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Home ›› About ›› Roles and Responsibilities ››

STI Program Representatives

Department of Energy national laboratories and other sites and facilities have designated representatives to serve as technical information officers (TIOs) and STI Managers in the Scientific and Technical Information Program (STIP).

STI Managers

The role of STI Managers is to stay abreast of the requirements of DOE’s STI Program and coordinate the implementation of STIP related requirements. They serve as the main POC for their respective site/facility and participate in various STIP activities. Normally, one STI Manager is appointed at each contractor site. While roles and responsibilities may vary from site to site, depending on the specific language of DOE contracts, the STI activities of STI Managers generally are the same.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • STI Managers provide oversight and coordination of contractor compliance with the CRD portion of DOE O 241.1C, Scientific and Technical Information Management and other applicable DOE directives with related requirements (i.e., regarding sensitivity reviews, etc.).
  • STI Managers provide oversight and coordination of contractor application of the agreed to best practices set forth on the STIP website.
  • STI Managers ensure that an appropriate sensitivity review process of STI is implemented at their respective site and that all STI is appropriately reviewed and marked before it is released outside of their jurisdiction of their site prior to release to OSTI.
  • Related to the sensitivity reviews of STI, STI Managers should serve as the releasing official or at least coordinate designation and maintain awareness and provide official approval and notification to OSTI of the designation.
  • STI Managers ensure that STI resulting from R&D and other scientific and technical endeavors that have undergone institutional review is made available to OSTI along with appropriate metadata record information.
  • STI Managers ensure that OSTI is notified of any removal, replacement, or new marking or STI, per appropriate STIP channels.
  • STI Managers participate in bi-monthly STIP teleconferences, annual STIP Working Meetings, and special STIP working groups normally chaired by OSTI.
  • STI Managers provide general liaison with OSTI and the TIOs.
  • STI Managers prepare contractor responses to STI-related action items received from their respective DOE Office and OSTI.

Technical Information Officers

Technical Information Officers (TIO) serve as the principal DOE Departmental element POC and liaison with the DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI). TIOs represent their Departmental element within the Scientific and Technical Information Program (STIP). The TIOs must be familiar with the STI Programs within their DOE office (given they have contracting financial assistance and/or acquisition activities) and for their major site/facility management contractor(s) STI Program to discern compliance with the DOE O 241.1C. They must maintain an up-to-date knowledge base of the STI Program activities and provide timely feedback on issues as they emerge. While roles and responsibilities may differ, each major DOE element shall designate a TIO to perform STI-related activities.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Represent the Departmental Element in STIP to ensure that the STI objectives and requirements of this Order are integrated as part of policy, procedures, and guidance for the program to ensure that STI is identified, reported as required, reviewed as needed, and monitored for performance.
  • Coordinate with program managers/officials, site/facility management contractors, GO/COs, and acquisitions/procurement staff associated with the projects/work authorized or awarded to ensure the following:
    • Program staff have adequate familiarity with the STI requirements of this Order.
    • STI is identified and submitted for the R&D that the program funds or supports.
    • Releasing Officials are designated and there is official notification to OSTI to ensure that the STI and metadata, identified for the award, are appropriately reviewed prior to release to OSTI (see Attachment 2).
  • Through STIP, participate in policy development and implementation, ensure that local implementation procedures put in place by DOE to ensure that awards are managed and executed are consistent with requirements herein, and are knowledgeable of STIP best practices (see https://www.osti.gov/stip) in order to implement appropriate local procedures.

STI Releasing Officials

Releasing Officials are designated by the GO/CO, TIO, and/or Contractor who will coordinate and confirm that the STI submitted to OSTI:

  1. Complies with all necessary reviews.
  2. Fulfills the reporting requirements based on the identification of STI for the financial assistance award, contract, and/or work that is authorized under the M&O and site/facility contract.
  3. Has the correct access controls/distribution limitation consistent with the data rights identified by the terms of the award/agreement.
  4. Includes the necessary data protection markings consistent with the access controls/distribution limitations in c.
  5. Is submitted with the accurate release date consistent with the award/agreement, if applicable.
  6. Includes all required metadata (see Attachment 5).
  7. Coordinates with the Awardee or author of STI if the STI needs to be updated/corrected; makes those updates in E-Link, as needed.
  8. Releases the STI in E-Link once the review/release process is complete.

Contracting Officer/Grants Officer (CO/GO)

A Contracting Officer/Grants Officer (CO/GO) is an official of DOE certified and authorized to execute procurement instruments including acquisitions/contracts, and financial assistance awards on behalf of DOE and who is responsible for the business management and non-program aspects of the agreement.

COs/GOs:

  1. After notification by the appropriate program official or initiator of the requisition, incorporate the CRD of DOE O 241.1C into affected existing site/facility management contracts via the laws, regulations, and DOE Directives clauses of the contracts.
  2. Assist program officials and initiators of requisitions with incorporating the CRD in new non-site/non-facility management contracts, as appropriate.
  3. Ensure that the required STI products, instructions for submission, and timing for those submissions, are identified as part of the terms and/or reporting requirements for the award.
  4. Ensure that data management planning requirements (see Attachment 6 of DOE O 241.1C) are included as part of the award terms.
  5. Ensure that a Releasing Official is designated for the award, contract, and/or agreement as described in Attachment 2 of DOE O 241.1C.
  6. Serve as a contact for guidance and interpretation of the award terms.
  7. Ensure that the award is in compliance with the STI reporting requirements for the award.