SPECIAL NOTICE
R -- Mental and Health Field Research in Amish and Mennonite Communities
- Notice Date
- 3/16/2021 2:02:46 PM
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIDA Bethesda MD 20892 USA
- ZIP Code
- 20892
- Solicitation Number
- NIMH-21002495
- Response Due
- 4/1/2021 9:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 04/16/2021
- Point of Contact
- Sarah Adan, Phone: 301-480-5422, Valerie Whipple, Phone: 301-827-5218
- E-Mail Address
-
sarah.adan@nih.gov, valerie.whipple@nih.gov
(sarah.adan@nih.gov, valerie.whipple@nih.gov)
- Description
- INTRODUCTION THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME). The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Dr Layla Kassem, 4801 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20008. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET ASIDE STATUS The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 541690 � Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services with a Small Business Size Standard of 15 million. REGULATORY AUTHORITY This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13�Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13�Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6�Competition Requirements. FAR Subpart 13.106-1 (b) Soliciting from a single source provides that: For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, Contracting officers may solicit from one source IF the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name OR industrial mobilization). The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2021-05 dated March 10, 2021. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES The Genetic Basis of Mood and Anxiety Disorders Section, within the Human Genetics Branch, NIMH-IRP, is a clinical genetics research program with both human-subjects and laboratory components. NIMH�s leadership position in the field depends critically on recruitment of family study volunteers, competent performance of structured diagnostic assessments in the field, refinement of diagnostic procedures, and phlebotomy services for the collection of research specimens. The existing resources of the Intramural Research Program and the expertise available are not sufficient to meet this need. The Genetic Basis of Mood and Anxiety Disorders Section requires contractor support services to assist with maintaining NIMH�s leadership position while working within present constraints. The section seeks contractor services to support recruitment of study volunteers from families with specific mental illnesses within Amish and Mennonite communities, perform structured diagnostic and other mental health assessments in the field, help to design and improve clinical assessment tools and establish their validity among individuals of Amish or Mennonite ancestry, and collect blood and other biological specimens in the field for use in molecular analyses. While most of the tasks will be performed by the contractor, qualified subcontractors may be engaged as needed. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT The Contractor shall support clinical genetics research to include: (Task 1) continual improvement of the branch�s family volunteer recruitment effort and ascertainment strategies, (Task 2) performance of diagnostic assessments in the field, (Task 3)� assisting the branch in the refinement of diagnostic procedures, and (Task 4) assisting the branch with collection of blood specimens from research volunteers. Much of the work is done with special populations in the field, and considerable travel is required. Toward these ends, the contractor will collect clinical data for entry into an established database and design expanded and improved clinical data collection methods as needed. The contractor will maintain notebooks describing the work accomplished in sufficient detail to allow others to replicate the work. The contractor will maintain associated computer files, printouts, and other documents in an orderly fashion. All of these documents will become immediate property of the NIH and will remain in the laboratory after the contract ends. JUSTIFICATION FOR SOLE SOURCE Only people experienced in Amish and Mennonite customs can gain their trust and work appropriately with research volunteers.� Dr. Kassem is one of a handful of mental health research clinicians in the world with extensive experience working with Amish and Mennonite individuals in the field. She has over 11 years� experience with this work and is well-known and accepted among the Amish and Mennonite communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Maryland, Kansas, and Indiana. During this time, she has developed a unique and irreplaceable relationship with the enrolled study families, which the section plans to follow longitudinally for several years.� Any other contractor would need to gain the trust and build a new relationship with the study families, leading to increased attrition. Even if a new contractor could get some participants to continue, the inter-rater assessment differences would confound the longitudinal aspect of the ongoing study, which depend on serial evaluations by the same interviewer. The period of performance will be a one 12-month base year (from date of award) plus two 12-month option years. The high-volume of this work and the need for daily contact with NIMH�s family volunteer recruitment staff, database manager, and other staff, necessitates a full-time commitment of 40 hours per week over the three-year period of performance. CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION The determination by the Government to award a contract without providing for full and open competition is based upon the market research conducted. Specifically, Dr. Layla Kassem is the only vendor in the marketplace that can provide the services required by NIMH. The intended source is: Layla Kassem 4801 Connecticut Ave NW,� Washington DC 20008 CLOSING STATEMENT THIS SYNOPSIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All responses must be received by the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference the solicitation number, NIH-NIMH-21002495. Responses must be submitted electronically to Sarah Adan, Contract Specialist, at sarah.adan@nih.gov. and Valerie Whipple, Contracting Officer, at valerie.whipple@nih.gov.� U.S. Mail and fax responses will not be accepted.
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
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- Record
- SN05943767-F 20210318/210316230116 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
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