SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Discovering Control Variables for Maladaptive Drinking Behavior by Analyzing the Geometry of Multi-domain Risk Factors
- Notice Date
- 5/30/2014
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541711
— Research and Development in Biotechnology
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Contracts Management Branch, 6100 Executive Blvd., Suite 7A07, MSC7510, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-7510
- ZIP Code
- 20892-7510
- Solicitation Number
- NIAAA-SSN-2014-21-PDM
- Archive Date
- 6/13/2014
- Point of Contact
- Paul McFarlane, Phone: 301-443-3041
- E-Mail Address
-
pmcfarlane@mail.nih.gov
(pmcfarlane@mail.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Introduction This notice is issued on behalf of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Office of Acquisitions, NIH, DHHS, UNITED STATES. This is a Research & Development Sources Sought Notice. This is not a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of business sources and specifically, whether there are any small businesses with the requisite capabilities to perform this requirement under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code identified below. Responses to this notice, in the form of capability statements, will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether the project should set-aside for small businesses. The NAICS code for this requirement is 541711. The size standard, in number of employees, is 500. Capability statements must conform to the Response Guidelines stated herein and should demonstrate a respondent's qualifications and experience, specifically providing evidence of their capability to perform the specific project requirements stated herein. Background For the last decade, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has had an active interest in the issue of how and why behavior change occurs both within and outside the context of professionally-facilitated treatment. NIAAA issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) in 2009, titled, "Mechanisms of Behavior Change Initiation (MOBCI) for Drinking (Alcohol) Behavior" soliciting proposals to form the Mechanisms of Behavior Change Initiation Research Consortium (MIRC). MIRC represented NIAAA's most progressive effort to support highly innovative, foundational research (using existing data sets to the greatest extent possible) to investigate the causal mechanisms and processes underlying the initiation of behavior change from a maladaptive to a more healthful state. More specifically, NIAAA sought to develop practical models of the alcohol drinking behavior control system (DBCS) that might elucidate how to effect positive behavior change within the spectrum of behavioral modes and define what is achievable within any given individual's local context. Three research contracts were awarded in 2009 and 2010. In May of 2010, NIAAA awarded one of these contracts entitled, "Discovering Control Variables for Maladaptive Drinking Behavior by Analyzing the Geometry of Multi-domain Risk Factors." The goal of that project was to analyze population-scale prospective data on maladaptive drinking behavior by understanding the behavioral and contextual matrix in which it is embedded. The Contractor developed non-linear dimensional reduction and geometric harmonic analysis techniques to discover implicit (or "silent") variables underlying problematic alcohol consumption. The Contractor applied these techniques to two population-scale, prospective epidemiological datasets (National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions; and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health) that codified trends in behavior (including alcohol consumption), social context, social status, collateral relationships, and many other potential influences on maladaptive drinking behavior. These data were viewed geometrically: the yes/no responses to each question, when bundled into a vector, allowed each subject to be represented as a point in a high-dimensional "answer space." Diffusion maps organized the answer space, and allowed the identification of subspaces that reveal commonalities among the subjects and the questions. Such analysis identified high-order and non-linear factors in the data predictive of behavior and behavior change. The information contained in these response matrices involved complex, non-linear combinations of answers not apparent from standard statistical analysis. At the point of contract expiration, the project completed preliminary analysis. Specific Project Requirements NIAAA seeks a contractor to continue the work of the original contract in the following tasks: 1) Analysis : a) Continue analysis of the diffusion embeddings based on ''informative'' questions to determine whether semi-local neighborhoods of related questions exist that inform behavior-change variables. b) Develop techniques to track clustered alcohol abusers in diffusion space across time, to determine whether the cluster structure persists; whether others join the cluster; and whether some individuals leave the cluster. Should such change be found, focus the analysis to search for relevant behavior-changing variables. 2) Interpretation of Findings : Consult with researchers working on alcohol problem use in late adolescence/early adulthood to determine whether the computational findings map onto current knowledge regarding factors relating to onset and offset of problem use. 3) Disseminate Results : Develop at least one high quality manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal describing the background, methods employed, results and conclusions. Limitations of the findings as well as directions for future research should be discussed. Response Guidelines Business concerns that possess the capabilities necessary to undertake the aforementioned efforts should submit documentation of their capabilities to the contact point person named herein. Reference the sources sought notice number identified herein. This "capability statement" should include: 1) the total number of employees, 2) the professional qualifications of scientists, medical experts, and technical personnel as they relate to the requirements, 3) a description of general and specific facilities and equipment available, including computer equipment and software, 4) an outline of previous research projects in which the organization and proposed personnel have participated, 5) Past Performance documentation, which should include, but not be limited to, a minimum of two (2) contracts performed for either Government or commercial organizations, 6) proof that the business performs work in the cited NAICS code. References shall include for each contract: names, titles, contract number, total price or cost, telephone numbers of government Contracting Officer's Representatives and Contracting Officers, 7) any other information considered relevant to this program; and 8) If the respondent is a small business concern, identify their size standard as concurred in by the Small Business Administration. The capability statement shall not exceed 10 single sided printed pages in length in a 12-point font size, minimum. Double sided printing is acceptable. No proprietary or confidential business data should be submitted in response to this notice. Capability statements must include the name and telephone number of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses regarding the submitted information. Capability statements must only be submitted electronically (i.e. via e-mail) to the point of contact listed herein, in either MS-Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), no later than Thursday, June 12, 2013 at 4PM local time. Capability statements that do not provide sufficient information will not be considered. Responses received after that time will not be considered. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract nor to pay for the information provided in responses. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate, including the use of non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation. Organizations responding to this notice should ensure its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. The Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After the Government's review of responses, pre-solicitation and solicitation notices may be published on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Responses to this notice shall not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. A solicitation release date is pending the results of this notice. The Government plans to award one (1) contract for a period of up to 180 days, on or about September 1, 2014.
- Web Link
-
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- Record
- SN03381213-W 20140601/140531021852-4195d05cc366847db50544e7a6d21fc0 (fbodaily.com)
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