SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- MRI Scanning Support Services
- Notice Date
- 8/21/2017
- 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, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 3165, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20892
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-SBSS-2017-746
- Archive Date
- 9/10/2017
- 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
- N/A
- Description
- INTRODUCTION This is a Small Business Sources Sought (SBSS) 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 and type of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting this 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. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. The information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method including small business socio-economic set-aside possibilities and to determine the availability of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting the Government's potential requirement. All Small Business companies with the capability and availability to perform the requirement under the applicable NAICS code are invited to submit a response to this notice. NORTH AMERICAN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE The NAICS code applicable to this requirement is 541990 -- All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services with associated business size standard $15,000,000.00. BACKGROUND The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Laboratory of Neuropsychology (LN), works to understand normal cognitive development in people. MRI scans are reviewed by NIMH researchers using morphometric analyses in an effort to understand the brain areas responsible for the underlying memory or language impairments. In order to carry out these brain morphometric analyses, NIMH requires collection of high quality brain MRIs which use the latest scanning equipment and techniques available. NIMH LN has a potential requirement to procure Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning support services for individuals with demonstrated cognitive impairments. MRI scanning support services are required for collection of high quality magnetic resonance images for two groups of individuals, one group with memory impairment and one group with language impairment PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of this potential requirement is to obtain contractor support provide services related the the objectives achieved in prior purchase order number HHSN271201600729P with the University College of London's Institute of Child Health. Contractor suppor shall allow for NIMH research continuity of MRI data among the previous scanned set of individuals. Offerors responding to this Small Business Sources Sought notice shall possess the ability to provide access to the same research population as the previous work to ensure continuity with this protocol. The main goal of LN is to uncover and delineate new, as well as refine already established, multiple parallel cerebral systems or functional circuits that mediate different aspects of higher-order sensory processing in vision and audition and language. LN needs to assess the volume and structural integrity of different brain structures (e.g. thalamus, mammillary bodies, white matter, auditory cortex, frontal cortex, and language areas such as Wernicke's and Broca's areas) measured in patients with developmental amnesia (DA) and/or language deficits related to a defect in the FoxP2 gene (KE family). LN needs to collect high-quality MRIs of the brain with the latest scanning equipment and techniques available in order to carry out detailed brain morphometric analyses. Upon morphometric analyses LN hopes to understand the brain areas responsible for the underlying memory or language defect. It is through this combined effort that DA patients were first characterized and the underlying pathology identified. The KE family with a defect in language development as a result of a lack of the FoxP2 gene has only been located in the UK. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS This Small Business Sources Sought notice seeks responses from qualified sources that are capable of providing the following salient service requirements of this potential government through the following tasks: 1.Identify and recruit previously assessed 25 patients with developmental amnesia and their 25 controls. 2.Identify and recruit the 11 members of the KE family that have a language defect as a result of lack of the FoxP2 gene and their 11 controls. 3.Carry out a series of MRI scans as detailed in this statement of work using a Siemens Prisma, 3T with class leading magnet homogeneity, with a 64 channel head receive coil and fully dynamic parallel transmit RF, 80mT/m, 200T/m/s gradients. 4.Using the Siemens scanner as described above, the contractor shall perform both T1 and a T2 series MRI scans. In addition the contractor shall collect images using an MPrage sequence with a 20 x 64 coil. The contractor shall also collect FLAIR /TR images, used for multi parameter mapping and multi band fMRI. 5.Scans shall provide imaging quality sufficient to assess the volume of different brain structures (e.g. thalamus, mammillary bodies, white matter, auditory cortex, frontal cortex, and language areas such as Wernicke's and Broca's areas) measured in patients with DA and/or language deficits related to a defect in the FoxP2 gene (KE family). Period of Performance The anticipated Peroid of Performance of this potential requirement for nine (9) months shall become effective on or around September 30, 2017. CAPABILITY STATEMENT / INFORMATION SOUGHT Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk. Respondents must provide clear and convincing evidence of possessing the knowedge, skills, abilities and experience to successfully perform the requirements described in this announcement. Detailed past experience in implementing similar requirements to the requirement described in this announcement must be clearly delineated in any response provided, including a Curriculum Vitea (CV). Evidence of published manuscripts or other documentation produced must be used to support past experience. Respondents must provide clear and convincing documentation of their capability in providing analytical quality control and any other requirements and services specified in this notice. Respondents must provide a general overview of the respondents' opinions about the difficulty and /or feasibility of the potential requirement, and any information regarding innovative ideas or concepts. The Respondent must also provide information in sufficient detail of the respondents' (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information. 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 response is limited to ten (10) pages. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, CV's or references, if requested. The information submitted must be must be in and outline format that addresses each of the elements of the product requirement. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. 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 responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted. The response MUST reference the solicitation number and be submitted to Mr. Hunter Tjugum at hunter.tjugum@nih.gov and NIDASSSAPurchaseRequ@mail.nih.gov prior to the closing date specified in this announcement. The response must be received on or before the closting date/time specified in this announcement. CONCLUDING STATEMENTS 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 pre-solicitation 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).
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