced human-machine interfaces in transportation systems including risks that could affect the integrity of vehicles, human-vehicle systems, network of manned/unmanned vehicles and workstations and development of preventions and mitigations; • Conducting of human subject experiments using Volpe Center simulators (aircraft, locomotive and motor vehicle) to develop, analyze, and improve transportation safety and planning including fixed base and mobile simulation platforms; • Application of teamwork, team interaction and communication principles to enhance transportations operations; • Using neuroscience and the analysis of cognition to understand and interpret transportation operator behavior; • Testing of air and ground transportation systems for their resilience to cyber security threats to operations, command and control and communications systems; • Development and application of state-of-the-art communications and surveillance technologies for improving transportation situational awareness; • Analyzing of contaminant fate and transport mechanisms to understand the behavior of pollutants in the environment, identify potential sources of contamination, and evaluate remedial action alternatives; • Application of advanced materials science and technology analysis to optimize the service life and sustainability of transportation infrastructure; • Application of subject matter expertise to evaluate the design, cost, technical feasibility, and performance of environmental remediation technologies and systems, including the development and testing of emerging, innovative, and green remediation technologies; and • Application of environmental law, policy, and economic research and analysis to address major transportation challenges and application of state-of-the-art practice for energy generation and storage, fuel efficiency, renewable energy, and other sustainability considerations The U.S. DOT is seeking a capability statement from all interested parties who can perform in one or more of the following task areas: • Simulation of operations of a specific airport and multiple airports and provide an assessment of operational changes on the airport's operations, capacity and delays; • Performing studies and tests in support of various spectrum/frequency issues critical to air traffic control operations; • Conducting research in the simulation and investigation of pilot and operator performance using advanced concepts; • Measurement, modeling, reduce, analyze and develop codes and algorithms for multiple acoustic environments, specifically including noise for airports, fixed-wing aircraft and rotor-craft noise; • Measuring the efficacy of warning and alerting techniques from conventional as well as unconventional modalities; • Modeling aircraft operations and performance, manned and unmanned; • Modeling and test transportation system resilience and security; • Performing quantitative research on human factors in advanced systems and railroad operations; • Conducting research on driver performance on both instrumented vehicles for on-road testing and simulators using actual stationary vehicles; • Conducting neuroscience and cognition research to assess the performance of transportation operators and the utility of strategies to enhance performance; • Introducing high-performance materials and systems for the improving the sustainability of transportation facilities. • Modeling and prediction of the service life of transportation facilities based on performance, usage, and environmental factors; • Development and testing of innovative environmental remediation technologies; • Design and conduct environmental forensic investigations at contaminated sites; • Application of environmental law, policy, and economic analysis to develop and assess the impacts of environmental policy alternatives; • Research, develop, and evaluate sustainability initiatives • Application of sophisticated visual problem solving and rapid prototyping skills to the problems of imaging visual complexity; • Measuring teamwork behavior including the volume and patterns of communication in transportation and logistics; • Assessing and employing advanced techniques in information technology to improve safety, security and efficiency; and • Knowledge of fate and transport elements of cleanup methodologies of pollutant migration and predicting the cleanup actions on ground water. 4.0 Submission Instructions All capability information submitted by respondents shall include: Summary that outlines personnel and teaming partners, if any, having technical capabilities, knowledge, and expertise to perform the above tasks; Contract number; Customer (Government agency or private industry); Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) name, telephone and fax numbers; contract value and type of contract; period of performance; and description of product/services. Sources should indicate whether they are a non-profit, large business, small business, or other small business type. Information provided should be sufficiently detailed in the area(s) above so the Government can assess the ability of the company to provide the described services. All of the information sought should be conveyed in no more than five (5) pages. Page size is set at 8½ x 11 inches; text font must be no smaller than 12 point; and text should be doubled spaced. Each page of the response must reference the Sources Sought title and number in the header. Tables and/or charts shall be counted toward the five (5) page limit. The text font within the tables and/or charts must be no smaller than 12 point. Interested parties must respond to this announcement in writing within 15 calendar days of publication (no later than May 30, 2012,12:00 PM, Eastern Time). Telephone requests will not be honored. All responses must be submitted via e-mail to the Contract Specialist, Darren Shaffer [email protected]. Electronic attachments to the e-mail should be submitted in Microsoft Office 2007 (or later) productivity application formats, any format that can be imported by Microsoft Office or as a pdf file. 5.0 Information Availability THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. This notice is for information and planning purposes only, and is a market research tool to determine the availability and adequacy of potential business sources prior to determining the method of acquisition and possible issuance of a Request for Proposal, including the use of any non-profit organization or small business program. The notice does not constitute a solicitation for bids, quotations, and proposals, and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The information provided herein is subject to change and in no way binds the Government to solicit for or award a competitive contract. The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for any information received from potential sources as a result of response to this Sources Sought notice. The Government will not pay for any materials provided in response to this synopsis and submittals will not be returned to the sender. Submissions must be disclosable to the public or the submitter should provide a summary statement that can be disclosed to the public with fuller supporting information that is clearly marked as restricted. The Government will use customary means to safeguard proprietary information, but only when such information is (1) clearly marked as proprietary; (2) is, in fact, information that could not have been obtained from another party or source; and (3) is otherwise deserving of such treatment under standards and processes described in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Executive Order 12600.