Amendment0005_QuestionsandAnswers.pdf

Amendment Number 05

Amendment Number 0005 Special Notice Announcement 11-SN-0004

“Data To Decisions”

The purpose of Amendment 05 is to answer technical and cost questions received in response to Industry Days held in San Francisco, CA on 28 February 2011 and Boston, MA on 03 March 2011.

Q#1 How does the government propose that the members of the consortium profit from their development efforts?

A# 1 Funded members of the consortium will profit through direct and indirect costs.

Q#2 If there are no restrictions on consortium members publishing or using foreign persons, then will there be a method to use International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restricted software?

Q#2 Are foreign persons qualified to propose?

A#2 If the methods and capabilities that are produced rise to the level where ITAR restrictions should be imposed, ITAR restrictions will be imposed in accordance with existing rules and regulations.

A#2 Non US citizens may submit proposals, but may not participate in any portions subjected to EAR and/or ITAR regulations.

Q#3 Just to clarify, can results from this project be published? What approval process will be followed for publishing outcomes of this project?

A#3 This program is not basic research (6.1); however there are components that are fundamental research (6.2). Specific applications of the algorithms and approaches applied to unrestricted data sets must obtain publication release approvals before publishing any material. Restricted data sets are subject to classification restrictions and thus cannot be published in the open literature.

Q#4 Who are the end-users for this program (describe as much as possible)? What problems are they solving? What tools are they using today? What capabilities are they most desiring?

Q#4 The end-users will vary, depending on the challenge problem being addressed.

The purpose of the program is to develop an experimental system for rapid development and repurposing of decision support systems. There is no one end- user, no one problem specific to the program and no desire capabilities. There are no set of tools defined at this time.

Q#5 How will D2D leverage existing standards for metadata, e.g. NATO, and evolving metadata standards (MISB)?

A#5 The consortium will decide how to leverage and work within existing standards.

Q#6 How would the user get input into the process?

Q#6 The (red) Challenge Team will be responsible for getting the user input on each challenge problem.

Q#7 Are there any tools provided to extract information from the dataset?

A#7 The consortium will decide which tools are needed, and which ones to use and which to build.

Q#8 What will restrict a member of the consortium from releasing software and/or algorithms to others outside the consortium?

A#8 DFAR Clause 252.204-7000 entitled. “Disclosure of Information” will be incorporated into each award document.

Q#9 Both the Special Notice and the BAA require the use of the ONR Technical and Cost Proposal Template. In reviewing this Template (pages 9 through 12) it appears that the Technical Proposal is to be input into the Template; however, both the Special Notice and the BAA also indicates that full proposals (including one technical volume and one cost volume) should be submitted. Should we:

a. Insert our Technical Proposal directly into the template or should we attach a separate Technical Volume and just reference the applicable pages in the template (i.e., for III 1.

Technical Approach and Justification: 6 – 15 pages should we insert the entire 6 to 15 pages into the Template or should we state ‘see pages x to y of Technical Volume’)?

b. If we are to insert our technical proposal into the Template, should we embed the supporting figures in Section 1 so that they are included in the page count or should we include ALL exhibits and figures (non-text information) in Section III.8, Attachments, in which case they would not count toward the page limitations? The main issue is that we do not understand how ONR would like non-text information integrated in the template unless it is as attachments.

Refer to the ONR website:

http://www.onr.navy.mil/Contracts-Grants/submit-proposal/contracts-proposal/cost-proposal

A#9a. Yes, you should insert the technical proposal directly into the template according to the sub-sections outlined referenced under Section III, 1., entitled, Technical Approach and Justification.

There will be no separate Technical Volume submissions.

http://www.onr.navy.mil/Contracts-Grants/submit-proposal/contracts-proposal/cost-proposal�

A#9b. According to the Technical Template in Section III entitled “Technical Content” under paragraph 8, the list of attachments, addendums, figures, exhibits, (non-text information), resumes should be referenced in this section. However for submissions, the documents should be submitted separately to the Program Officer properly titled in a PDF document. The attachments, such as exhibits and figures are part of the page count listed in the technical proposal template. The page restrictions on attachments related to flow diagrams, and other figures cannot exceed the page limitations.