SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Support for Thyroid Cancer and Other Thyroid Diseases in Belarus
- Notice Date
- 1/30/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Office of Acquisitions, 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS Suite 600, Rockville, Maryland, 20852
- ZIP Code
- 20852
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NCI-SBSS-ETSB-21007-72
- Point of Contact
- Jame Chang, Phone: 3014353801, Seena Ninan, Phone: 3014353814
- E-Mail Address
-
jame.chang@nih.gov, ninans@mail.nih.gov
(jame.chang@nih.gov, ninans@mail.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. This requirement is assigned a code of 541990 in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and the small business size standard is $7.0 million in annual receipts. Background: The Chernobyl Research Unit (CRU), Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB), National Cancer Institute (NCI) is responsible for a research program in radiation effects on cancer and other diseases. CRU develops, administers, and evaluates a contract-supported applied research program. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 resulted in massive releases of radioactive materials into the atmosphere and contamination of large areas with significant levels of radioiodines (up to two months after the accident), radiocesiums and other radionuclides. Among the population groups affected by the accident, a larger number of individuals who were exposed to radioiodines as fetuses, children or adolescents present a special concern, as the young thyroids are known to be especially susceptible to the carcinogenic effect of radiation exposure. The Belarus-American Study of Thyroid Cancer and Other Thyroid Diseases Following the Chernobyl Accident (BelAm) is a part of NCI's Chernobyl research program. Belarus was chosen as a study site because it was considered to be one of the most contaminated areas by radioiodine fallout from the Chernobyl accident. The original BelAm cohort population consisted of persons who were children or adolescents at the time of the accident, who had thyroid activity measurements made within a short time following the accident on April 26, 1986, and who lived in specified affected areas. There is special concern for cancer and other health risks associated with exposure to radiation during prenatal period (in-utero), as fetuses are considered especially vulnerable to radiation damage. Initial data from a parallel study suggested a high risk of thyroid cancer associated with prenatal (in-utero) exposure to radioactive iodine from the Chernobyl fallout. In 2011, NCI began collaboration with Belarusian investigators to assemble a new cohort study in Belarus of persons who were in-utero at the time of the accident to be added to the BelAm research program. Initial efforts are currently underway to construct this cohort and radiation doses. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this project is to provide support for detecting thyroid and other pathology in persons who have been exposed to radiation as released by the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in April 26, 1986. The study deals with a recently assembled in-utero cohort which includes persons who were exposed to Chernobyl fallout radiation in-utero and early life and a main cohort which has been established and consists of subjects who were age 18 or under at the time of the accident, had their dose to the thyroid gland measured, and lived in the Chernobyl affected areas in Belarus. Support will be provided by establishing and following up with the Belarusian in-utero cohort, following up and maintaining the main cohort, processing and managing data, and providing quality control. Project Requirements: Major tasks of the Contractor include the following: 1. Establishment and Follow-up of the in-utero cohort: (a) Locating and contacting in-utero cohort subjects and their mothers and conducting personal interviews with the mothers. (b) With input and guidance from the NCI, developing methods to calculate pre- and postnatal doses for all subjects of the in-utero cohort. (c) Preparing and providing an error-free, complete and up-to-date database of personal dosimetry interviews. (d) Identifying vital status and last known address of the in-utero cohort members and their mothers, and contacting them according to the procedures described in the study protocol. 2. Maintenance of the main cohort: (a) Acquiring updated contact and medical diagnostic information using the Chernobyl State Registry. (b) Linking the main cohort with the National Belarusian Cancer Registry for each specific cancer site reported to the Registry beginning in 1987 and through the latest calendar year for which complete incidence data are available. 3. Data Processing and Management: (a) Creating and maintaining a master database of the in-utero cohort that links to computerized databases of questionnaires, vital status, tracing history, and other study data, which are to be entered. (b) Delivering an accurate, complete and up-to-date electronic master database on demographic, medical, cancer incidence and other relevant information. (c) Updating the database for the main and in-utero cohort with information obtained as a result of record linkage to the State Chernobyl Registry and National Belarusian Cancer Registry. 4. Quality Control and Reporting: (a) With input and guidance from NCI, developing and implementing procedures to assure the quality of data collected, entered and managed. (b) Maintaining comprehensive documentation for all study databases. (c) Collaborating with NCI in preparation of scientific papers to be published to peer-reviewed Western journals. Other Important Considerations: This work requires the contractor to have access to the cohort who experienced fallout from the Chernobyl accident. The Belarus government has mandated that all research related to the Chernobyl accident must go through the Republican Research Center of Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, so the contractor must have the capability to get approval from this institution. Anticipated Period of Performance: The anticipated period of performance for this requirement is one year, with two one-year options. Submission Information: To be deemed capable of providing the current need for the study, the offeror shall submit a written capability statement demonstrating the ability and experience in performing the requirements noted in this notice. Organizations that submit capability statements in response to this notice will be evaluated against the following criteria: 1. The ability to acquire approval from the Republican Research Center of Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology. 2. Experience and capabilities of personnel with managing the BelAm cohort study, database management, and dosimetry. 3. Demonstrate proven organizational approach in managing cohort studies. Interested qualified small business organizations should submit a tailored capability statement for this requirement, not to exceed 20 single-sided pages (including all attachments, resumes, charts, etc.) presented in single-space using a 12-point font size minimum, that clearly details the ability to perform the aspects of the notice described above. Statements should also include an indication of current certified small business status; this indication should be clearly marked on the first page of your capability statement, as well as the eligible small business concern's name, point of contact, address and DUNS number. All capability statements sent in response to this SOURCES SOUGHT notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Jame Chang, Contract Specialist, at jame.chang@nih.gov in MS Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), by February 8, 2012, 3:30PM, EST. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. No collect calls or facsimile transmissions will be accepted. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation(s). Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation.
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