Inactive

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and market research planning purposes; it does not constitute a solicitation or a promise to issue a solicitation. Furthermore, thos... This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and market research planning purposes; it does not constitute a solicitation or a promise to issue a solicitation. Furthermore, those who respond to this RFI should not anticipate feedback with regards to its submission; other than acknowledgment of receipt - ONLY IF a request for an acknowledgement is requested by the submitter. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is not seeking proposals at this time. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay any costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. All submissions become the property of the Federal Government, and will not be returned. Any information that the vendor considers proprietary should be clearly marked as such. 1. Purpose of this RFI: The NOAA is seeking to gather ideas, recommendations, and best practices from industry on how to develop, meet the goals of and support a virtual Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC). EPIC seeks to create a true community earth system model that is accessible to the public and utilizes innovative strategies to host and manage the modeling system. EPIC will leverage existing NOAA resources to accelerate advances to the Unified Forecast System, a community-based, coupled Earth system model designed to meet NOAA's operational forecast mission to protect life and property and improve economic growth. 2. Background: The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (WRFIA), P.L. 115-25, instructs the NOAA to prioritize improving weather data, modeling, computing, forecasting and warnings for the protection of life and property and for the enhancement of the national economy. The National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2018 (NIDISRA), P.L. 115-423, instructs NOAA to establish the EPIC to accelerate community-developed scientific and technological enhancements into the operational applications for numerical weather prediction (NWP). Specifically, Section 4 of NIDISRA articulates Congress' vision for the EPIC program with the following responsibilities: "Advancing weather modeling skill, reclaiming and maintaining international leadership in the area of numerical weather prediction, and improving the transition of research into operations by- 1. Leveraging the entire weather enterprise to provide expertise on removing barriers in the process of moving new research into operations to more rapidly improve numerical weather prediction; 2. Enabling scientists and engineers to effectively collaborate in areas important for improving operational global numerical weather prediction skill, including model development, data assimilation techniques, systems architecture integration, and computational efficiencies; 3. Strengthening the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's ability to undertake research projects in pursuit of substantial advancements in weather forecast skill; 4. Utilizing and leverage existing resources across the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration enterprise; and 5. Creating a community-based Unified Forecast System that- i. Is accessible by the public; ii. Meets basic end-user requirements for running on public computers and networks located outside of secure National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration information and technology systems; and iii. Utilizes, whenever appropriate and cost-effective, innovative strategies and methods, including cloud-based computing capabilities, for hosting and management of part or all of the system described in this subsection." The amended WRFIA language for EPIC describes NWP in the global scale context. Therefore, the near-term program formulation will be focused on the end-to-end operational Global Forecast System (GFS) composed of the Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS), the model and Unified Post Processor (UPP). It is expected that the scope of EPIC will expand to include other operational model applications and mission priorities outlined in the 2017 WRFIA such as convective allowing models (i.e., High Resolution Rapid Refresh) and fully coupled seasonal-to-subseasonal (S2S) forecast systems (i.e., the Climate Forecast System, National Water Model, Ocean Forecast Systems). NOAA also recognizes the need to extend research into operations and operations into research (R2O2R) standards and practices to all disciplines within the agency and to create the advanced capability needed to extend weather model output downstream to water, land, living resources, and human communities. The transition of R2O2R has been widely studied. NOAA established testbeds and proving grounds to facilitate the orderly transition of research capabilities to operational implementation through development testing in testbeds, and pre-deployment testing and operational readiness/suitability evaluation in operational proving grounds (NOAA Testbeds and Proving Grounds Portal). At least two of the testbeds are focused on NWP and based on interagency agreements between NOAA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States Air Force (USAF), the United States Navy (USN) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to specifically address: 1) satellite data assimilation, via the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA), established in 2001; and 2) mesoscale modeling, via the Developmental Testbed Center (DTC), established in 1999. The amended WRFIA states EPIC will utilize and leverage existing resources across NOAA. Given the initial scope of EPIC is focused on global NWP it must effectively leverage activities under the JCSDA, the DTC, as well as other NOAA testbeds, and existing code repository and testing infrastructure to be successful. 3. Attachments (See Attached PDF for hyperlinks): A Vision Paper for the Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC) NCAR-NOAA Memorandum of Agreement NOAA Policy on Research and Development Transition NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 216-115A: Research and Development in NOAA 4. Request for Information (RFI) Questions: NOAA is looking to engage with a broad and diverse set of stakeholders with regard to getting advice and ideas to execute the development and management of the virtual EPIC. The following seven sections were identified by NOAA personnel as core investment areas that we're requesting responses. If these areas should be modified please note that in your response. 1. Software engineering: a. What strategy should NOAA consider to integrate software engineers into a traditionally scientific environment comfortably and efficiently? b. What needs to change, if at all, about NOAA's organizational culture to make it a collaborative space for software engineers? c. What software engineering best practices should be applied by NOAA to improve streamlining of the UFS and increasing agility and adaptability with the research and innovation communities? d. What role, if any, should human factors or user experience techniques play in the development of EPIC? 2. Software infrastructure: a. In an open source software environment, please explain some of the best practices that NOAA should employ? 3. User support services: a. Please explain the best practices for user support of a community-based modeling system. b. What innovative tools and techniques can be implemented to efficiently manage user support services? 4. Cloud-based high performance computing: a. How can NOAA address its high-performance computing (HPC) strategy to broaden user access to compute resources related to the UFS while maintaining a required level of security? b. How may the cloud and other computational resources be integrated into an EPIC framework to relieve the dependence on, but still be adaptable to HPC? c. Should other emerging computational methods and technologies be considered for the EPIC framework outside of HPC and Cloud? 5. Scientific innovation (i.e. cutting edge research and development of new products, tools, and services that meet the needs of the nation): a. What recommendations do you have for NOAA to accelerate the rate and increase the efficiency of transitioning innovative research to operations? b. Given NOAA's current organization structure (e.g., laboratories, cooperative institutes and national centers) and investments in testbeds and joint centers, what should NOAA resourcefully consider in order to enhance innovation with EPIC? c. How does NOAA inspire and cultivate scientific innovation from the community as it relates to our weather, water, and climate missions? 6. Management and planning: a. What is the optimal structure for a multidisciplinary virtual center that would address the EPIC goals? What are the key disciplines and how should they be connected organizationally? b. What public-private partnership processes and policies should inform EPIC? c. What sectors, stakeholders, types of expertise, and networks or programs should be involved? d. What should a governance structure look like or include? e. Clear communication and coordination are vital to the success of EPIC. How should NOAA manage an organization with employees that are likely to be distributed nationally across NOAA centers and laboratories? f. How should NOAA measure EPIC's success of accelerating transitions, community involvement, and nurturing innovation? 7. External engagement and community modeling: a. Describe your vision of a community model framework, including configurable applications and the ultimate operational execution of the tools? b. How should NOAA handle the challenge of community engagement in its development of a community based modeling infrastructure, and yet still maintain scientific rigor, advancement of software, and innovation? c. How can the community ensure that model changes are tied to societal needs? d. What should be the roles and responsibilities of a testing, evaluation, and validation/verification (i.e. research to operation and operations to research) hub? e. What role should social, behavioral, and economic sciences play to nurture and/or understand the human aspects of a community modeling environment to encourage innovation? f. Are there key capabilities in other agencies or modeling centers that EPIC should leverage or build collaboration? Given the scope of EPIC, are there notable gaps in the broader modeling arena where EPIC can particularly contribute? 8. General questions: a. Given the vision for EPIC, what strategic approach (planning and implementation) and operating objectives should NOAA employ? b. Would you be interested in participating in a workshop where industry, Government, universities, and other entities discuss options for the development of EPIC? If interested, what would be a useful exercise that would take place at the workshop? c. What are the risks vs benefits of NOAA implementing EPIC? d. What other information is important for NOAA to consider when implementing EPIC? 9. Acquisition questions: a. What are the costs associated with this type of effort? Please provide a rough order of magnitude (ROM). b. What contract type does industry find most feasible for this effort? c. Does industry find it feasible to support this effort under a single contract? 5. RFI Response Format: In order to better assist in the review of submittals to this RFI, respondents are encouraged to prepare a response that closely adheres to the following format: The document format shall be either Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx), or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) formats. Responses shall be prepared using 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins, and 8.5" by 11" paper and shall not exceed Twenty (20) pages in length, including images, data displays, charts, graphs, and tables. It should be noted in the messaging of this RFI that participants should not be required to answer all of the questions offered, but rather focus on their area of expertise to allow for diversity in responses. Respondents may provide additional promotional literature in addition to their response as long as the literature conforms to the response format. Submissions in response to this RFI shall not exceed 20 pages. 6. Response Deadline and Point of Contact Information: Responses to this notice should be documents attached to emails received no later than 12:00PM ET, Wednesday, July 10, 2019 to: ? Contracting Officer Bianca Blau at Bianca.H.Blau@noaa.gov A statement of capability shall also include the information listed below: 1. Company Name/Division, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone, FAX numbers, and website address (if available). 2. Single point-of-contact name, title, telephone, and email address. 3. DUNS number, CAGE Code, Tax Identification Number (TIN), and company structure (Corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, etc.). Please note that companies must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) to be considered potential sources (https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/). 4. A description of the firm's ability to perform the work and any other information you believe to be important and germane to the purposes of this RFI. The responses received will assist NOAA with identifying feasible technical solutions for this requirement. Each respondent, by submitting a response, agrees that any cost incurred by it in responding to this request, or in support of activities associated with this RFI, shall be the sole responsibility of the respondent. NOAA shall incur no obligations or liabilities whatsoever, to anyone, for any costs or expenses incurred by the respondent in responding to this RFI. Responses to this RFI will not be returned. 7. Industry Discussions: Some respondents may be asked to provide additional information regarding the matters addressed in this RFI. Those respondents will be contacted directly if there is a need for further information. 8. Questions: Respondents may submit questions regarding this RFI to the contact(s) listed below. Responses to questions may be posted on FEDBIZOPPS. Please send any questions you may have to the Contracting Officer, Bianca Blau at Bianca.H.Blau@noaa.gov by no later than (NLT) 12:00PM ET, Friday, June 14, 2019. Each question shall provide the section and page number of the particular item being referred to in this RFI. 9. Links to all documents: https://owaq.noaa.gov/portals/0/EPIC_Vision_paper_V5.0.pdf?ver=2019-06-04-103244-717 https://owaq.noaa.gov/Portals/0/18-064553%20-%20Signed%20MOU.pdf?ver=2019-06-03-162537-767 https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/ames/administrative_orders/chapter_216/216-105B.html https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/ames/administrative_orders/chapter_216/216-115A.html https://www.testbeds.noaa.gov/ https://ufscommunity.org/index.html https://owaq.noaa.gov/Programs/EPIC