Tech Center signs Agreement with HRWorX

By Deborah Germak

The Tech Center has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA) with HRWorX, LLC, a privately held software development company, located in Herndon, VA.

The FAA Regional Counsel for the Eastern Region developed a software product that automates the annual process of collecting and reviewing the Standard Form (SF) OGE-450 Confidential Financial Disclosure Form, and SF OGE-450A Statement of No New Interests. These are forms required to be filed by thousands of FAA employees and Government employees throughout the Executive Branch. The process follows the general principles of ethical conduct for Government Officers and employees and conflict of interest laws pursuant to the guidelines of the U.S. Office of Governmentwide Ethics.

This CRDA establishes a partnership to maintain the application’s currency (relative to any changes in relevant laws or regulations), add functionalities to enhance the product, and provide upgrades to the FAA. A patent application has been filed for this solution, and HRWorX has entered into an Exclusive Licensing Agreement in the invention and plans to widely market the product.

“We are very excited about this partnership,” said Basilyn Bunting, Acting Program Director, Office of Knowledge Management at the Center. “It brings together the knowledge, skills, and abilities of a private software company with the knowledge, skills, and abilities of FAA subject matter experts in a collaborative atmosphere.”

“This is a case where FAA employees designed a product to meet their need, but has application across the government as well as private industry,” said Deborah Germak, Technology Transfer Program Manager. “This partnership epitomizes the spirit of technology transfer legislation.”

“We see this effort as supporting the E-Gov initiatives, but also has potential of use in private industry,” said Pat Brown, President of HRWorX.

As this product is enhanced and marketed, the inventors, under Technology Transfer legislation, can potentially receive up to $150,000 annually in royalties.

If you have any questions regarding this CRDA, please contact Deborah Germak at extension 59862.

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Tech Transfer Enters New Agreement with FedEx

By Deborah Germak

The FAA recently entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA) with FedEx Express (FedEx). The collaborative research is in safety.

FedEx has collaborated with the FAA on numerous initiatives in Air Traffic Management at the Memphis International Airport. The FAA conducted a Surface Management System (SMS) Operational Evaluation in September 2003, which was conducted in conjunction with FedEx representing the non-FAA user, and allowed the FAA to complete a successful evaluation. FedEx believes that it will be able to provide the FAA with additional information and data regarding the usefulness of SMS in daily airport operations that would facilitate surface traffic requirement development and enhance surface traffic management operations in the National Airspace System (NAS).

The objectives of this research are to develop a team that will accelerate the development and acquisition of a national surface traffic management system that will improve airport surface operations. This program will tap the long-term operational expertise of FedEx operations at the Memphis International Airport and provide a clear illustration of SMS usefulness in real-time situations.

If you have any questions regarding this CRDA, please contact Deborah Germak at extension 59862.

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FAA Implements New CRDA with Optimal Systems

By Deborah Germak

The FAA recently entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA) with Optimal Systems. The collaborative research is in increased predictability in the National Airspace System (NAS).

A concept paper described a vision of an integrated modeling capability that will provide answers to policy level decision-makers with regard to changes in the NAS. This vision was developed in response to the needs of the aviation modeling and simulation community.

The vision presented in this concept paper is the Aviation Integrated Reasoning Modeling Matrix (AIRMM), an envisioned architecture and system with a capability to provide a robust, integrated, decision-centric environment that supports the analysis needs of policy and decision-makers. The AIRMM system utilizes state-of-the-art technologies from decision systems, information systems, and modeling and simulation systems. Various models of the system were developed in a prototyping activity.

The research objectives are to organize a team that will continue the development of AIRMM and to reach the goal of an integrated state-of-the-art decision-making tool that can be used across multiple domains and organizations.

The Government’s Principal Investigator is Albert Schwartz. The Principal Investigator for the Collaborating Research Organization is John Richards. This CRDA was awarded on June 8 and has a duration of 36 months. It is expected this CRDA will provide a core capability that will support small to moderate demonstrations and analysis using the AIRMM concept.

If you have any questions regarding this CRDA, please contact Deborah Germak at extension 59862.

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