Environmental Protection Agency, Contracts Management Division, Cincinnati, OH 45268-7001

A -- ON-SITE TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL EXPOSURE RESEARCH LABORATORY, CINCINNATI, OH SOL C500797T1. POC J. Deanna Easley, 513-366-2027. Competitive 8(a) set-aside. The Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory-Cincinnati, OH (NERL-Cincinnati) conducts ecological and human exposure research that is essential to the risk assessment process. The focus of this work is the development of methods to analyze and characterize widlife exposure to stressors of all kinds. The research has both field and laboratory components and uses approaches to detect and identify exposures, as well as to understand which factors influence their outcome. The indicators developed to investigate stressors may include chemical, biological, hydrological and geomorphological, and will include mechanists approaches to develop relationships between stressors and evidence of bioavailability. Biomarks of exposure will be developed in all/any target of the organism and at all levels of biological organization. While the primary focus of this contract is on ecological research, some support in human exposure research will also be required for dietary methods, models and monitoring. This contract will provide the on-site technical support necessary to carry out this research in a spectrum of support necessary to carry out this research in a spectrum of scientific disciplines. These will range from physical, chemical and geographical characterization of ecosystems to molecular, biochemical and physiological measurements of ecosystem processes and individual exposures. The support will include providing the personnel and services needed to develop work plans, laboratory and field studies, data collection and transfer, data summary and report preparation. It will be necessary for the contractor to provide expertise for ecological and biological methods development, exposure monitoring and quality assurance. The Agency anticipates the award of a cost-plus-fixed-fee, level of effort term contract with a Base period of 18 months, three (3) 12-month options and one (1) six-month option to extend the contract term. The contractor shall provide a staff of 21 full-time personnel to work on-site at EPA/NERL-CI utilizing Government furnished equipment and facilities. In addition, the Government shall have option to increase the base staff by up to 100% of the base requirement during each term of the contract. This procurement has been set aside to be competitively awarded to an 8(a) firm. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which will be evaluated by the Agency in accordance with the technical evaluation criteria specified in the RFP. The SIC code for this solicitation is 8731 (500 employees). All requests for a copy of the solicitation must be in writing; no telephone requests will be honored. (268)

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