R--ORD/NERL/CED, Professional Services - Evaluation/Development in the CMAQ Model.

Under the authority granted in FAR 13.501, the US Environmental Protection Agency's National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Computational Exposure Division (CED) intends to seek a quotation on a SOLE SOURCE BASIS from Dr. Hosein Foroutan Assistant Professor with the College of Engineering, Virgina Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). This notice satisfies the requirement at FAR 5.101(a)(1) for publicizing the proposed contract action. This requirement is for the evaluation and further development of the wind-blown dust model in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Model. The National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Computational Exposure Division (CED) routinely examines simulation results from the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. It has come to our attention that, given particular meteorological conditions, the CMAQ model simulates excessive amount of airborne soil-derived dust. This deficiency needs to be addressed before the next scheduled public release of the CMAQ model. The specific tasks involved in this upgrade requirement include: Upgrade the current implementation of the wind-blown dust model in the CMAQ to include advanced treatment of sub-grid wind variability due to convective dust storms as described in: Foroutan, H., & Pleim, J. E. (2017). Improving the simulation of convective dust storms in regional to'global models. Journal of advances in modeling earth systems, 9(5), 2046-2060. Foroutan, H., Young, J., Napelenok, S., Ran, L., Appel, K. W., Gilliam, R. C., & Pleim, J. E. (2017). Development and evaluation of a physics'based windblown dust emission scheme implemented in the C MAQ modeling system. Journal of advances in modeling earth systems, 9(1), 585-608. Improve vegetation parameters used in wind-blown dust model & Evaluate wind-blown dust model through comparisons to surface PM concentration measurement network data and satellite AOD retrievals (MODIS, VIIRS) both regionally and globally. The upgraded model should improve performance of dust related PM concentrations and AOD compared to the current CMAQv5.3. The existing treatments for airborne soil-derived dust in the CMAQ model were developed by Dr. Hosein Foroutan while he was a post-doctoral researcher in the Atmospheric Model Development Branch at NERL. Dr. Foroutan is currently an Assistant Professor of Engineering Mechanics in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. Dr. Foroutan or staff members under his direction could most efficiently adjust the CMAQ parameterizations to better simulate airborne dust under the particular meteorological conditions we have identified as troublesome. It is not considered practical or possible for sources that were not involved in the initial development effort to perform this effort within a reasonable time and budget. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability and respond to the office identified above. Documentation must be received by close of business on December 3, 2019 in order to be considered by EPA. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed purchase order based on assessment of responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Interested parties should e-mail a written response to Matthew J. Growney at contact@example.gov to receive consideration for this purchase order telephonic responses will not be honored.