SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Postmortem Human Brain Collection
- Notice Date
- 7/3/2013
- 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 Institute on Drug Abuse, Station Support/Simplified Acquisitions, 31 Center Drive, Room 1B59, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
- ZIP Code
- 20892
- Solicitation Number
- RFPHHSNIHNIDANIMH3009125
- Archive Date
- 8/2/2013
- Point of Contact
- Jasmine D Snoddy, Phone: 301 594 1571
- E-Mail Address
-
snoddyj@mail.nih.gov
(snoddyj@mail.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Contracting Office Address: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Station Support Simplified Acquisitions, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 31, Room 1B59 Bethesda, MD 20892, UNITED STATES Introduction: 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. Background Information: The purpose of this study is to gain knowledge of how affected postmortem human brain tissue deviates from normal control postmortem human brain tissue to help NIMH fully characterize neurological or psychiatric disorders. The Clinical Brain Disorders Branch (CBDB) Section on Neuropathology in the National Institute of Mental Health explores the causes, consequences and potential treatments of numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders. Our research is supplemented by studying postmortem brain tissue from both psychiatrically healthy and afflicted individuals in order to establish the neuropath logical change underlying these complex neuropsychological disorders. Purpose and Objectives for the Procurement: The Section on Neuropathology/Clinical Brain Disorders Branch (CBDB) requests the services of the Virginia State Department of Health/Northern Virginia District to collect human postmortem human brain tissue, various specimens at autopsy, and medical/toxicology information that may be of interest to the NIMH for research into the neurobiology of major mental disorders. The donated postmortem human brain tissue and specimens will be used by the Clinical Brain Disorders Branch for research into the neurobiology of complex mental disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, depression, substance abuse an suicide) in order to better understand the basis of these disorders. This research will hopefully lead to improved diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention of these illnesses and their consequences. On a daily basis, Northern Virginia Medical Examiner (NoVA ME), must review case documents for potential donation and determine which cases may be eligible for CBDB research, in particular those who have signed organ donor cards and others with a reasonable suspicion of a history of mental or neurological illness, particularly schizophrenia as well as healthy controls across the lifespan. Once a case is selected, NoVA ME will contact CBDB personnel and must provide: 1) the general background of the case; 2) information regarding whether the deceased in an organ donor; and 3) the name and telephone number of the deceased next-of-kin. CBDB staff will promptly contact the next-of-kin of the decedent to obtain consent (via a recorded telephone call) to utilize the deceased subject's brain and skull contents (including dura, pituitary, pineal, and upper cervical spinal cord), blood and hair same for research. CBDB staff will also solicit the release medical records. Once consent is obtained by CBDB personnel, the NoVA ME will begin extraction promptly upon notification of approval from the NIMH; whenever possible, the process should begin within 24 hours of death; unless approved by the NIMH Project Officer, specimens extracted beyond 48 hours will not be accepted for donation. The NoVA ME will provide to the CBDB any relevant information related to a specimen including cause and manner of death, relevant history and/or toxicology in order to allow optimal characterization of the specimen provided this information does not compromise the forensic evaluation of the case. CBDB staff will generally retrieve the brain and blood samples on a daily basis from the NoVA ME office. Only in rare circumstances will specimens be shipped by NoVA ME to the NIMH. Shipments must be received no later than seven days from extraction and are to be delivered on weekdays, 8:00 am through 5:00 pm. Prior to shipping, the NIMH shall be contacted with shipping details, including the overnight courier tracking number. NoVA ME will properly prepare and package specimens in accordance with all Federal, State and City regulation. Capability Statement: Businesses that believe they possess the capabilities necessary to undertake this work should submit complete documentation of their capabilities to the Contract Specialist. The capabilities statement must specifically address each project requirement separately. Additionally, the capability statement should include 1) the total number of employees, 2) the professional qualifications of scientists, medical experts and technical personnel as it relates to the above outlined requirements, 3) a description of general and specific facilities and equipment available, including computer equipment and software, 4) an outline of pervious research projects that are similar to the project requirements in which the organization and proposed personnel have participated, and 5) any other information considered relevant to this program. The capability statement must not exceed 15 single sided or 7.5 double sided pages in length and using a 12-point font size minimum. Interested organizations are required to identify their size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration. The government requests that no proprietary or confidential business data be submitted in a response to this notice. However, responses that indicate the information therein is proprietary will be properly safeguarded for Government use only. Capability statements must include the name and telephone number of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives. Capability statements in response to this market survey that do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the solicitation notice number. All capability statements sent in response to this Sources Sought Notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Jasmine Snoddy, Contract Specialist-Snoddyj@mail.nih.gov in MS Word within 15 calendar days of the date of this announcement. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the response. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your 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 reviewed of the responses received, pre-solicitation and solicitation notices may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. The solicitation release date is pending. The Government intends to negotiate a fixed-price contract.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NIDA-2/RFPHHSNIHNIDANIMH3009125/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
- Zip Code: 20892
- Zip Code: 20892
- Record
- SN03107783-W 20130705/130703235652-f3091dcdd0dbe14bf066c2e4886b72a0 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |