Announcement from January 8, 2018:

Dear Valued SSC Members, Partners, and Liaisons:

      The Ship Structure Committee (SSC) is pleased to announce the beginning of the 2018 Project Year!  It was recognized last year that the procedure for project selection does not account very well for the lasting value of unfunded project ideas submitted in previous years.  Accordingly, this year, the Committee will use a new project prioritization procedure wherein ideas submitted previously will be compared with new project ideas and a TOP TEN will be created.  Each year, the TOP TEN will change based on which projects have been funded.  As Executive Director, I will contact the project idea submitters of the TOP TEN each year to confirm which ideas are still unfunded and current.  There will still be an idea solicitation each year, and this bulletin announces the 2018 Project Idea Solicitation!

     We are looking forward to your insightful ideas and enthusiasm toward another successful year of improving the safety of life at sea through ship structures related research.  By February 28, 2018, the SSC is seeking research ideas which fall within these four focus areas:

1. Structural Lifetime Extension
2. Arctic Construction, Operations, Technologies, and Effects
3. Composite Materials
4. SSC Follow-Up Report

     More detail on the focus areas, as well as some examples can be found HERE.  Due to limited funding, only ideas which fall within one of the four focus areas will be considered by the Committee. 

**Please consider the following when submitting your research project recommendations.

• Fiscal Limitation: The SSC typically funds one or two projects each year (approximately $100k per project).
• Timeline Information: Please submit all research recommendations electronically to me, the Executive Director, (Jonathan.B.Duffett@uscg.mil) no later than February 28, 2018.
  
  The compiled research recommendations will be distributed to the SSC members very soon after the due date for evaluation.  The Committee will establish the FY18 TOP TEN when it meets in late March 2018.
  
  The selected projects should begin the contracting phase in June 2018.
• Submittal Instructions:
  
        * Use the template/outline format HERE
        * Do not include proprietary information
        * MS Word Document (.doc, .docx) format only will be accepted
        * Do not include any graphics, tables, sketches
        * Keep the task descriptions brief - entire document no more than 4 pages
• Contracting Information:  Submitters will be notified if their research project recommendation has been selected for funding with details on the bidding process.  Please note that selection of project recommendations reflect the SSC's judgment that there is an immediate need in the recommended field of vessel structures research.  Selection by the Committee DOES NOT.  The ten organizations comprising the SSC will determine the appropriate contract mechanism or researcher to carry out the recommended project.  Upon completion, the research project report, will be made available to the public on the Ship Structure Committee website, www.shipstructure.org.

Please forward this message to other interested members of your organization.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for your assistance and participation in the Ship Structure Committee.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Duffett, LT, USCG
Executive Director
Ship Structure Committee
(202) 372-1022
Jonathan.B.Duffett@uscg.mil
www.shipstructure.org