DOT’s RSPA EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR SECURITY TECHNOLOGIES SUBMISSION

DOTÆS RSPA EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR SECURITY TECHNOLOGIES SUBMISSION    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration has extended to Nov. 21 the deadline for submitting papers on technical or project activities that would improve the security or reduce the vulnerability of transportation services to accidental or intentional disruption.
   RSPA issued Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) on Sept. 25, in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
   RSPA’s objective is to identify developing technologies, methods and concepts that would have the ability to predict, detect or deal with security threats in all types of transportation services and operations. Examples of these activities are: in-flight aviation threats, service disruptions to marine operations and ports, and surveillance of transportation systems through land and space-based sensing, communications and control technologies.
   A two-phase proposal submission is underway. During the first phase, interested parties are requested to submit white papers describing their ideas in response to the BAA. RSPA will then convene an evaluation panel to review all submitted descriptions. In the second phase, submitters of the most innovative ideas will be requested to provide more detailed descriptions to have their submissions evaluated.