Broad Agency Announcement
Under a Broad Agency Announcement, which appeared June 23, 1998 in the
Commerce Business
Daily, NTIA solicited proposals for research and evaluation
relating to the diffusion of telecommunications and information technology
applications in the public and non-profit sectors.
Please Note: The deadline for submitting proposals to
NTIA for the BAA solicitation was June 22, 1999. The following information
is posted for reference purposes only. Additional information on BAA
projects will be made available as they develop.
Specifically, NTIA sought proposals that pertained to (1) interoperability
and scalability of telecommunications and information technology systems
and networks; (2) community involvement in the development and implementation
of technology mediated projects; (3) reducing disparities and providing
access to information infrastructure technologies; (4) telecommunications
and information technology induced organization change, including emerging
forms of partnerships and collaborations; (5) innovative techniques and
methodologies for evaluating applications of telecommunications and information
technology projects in the public and nonprofit sectors; and (6) assessments
of future information infrastructure needs in these sectors.
In funding such projects, NTIA hopes that the research will contribute
to TOP's mission to promote the widespread availability and use of information
infrastructure technologies, and will help TOP evaluate the role of those
technologies in both the public and nonprofit sectors.
NTIA received 26 proposals in response to this solicitation. Results
and findings from the funded research proposals will be widely
disseminated.
BAA Projects
TOP's first award under its Broad Agency Announcement went to the National
Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) to study
the status of telecommunications capabilities of the nation's 116 historically
black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
The $90,027 study will enable the Commerce Department to identify the information
technology needs of HBCUs and help determine how best to assist them in
accessing the Internet.
TOP's second award went to the
Tomás Rivera Policy Institute
to study information technology-based projects in Hispanic-serving
institutions. The $103,000 study will provide a basis to determine
ways to make information resources available to Hispanic
Americans.
TOP's third award went to
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
(VPI) in Blacksburg, Virginia, to survey 100 Community Technology
Centers (CTCs). CTCs are a major component in public/private
initiatives aimed at closing the nation's digital divide. The
$100,000 study will focus on CTCs' information technology resources
and how they can help economically disadvantaged areas access the
Internet.
Read the Press
Release on Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
TOP's fourth award went to
Blacksburg Electronic Village, Inc.
(BEV) in Blacksburg, Virginia, to evaluate the impact of
information technology on public and non-profit organizations served
by community networks. The $100,000 project will survey 50 public and
non-profit institutions involved in community networking, and will
conduct a detailed study on four of the institutions.
Read the Press
Release on Blacksburg Electronic Village.
TOP's fifth award went to the
Center for Civic
Networking (CCN) in Friday Harbor, Washington, to study the
sustainability of computer networks, online places where the public
can find information on and participate in civic affairs, community
economic development, health and human service delivery, and the
arts. The $100,000 contract will provide information on how to keep
community networks viable.
Read the Press
Release on the Center for Civic Networking.
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