SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Development of Modular Risk Pathway Description for Lifecycle Assessment
- Notice Date
- 5/8/2014
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541512
— Computer Systems Design Services
- Contracting Office
- CPODUS Environmental Protection Agency26 West Martin Luther King DriveMail Code: NWDCincinnatiOH45268USA
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- RFQ-OH-14-00107
- Response Due
- 5/23/2014
- Archive Date
- 7/23/2014
- Point of Contact
- Samantha Fuchs
- E-Mail Address
-
Samantha Fuchs
(Fuchs.Samantha@epamail.epa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The U.S. EPA intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), with the University of Michigan for the procurement of Development of Modular Risk Pathway Descriptions for Life Cycle Assessment. Specific tasks and deliverables in this Statement of Work are as follows: - Task 1: Create and Implement a Quality Assurance Project Plan - Task 2: Establish preliminary data and models needed to implement a RDF database to support human health assessment that includes situation-specific exposure pathways throughout a chemical life cycle. - Subtask 2.1: Survey approaches for human health risk characterization (human exposure and health risk assessments) and life cycle impact assessment and categorize them based on their key features and elements of their underlying models and calculations. Upon successful completion of this subtask, the Contactor shall deliver both a report conveying the results of this survey and a well-structured, tabular summary using formats designated by the EPA COR. A peer-reviewed journal article will be accepted in place of the report at the discretion of the EPA COR, provided the article satisfies the information requirements for the report. - Subtask 2.2: Critically review available human exposure, health risk, and life cycle assessment ontologies and propose cross-linkages and any necessary extensions for their use in EPA?s RDF database to incorporate detailed human exposure and health risk pathways from across a chemical life cycle. Upon successful completion of this subtask, the Contractor shall deliver a report describing the available ontologies, their key features and content, and a written and diagrammatic description of the proposed extensions and cross-linkages to support a life cycle exposure framework. The report should include the ontologies in a format compatible with Protege ontology editing software (Stanford Center for Bioinformatics Research, 2014). A peer-reviewed journal article will be accepted in place of the report at the discretion of the EPA COR, provided the article satisfies the information requirements for the report. - Subtask 2.3: Submit an electronic copy of risk pathway datasets in a file format to be specified by the EPA COR - Task 3: Perform case studies to demonstrate proof-of-concept and validation of database results. - Task 4. Creation of datasets for additional risk pathways. - Task 5: An electronic copy of additional risk pathway datasets developed in a file format to be specified by the EPA COR. EPA has identified the University of Michigan's Dr. Olivier Jolliet and the Impact and Risk Modeling Research Group (iMod Research Group) as the only known source able to satisfy the Government's requirements. Specifically, The iMod Research Group is responsible for and/or has access to a broad array of datasets which can be directly applied or leveraged in the accomplishment of this requirement and which are not publicly available. In particular, these include files underlying the USEtox model, a global, consensus-based human and ecosystem toxicity life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) model widely used in LCA modeling, and its more recently developed indoor air and near-field exposure modules. The iMod Research Group has developed and maintains the IMPACTWorld+ location-specific life cycle impact assessment method. The underlying datasets and pathways for all of these models can be used to develop ontologies for linking product use to life cycle assessment and risk assessmen t. In addition to these academic models, the iMod Research Group has access to relevant EPA datasets including ToxCast, ExpoCast, AcTOR and CPcat, through on-going collaborative research efforts. Inclusion of this information is necessary for connecting this research with the EPA's computational toxicology program, a cornerstone of the next-generation assessment tools. The iMod Research Group has developed a preliminary ontology to relate AcTOR and CPcat categories to an exposure modeling oriented classification valid for both risk assessment and life cycle assessment. This work will provide the necessary knowledge for the contractor to assist with the ontology development. The iMod Research Group has explored a novel approach to estimate exposure at workplaces through combining the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) exposure database containing more than 50,000 substance-industry sector observed concentrations with manual labor hours worked in each of the US manufacturing sectors. The life cycle assessment and risk assessment research communities include a diverse set of individuals and research groups, many of whom hold data, models, and perspectives relevant for this work. The iMod Research Group has already built collaborative relationships with many of the project partners and stakeholders this requirement is intended to engage. As a leading team in the development of toxicity methodologies for life cycle impact assessment (since 1993), Dr. Jolliet, with the support of the iMod Research Group, initiated the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative and co-developed the USEtox model as a consensus project, giving them access to a large group of teams working on human health impact assessment modeling. Finally, Dr. Jolliet is the founding member of the University of Michigan Risk Science Center and leads the Computational Risk and Exposure Modeling (CORE-MOD) initiative to develop computational models to understand the sources of adverse health impact risks associated with chemicals including direct, near field exposure of consumers and workers and far field exposures via the ambient environment. This activity provides the iMod Research Group with a uni que profile within the research community and provides an intrinsic motivation consistent with the goals of the requirement. This procurement will be accomplished under FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Interested firms may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirements. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETATIVE QUOTATIONS. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Sources wishing to be considered by the agency MUST submit documentation to the office identified in this notice. Documentation must be submitted within 15 calendar days of the date of publication of this notice. Submit your request in writing to Samantha Fuchs at the address shown above or email at Fuchs.Samantha@epa.gov. Telephone requests will not be honored.
- Web Link
-
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- Record
- SN03360963-W 20140510/140509021815-127e1b6472290a3119fa9c3636709b8d (fbodaily.com)
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