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TAS::80 0125:: TAS RECOVERY - NRA RESEARCH PROJECT TITLED "METROPLEX OPTIMIZATION MODEL EXPANSION AND ANALYSIS". RESEARCH WILL BE PERFORMED BY GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY AND THE WORK WILL BE FUNDED BY THE AMERICAN REINVESTMENT AND RECOVERY ACT (ARRA). THIS AWARD RESULTS FROM A COMPETITIVE SELECTION UNDER THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) HEADQUARTERS RELEASED NASA RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT (NRA) FOR FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH IN SUPPORT OF THE AERONAUTICS RESEARCH MISSION DIRECTORATE (ARMD), ENTITLED "RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN AERONAUTICS (ROA) 2009" UNDER NNH09ZEA001N, AMENDMENT 5, NEXTGEN - AIRPORTAL PROJECT. THE NEXTGEN-AIRPORTAL PROJECT WORKS IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE NEXTGEN-AIRSPACE PROJECT TO CONDUCT AIRSPACE AND AIRPORTAL FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH AND DISCIPLINE-BASED TECHNOLOGY. THE NEXTGEN-AIRPORTAL PROJECT FOCUSES ON NASA'S TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND WORLD-CLASS FACILITIES TO ENABLE THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE EFFICIENCY IN THE USE OF GATES, TAXIWAYS, RUNWAYS, METROPLEX (A GROUP OF TWO OR MORE ADJACENT AIRPORTS WHOSE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OPERATIONS ARE HIGHLY INTERDEPENDENT) AIRSPACE AND OTHER AIRPORTAL RESOURCES. THE NEXTGEN-AIRPORTAL PROJECT IS RESEARCHING, DEVELOPING, DEMONSTRATING, AND VALIDATING OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS, PROOF-OF-CONCEPT SYSTEMS, ALGORITHMS, TECHNOLOGIES, TOOLS, AND OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES DESIGNED TO MAXIMIZE CAPACITY AND THROUGHPUT IN THE AIRPORTAL ENVIRONMENT WHILE ENABLING ASSOCIATED ELEMENTS OF THE NEXT GENERATION AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM (NEXTGEN) AS DEFINED BY THE JOINT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE. NEXTGEN-AIRPORTAL PROJECT RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS ARE THE FOLLOWING: SAFE AND EFFICIENT SURFACE OPERATIONS (SESO), COORDINATED ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (CADOM), AND AIRPORTAL AND METROPLEX INTEGRATION (AMI). SESO CONDUCTS RESEARCH TO MANAGE TRAFFIC ON THE AIRPORT SURFACE (GATES, TAXIWAYS, AND RUNWAYS) SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY TO ENABLE MAXIMUM THROUGHPUT AND CAPACITY IN THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT. CADOM FOCUSES ON CONCEPTS AND TECHNOLOGIES NEEDED TO MITIGATE OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS TO MAXIMIZING SINGLE AND MULTIPLE AIRPORT CAPACITY. AMI FOCUSES ON MANAGEMENT OF METROPLEX OPERATIONS, INTEGRATION OF WORK ACROSS THE PROJECT'S TECHNICAL AREAS, AND CROSSCUTTING RESEARCH (E.G., HUMAN/SYSTEM INTEGRATION AND CONCEPT ANALYSES FOR PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT). THE RESEARCH FOCUS AREA FOR THIS CONTRACT IS CADOM AND WILL EXPAND EXISTING MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION CAPABILITIES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PREDICT CHANGES IN SCHEDULING PATTERNS AND THROUGHPUT (THE NUMBER OF ARRIVING AND DEPARTING PASSENGERS/AIRCRAFT) AT MAJOR METROPLEX AIRPORTS WHEN THERE ARE CHANGES IN COSTS, PASSENGER DEMAND, AND COMPETITION.