SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Statistical Data Analysis Support Services for the NIA Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science
- Notice Date
- 6/19/2015
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Station Support/Simplified Acquisitions, 31 Center Drive, Room 1B59, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
- ZIP Code
- 20892
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-2015-481
- Archive Date
- 7/9/2015
- Point of Contact
- Hunter A. Tjugum, Phone: 301 435 8780
- E-Mail Address
-
hunter.tjugum@nih.gov
(hunter.tjugum@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation number is HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-2015-481 and the solicitation is issued as a Request For Quotation (RFQ). This acquisition is for a commercial service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures and FAR Part 12-Acquisition of Commercial Items, and is not expected to exceed the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-82, dated June 6, 2015. The associated NAICS code is 541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services with associated small business size standard $15.0 million. This requirement is released on a restricted basis to Small Business concerns. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIA leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. The Intramural Research Program (IRP) of the NIA provides a stimulating setting for a comprehensive effort to understand aging through multidisciplinary investigator-initiated research. The Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science (LCS) at the NIA is driven to: (1) identify age-associated changes that occur within the cardiovascular system and to determine the mechanisms for these changes; (2) determine how aging of the heart and vasculature interacts with chronic disease states to enhance the risk for CV diseases in older persons; (3) study basic mechanisms in excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac cells and how these are modulated by surface receptor signaling pathways; (4) elucidate factors that maintain stem cell pluripotentiality, that promote the commitment of stem cells to the cardiac lineage, and that regulate their development as cardiac cells; (5) elucidate mechanisms that govern cardiac and vascular cell survival; (6) determine mechanisms that govern neuro-hormonal behavioral aspects of hypertension; and (7) establish the potentials and limitations of new therapeutic approaches such as changes in lifestyle, novel pharmacologic agents or gene or stem cell transfer techniques in aging or cardiovascular disease states. In meeting these objectives, studies are performed in human volunteers, intact animals, isolated heart and vascular tissues, isolated cardiac and vascular cells, and subcellular organelles. Purpose and Objectives: The NIA LCS has a requirement to obtain contractor support services to perform data analyses of longitudinal research results using computer programs such as Microsoft Office, SAS, Sigma Plot, and R - a free software environment for statistical computing and graphic manipulation). The contractor perform statistical and data analyses of longitudinal research results using computer programs and provide on an as-needed basis technical consultation on complex statistical studies and collaboration with other scientists in LCS on aspects of study design, analysis, and interpretation. The contractor shall provide technical assistance on the methodology of complex statistical techniques performed in the LCS research as well. Additional requirements will include, on an ad-hoc or periodic basis, the evaluation of new statistical procedures and software; development of data resources; identification of inadequacies and inconsistencies in data, development of procedures and methodology to modify data; and modifying or overseeing the manipulation of the data. The LCS is involved in many areas of research, including studies such as the: SardiNIA project, with the goal of finding longevity genes and unraveling the genetic processes involved in age-related traits and diseases with attention focused on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia; test results of Multiple-gated acquisition (MUGA) scans to evaluate the pumping function of the ventricles of the heart; and the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) - one of the longest ongoing longitudinal studies of aging in the world; and performing validation review of analytical data based on the analytical method which may result in qualification of results. Contractor shall have knowledge and expertise with working on similar types of these ongoing or future research studies. General Scope of Work: In general, the contractor shall be required to perform the following tasks as they may relate to the Purpose and Objectives of the subject requirement, including: 1. Perform statistical analyses to answer research questions posed by members of the LCS; 2. Construction of graphics to illustrate the results of the analyses; 3. Collaboration on the writing and editing of manuscripts, including reiterative follow up actions to new questions or analyses posed. 4. Provide results of the analyses, graphs constructed, and edited manuscripts - electronically to the researchers/collaborators. 5. Meet periodically with the researchers to discuss the results generating additional hypotheses and furthering research methodologies leading to new types of graphs and charts. Contractor requirements and tasks to be performed: Contractor shall be required to perform the following specific tasks as it relates, possibly including but not limited to, the aforementioned research studies and following performance tasks. Sardinia Analyses of longitudinal IMT. Develop scores that encompasses the information in a number of covariates that can be used as risk factors for PWV and IMT to determine how they modify longitudinal trajectories. These scores will be developed separately for men and for women. Analyze longitudinal diameter data. Work on carotid geometric pattern (CGP) analyses to develop an approach to clustering variables into four distinct groups. Obtain mortality data for SardiNIA. Look into whether longitudinal rates of change on a number of variables differ between participants who died and did not die. MUGA Complete analyses of many variables and finalize manuscript and graphs depicting the results, for submission. BLSA As with the SardiNIA study, develop scores that encompasses the information in a number of covariates that can be used as risk factors for PWV and IMT to determine how they modify longitudinal trajectories. These scores will be developed separately for men and for women. Other analyses that arise to address questions of interest to the LCS. Period of Performance: The period of performance shall be effective on or around July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, including the option to exercise two (2) subsequent optional year periods of performance. The government estimates approximately 1,250 hours of effort is required to accomplish the statement of work in the base year, and optional year, periods of performance, or approximately 25 hours per week, which may fluctuate throughout the performance periods requiring more or less work effort based on government need and current research stages in demand. Place of Performance: The anticipated place of performance shall primarily include the location determined by the Government at the Biomedical Research Center (BRC) located on the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Campus at 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224. Travel to and from the place of performance by the contractor's employees to perform work on a regular basis will not be reimbursed. Deliverables and Reporting requirements: The contractor is required to provide written progress reports, one original and two copies, monthly for the performance period. The progress report shall cover all work completed during the specified period and shall present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent period. This report shall also identify any problems that arose and a statement explaining how the problem was resolved. This report shall also identify any problems that have arisen but have not been completely resolved and provide an explanation. Information System Security Requirements Contractor personnel performing work under this contract shall satisfy all requirements for appropriate security eligibility as specified in the contract which involved having access to sensitive information and information systems belonging to or being used on behalf of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Biomedical Research Center. The Contractor position sensitivity designation level is 5: Public Trust - Moderate Risk. See PSD table at http:/ocio.nih.gov/security. To satisfy those requirements, a Risk Background Investigation shall be conducted prior to performing work under this contract. Appropriate background investigation forms will be provided upon contract award, and are to be completed and returned within 30 days for processing. Contractors will be notified when the investigation has been completed and adjudicated. All costs associated with obtaining clearances for contractor-provided personnel will be the responsibility of the contractor. Government's responsibilities: The government will provide computers and a work station for the contractor in a federal government facility at the BRC in Baltimore, MD. The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will be responsible for: (1) monitoring the Contractor's technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the Contracting Officer changes in requirements; (2) interpreting the statement of work and any other technical performance requirements; (3) performing technical evaluation as required; (4) performing technical inspections and acceptances required by this contract; and (5) assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance. Technical Evaluation criteria: Offerors may respond with a quotation indicating their ability to provide the technical requirements stated in this solicitation. Responses from Offerors will be evaluated on the following criteria: Prior knowledge of, and experience with, using computer software programs for statistical data analyses and the methodologies and data manipulations analyzed. Evidence or documentation of published manuscripts as co- or lead- author in a field related to the longitudinal research specified in this announcement. Offerors' past performance of work on government or commercial contracts for similar requirements in the past two (2) years will be an evaluatable criterion. Offerors shall propose a fixed-hourly rate for base year and optional year periods of performance. The hourly rate must be a fully loaded labor rate inclusive of all direct costs, indirect cost, overhead, and profit or fee. Offeror must also include a breakdown of how the fully loaded hourly rate was determined. Responses to this RFQ must not exceed a combined 20 pages in length, exclusive of appendices and Curriculum Vitae, and be submitted in Microsoft Word or searchable PDF format in a font size of 11 or 12 point and font type of Arial or Times New Romans. Margins must be 1-inch wide (top, bottom, left, and right). Responses must references this solicitation number and include the name of the contractor. Pages in excess of the specified page limit will not be considered or evaluated. The following FAR provisions shall apply to this solicitation: 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors--Commercial Items, 52.212-2, Evaluation--Commercial Items. Evaluation factors that will be used to evaluate the offer most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered, include ability to meet the technical requirements stated in this pre-solicitation and on basis of best value to the government. Offerors must include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items, with their offer. The Clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and the Clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement. In addition the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All Offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov." All responses must be received no later than the response deadline indicated on June 24, 2015, 4:00 pm Eastern time. Late responses will not be accepted. All responses must reference solicitation number HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-2015-481. Responses may be submitted electronically to Hunter.Tjugum@nih.gov. Fax responses will not be accepted. For information regarding this solicitation, contact Hunter Tjugum by email at hunter.tjugum@nih.gov or by phone at (301) 435-8780.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NIDA-2/HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-2015-481/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States
- Zip Code: 21224
- Zip Code: 21224
- Record
- SN03769947-W 20150621/150619234418-1f8eda48a32d065f1dc37adc384425b0 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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