SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Positron Emission Tomography Imaging in Participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA)
- Notice Date
- 9/5/2014
- 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
- HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-SBSS-14-708
- Archive Date
- 9/27/2014
- Point of Contact
- Hunter A. Tjugum, Phone: 301 435 8780, ,
- E-Mail Address
-
hunter.tjugum@nih.gov, NIDASSSAPurchaseRequ@mail.nih.gov
(hunter.tjugum@nih.gov, NIDASSSAPurchaseRequ@mail.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- 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. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the potential Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. Background: The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, 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 National Institute on Aging (NIA) provides a stimulating setting for a comprehensive effort to understand aging through multidisciplinary investigator-initiated research, in this regard. The BLSA was initiated in 1958 and is a multi-disciplinary study of physiologic and psychologic aspects of normal aging in community-dwelling men and women. Active BLSA participants are volunteers who visit the Clinical Unit of the NIA-IRP in Baltimore, MD for testing every 1 to 4 years. Since 1994, the NIA have investigated changes in brain structure and function as predictors of cognitive decline and Alzheimer Disease (AD) through longitudinal neuroimaging assessments of selected participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and neuropsychological testing have been performed annually or biennially for the neuroimaging substudy participants, aged 55 and older. Since 2005 we have performed amyloid imaging studies with PET and 11C-PiB for approximately 125 individuals to date with more than 300 scans and up to 7 repeated assessments. As of September 2012, more than 300 PET-PiB scans have been performed for more than 100 individuals with repeat testing ongoing. This potential requirement allows longitudinal continuation of these PET scan studies to allow the IRP to follow individuals during the period of accelerated risk for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this Small Business Sources Sought notice is to determine eligible vendors with the capability to perform the services described herein and to perform and quantify in vivo brain scans, including amyloid neuropathology and regional cerebral blood flow, using Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Initial studies of changes in amyloid deposition will be conducted using PET and 11C- Pittsburgh Compound-S (PiB). PET will also be used to measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with 150-water to allow comparison with prior measures of rCBF in BLSA participants and to provide complementary data for the 11C- PiB studies. In combination with the existing physical and psychological data for BLSA participants, information on changes in rCBF and amyloid deposition in vivo will provide important information on preclinical biomarkers of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Scope of Work: The Contractor shall acquire the PET 50-water and 11C- PiB neuroimaging scans and shall provide sophisticated quantitative analysis of imaging data, using kinetic modeling techniques. Structural magnetic resonance (MR) imaging brain scans necessary for any image analysis will be acquired by the NIA-IRP at the NIA 3T MRI facility and will be provided to the Contractor for image processing and analysis. The Contractor must have the ability to meet with the NIA-IRP to allow efficient PET neuroimaging studies to be conducted in conjunction with regular BLSA visits. Moreover, close proximity is also necessitated by the need for frequent visits to the imaging facility by the Project Officer or his designate to monitor the PET scan acquisitions. Contractor may also be responsible for: Assistance with scheduling the PET scan studies; Assistance with preparation and review of regulatory documents, including materials to meet Institutional Review Board, FDA, and radiation safety regulatory requirements; Radioisotope administration; Medical monitoring of participants during PET scan procedures; Provide parking coupon to research participants where necessary. Contractor will also be responsible for delivering electronic transfer of raw and reconstructed PET scan images, including rCBF and PET-PiB, and Calibration factors and any other information necessary for quantification of PET Images, on a monthly and semi-monthly basis. Capability statement /information sought. Interested organizations must provide clear and convincing documentation of their capability of providing the item(s) specified in this notice. Specifically, the capability must address the respondent's: (1) ability to assist with scheduling the PET scan studies; (2) ability to assist with preparation and review of regulatory documents, including materials to meet Institutional Review Board, FDA, and radiation safety regulatory requirements; (5) ability to perform radioisotope administration; (6) ability for medical monitoring of participants during PET scan procedures; and (7) ability to provide sophisticated quantitative analysis of imaging data, using kinetic modeling techniques with and without partial volume correction in the form of an excel spreadsheet. Interested organizations that believe they possess the ability to provide the required services must submit specific documentation of their ability to meet each of the project requirements to the Contract Specialist. Interested organizations must provide their Company Name, DUNS number, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information. Interested organizations are required to identify their type of business, applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code, and 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. The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc.), pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2" x 11" paper size, with 1" top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. The information submitted must be must be in and outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement /information sought paragraphs stated herein. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. The response is limited to ten (10) page limit. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested. The response must include the respondents' technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. All capability statements sent in response to this Sources Sought Notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to, Hunter Tjugum, Contract Specialist, at hunter.tjugum@nih.gov, and to NIDASSSAPurchaseRequ@mail.nih.gov, in MS Word format by or before the closing date of this announcement. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted. The response must be received on or before September 12, 2014, 2:00 pm, Eastern Time. "Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in 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 a review of the responses received, a presolicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).
- Web Link
-
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