National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Contracts Branch, DERT, P.O. Box 12874, Building 4401, Research Commons, 79 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

A -- PATHOLOGY SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONAL TOXICOLOGY PROGRAM QUALITY ASSESSMENT SOL NIH-ES-98-30 DUE 120398 POC Donald A. Gula, Contract Specialist, 919/541-0423/Allan C. Benton, Contracting Officer, 919/541-4670 WEB: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/dert/rcb/rfp.htm, http://www.niehs.nih.gov/dert/rcb/rfp.htm. E-MAIL: gula@niehs.nih.gov, gula@niehs.nih.gov. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is soliciting proposals from small business concerns having the capabilities to provide pathology quality assessment for both the technical and diagnostic aspects of the pathology data from National Toxicology Program (NTP) studies. Activities will include: (1) development of Standard Operating Procedures; (2) preQA Pathology Data Review; (3) Audit of Pathology Materials; (4) Clinical Pathology Data Quality Assessment and Support; (5) Anatomic Pathology Data Quality Assessment; (6) Audit of Final Tables; and (7) Providing Quality Assessment Related Activities. Frequent (daily) collection and delivery of materials to the NIEHS facility and NTP Archives (both located in Research Triangle Park, NC), and frequent meetings at NIEHS are required and offerors must show how they will meet this performance requirement. The Pathology QA contractor must have no apparent or actual conflict of interest with regard to the organization and/or data being reviewed. The successful offeror will be restricted from conducting pathology evaluation on NTP bioassay materials which will subsequently be submitted to the contractor for QA review. The Government estimates that a level of effort of 5.2 pathologists, 6.5 technical staff, and 2.1 clerical staff, for a total of 13.8 FTEs, will be required for the first year, and 5.0 pathologists, 4.4 technical staff, and 1.65 clerical staff, for a total of 11.15 FTEs, will be required for each of the remaining four years of the contract. An option will be included in the contract that will increase the base contract for years 2 thru 5 to the FTE level estimated above for year 1. Requests must reference RFP Number NIH-ES-98-30, and must be directed to the office listed above. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the Agency. See Numbered Note 1. Posted 10/13/98 (W-SN261539). (0286)

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