NGWOS Next Generation DCP RFI.pdf

USGS - Next Generation Data Collection Platform

October 29, 2021

USGS Water Mission Area, Water Observing Systems Program

USGS Office of Policy and Analysis

Request for Information

Notice ID: 130034429 https://sam.gov/opp/43b96287e4f24c9f9d431d8e47628f42/view

• RFI issued on 9/20/2021 on “NextGen Data Collection Platform for the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Mission Area”

• Goal: identify maturing technologies and emerging products that provide new and innovative ways to collect, analyze, and deliver water resources information

• Request: briefly describe existing products and/or products under development and the technology readiness / product maturity level by 11/30/2021 to gs-w_ngwos_rfi@usgs.gov.

mailto:gs-w_ngwos_rfi@usgs.gov

Topics / Speakers

1. Next Generation Water Observing Systems (NGWOS) Updates

Brian Pellerin (bpeller@usgs.gov)

NGWOS Program Coordinator, USGS Water Mission Area

2. NGWOS R&D and RFI Overview

Russ Lotspeich (rlotspei@usgs.gov)

NGWOS R&D Sub-Program Manager, USGS Water Mission Area

3. Partnership Opportunities with USGS

Esther Eng (eeng@usgs.gov)

Technology Transfer Officer, USGS Office of Policy and Analysis

National Academy of Science - Future Water Priorities for the Nation

Over the next 25 years, new opportunities will emerge that will allow for observations that…..

• come from an array of sources,

• are more affordable,

• offer data from previously inaccessible locations,

• provide “fit-for-purpose” temporal and spatial resolution, and

• deliver continuous measurements of new parameters.

USGS Integrated Water Science

Next Generation Water Observations

Two efforts contributing significantly to next generation water observing capabilities in USGS:

2) HIF 2.0: Opening of new USGS Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2024

1) Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) Program: high-resolution, real-time data on water quantity, quality, and use in key basins to support National water-availability prediction

Next Generation Water Observing

System (NGWOS)

Research and Development Sub-Program

Mission:

Support the NGWOS Program through the coordination, oversight, and technical support of R&D activities that support observing systems

Approach:

• Identify and evaluate existing technologies and products for consideration of national operational implementation

• Collaborate with Industry to develop new technologies and products to fill gaps

• Coordinate NGWOS and WMA efforts to expand monitoring capabilities

NGWOS R&D Sub-Program Manager: Russ Lotspeich, rlotspei@usgs.gov

What is a Data Collection Platform?

Water Level-stream

Water Quality

Stream Velocity

Imagery

Water Level -well

Data Collection Platform

(DCP)

Precipitation

Soil Moisture

GOES CS2 Upgrade Requirement

Deadline: May 31, 2026

• USGS Water Mission Area currently operates 13,000 GOES modems

• ~50% (6,900) modems are CS1 and will be obsolete after 5/31/26

• ~$17M replacement cost with current equipment options

• Offices actively purchasing replacements now, still expecting

>6,000 replacements will still be needed at end of FY22

• 96% replaced by deadline at current replacement rate

NextGen DCP Desired System Features https://bit.ly/3nNlMJW

• Power and Communications

• Reduced operational power draw

• Integrated voltage regulator

• Power brokering

• Remote system upgrades

• System component inventory

• Camera Integration

• Vertical System Architecture

• Integrated data flow versus expandability from retrofits and add-ons

• Telemetry Options

• Redundant methods including, but not limited to:

• GOES

• Iridium

• Cellular

• MQTT

• LoRa

• Integrated IoT Gateway

• Standardized data transmission format

• Capability to route data to user-defined database

• Data Processing

• Open-source programming

• Interactive programming GUI (mobile-friendly)

• Programming archive

• High-frequency data processing (10 Hz)

• Others

• Operating temperature range (-40 to +60 °C)

• IP65, or better, enclosure

• Improved form factor

• Competitively priced

Instrument Evaluation & Testing

• Selected systems will undergo laboratory evaluation testing at the Hydrologic

Instrumentation Facility.

• Testing will verify that systems meet manufacturer specifications & USGS needs.

• Systems will be tested over their operating temperature and measurement ranges to verify function and accuracy.

HIF Instrument Evaluation and Testing: Gerald Kunkle, gkunkle@usgs.gov

Instrument Evaluation & Testing

• Selected instruments will undergo field tests at select NGWOS monitoring stations.

• Test sites will provide a variety of site conditions to evaluate system reliability.

• Tests will be coordinated by the NGWOS

R&D Sub-Program

Timeline

2025202420232022

RFI Released

CS2 Deadline

RFI Closes

Deep Dives

HIF Testing

NGWOS Evaluation

Summary of

Testing and

Evaluations

System

Modifications

Technology

Transfer

Agreement

Final

Testing

Procurements

Training

Implementation

We seek:

• Maturing technologies and/or emerging products that provide additional capabilities and features compared to existing products

• Opportunity to maximize capital investments to replace GOES CS1 modems

Next steps:

1. Compile submissions and evaluate with a small team of USGS experts

2. Schedule “deep dive” discussions with selected vendors

3. Establish tech transfer agreements and conduct system evaluations

4. Develop and implement NextGen DCP into USGS operations

Federal Technology Transfer Act 15 USC 3710a

• Cooperate with Partners

• Federal agencies

• Private entities (for-profit and non-profit)

• E.g., Vendors

• State, local, and tribal governments

• Includes state universities

• International entities

• USGS cannot provide funds to non-federal entities

Tech Transfer Continuum

IDEA

Mechanisms used:

- NDA

- Data Use License

ACTIVITIES

Mechanisms used:

- CRADA

- TAA

OUTCOMES

Mechanisms used:

- IPP

- PLA

- Peer-reviewed publications

- Databases, registries

Agreement Mechanism Acronyms

NDA: Non-DisclosureAgreement

CRADA: Cooperative Research and Development Agreement

TAA: Technical AssistanceAgreement

PLA: Patent License Agreement

IPP: Intellectual Property Plan

Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

• Confidentiality agreement, confidential disclosure agreement

• Legal contract to discuss confidential knowledge or information

• Restricts access to or by third parties

• Collaboration or exchange of materials (e.g., equipment, data, samples, etc.) cannot occur

• Execute prior to “deep drive discussions

• Precursor to future partnerships and agreements

Data Use License

• When receiving another party’s data or dataset that includes trade secrets, proprietary, or confidential information for use

• Authority protects the collaborator’s confidential, proprietary, trade secret information forever

• Confidential information from study will remain confidential for up to 5 years after development

• Applicability:

• Typically when information is shared with no ongoing R&D

• Receiving site specific species habitat information

• Information warrants protection

CRADA

• Exchange technology and expertise

• Collaboration anticipates patentable results

• Data produced protected up to 5 years

• Contains extensive intellectual property provisions

• Partners can negotiate patent and intellectual property rights

• Protects the partner's trade secrets and proprietary data

• Mutual benefit

• USGS cannot transfer funds to non-Federal parties

TAA

• Similar to a CRADA

• Allows exchange of more focused technical or research

• Does not anticipate intellectual property

• Does not contain extensive intellectual property provisions

• Mutually beneficial

• Must have a mission value to the USGS

Intellectual Property Plan (IPP)

• Specifies which organization is the lead on

• Patent prosecution

• Including entity who pays cost

• While USGS can not provide direct funding, it can help cover expenses that support commercialization of R&D

• Marketing

• Licensing

• Commercialization

• Distribution of royalties

Patent License Agreement (PLA)

• Business agreement between the owner of a patent or intellectual property and another party

• Interest in using the owned property or protected invention

• USGS can grant licenses to a party to

• Practice

• Make, and (or)

• Sell a patented invention

PLA (cont.)

• Licenses may be granted in specific field-of-use

• Requires the party to develop and execute a plan for commercializing the invention

• Agree that any products developed will be manufactured substantially in the US

• Patents owned by the USGS are offered for licensing through OPA

Commercialization Flow Diagram

PLA

deters competitors due to

Federal Partners

Partner markets technology and strengthens opportunities with proven technology and USGS brand

Generates Increased

Sales

Annual Royalty

Distribution

Completing Agreement Packages

1. Interactions between USGS and partners

• Interest on both sides

• Draft Scope of Work (roles, responsibilities, milestones)

• Share template agreements

2. USGS Ethics review

• For USGS employees

• Ensures no conflict of interest

3. Inform OPA of potential action

4. USGS will consult U.S. Trade Representative for foreign partnerships

5. Negotiations with partner and OPA

6. Approvals and execution

Questions

Contact Information

• gs-w_ngwos_rfi@usgs.gov

• gs_usgs_patents@usgs.gov

• Chad Wagner, cwagner@usgs.gov, 919-571-4021

• Esther Eng, eeng@usgs.gov, 703-648-7550

• Brian Pellerin, bpeller@usgs.gov, 703-648-6865

• Russ Lotspeich, rlotspei@usgs.gov, 804-205-6685 mailto:gs-w_ngwos_rfi@usgs.gov mailto:gs_usgs_patents@usgs.gov mailto:cwagner@usgs.gov mailto:eeng@usgs.gov mailto:bpeller@usgs.gov

Resources

• USGS Technology Transfer site

• https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/technology-transfer

• CRADA and TAA Templates

• https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/technology-transfer/cooperative-research-and-development

• Federal Technology TransferAct of 1986 as amended: Title 15, United States Code, section 3701 et seq.

• http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionUScode.action?collectionCode=USCODE&searchP ath=Title+15%2FCHAPTER+6

3&oldPath=Title+15%2FCHAPTER+63&isCollapsed=true&selectedYearFrom=2013&ycord=32

• Department of the Interior Manual, 207 DM 8 Technology Transfer

• Technology transfer legislation and related policies: Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, http://www.federallabs.org/

• SM 453.1, Inventions by Employees http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/410/453-1.html

• USGS List of Patents and Opportunities: http://www.usgs.gov/tech-transfer/available_patents.html https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/technology-transfer https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/technology-transfer/cooperative-research-and-development http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionUScode.action?collectionCode=USCODE&searchPath=Title%2B15%2FCHAPTER%2B6 http://www.federallabs.org/ http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/410/453-1.html http://www.usgs.gov/tech-transfer/available_patents.html