NIH, NIAID, CMB, Solar Blvd., Room 3C07, 6003 Executive Blvd., MSC- 7610, Bethesda, MD

A -- PRECLINICAL EVALUATION OF THERAPIES FOR MICROSPORIDIAL INFECTION SOL RFP-NIH-NIAID-97-02 DUE 081596 POC Phil Hastings, Contract Specialist 301-496-0194. The Opportunistic Infections Research Branch, Therapeutics Research Program, Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, has a requirement to develop therapies for the treatment of AIDS and associated opportunistic infections. The purpose of this RFP is: 1) to develop, standardize, and validate a murine model of microsporidiosis that is appropriate to testing new therapies, and 2) to develop, standardize, and validate an in vitro system to screen potential new drugs against microsporidial infection. The emphasis of the resulting contract will be to fill the gaps in knowledge and methodologies regarding research on Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Therefore, the primary in vivo and in vitro models should utilize E. bieneusi as the infectious agent. The Government anticipates that the first year will focus on development and validation of models. Evaluation of therapies will commence after the initial development period upon approval of the E. bieneusi models, and efforts to improve the models may continue in subsequent contract years. Additional, alternative, validated in vivo and in vitro models using other species of parasites in the phylum Microspora will also be conducted under certain conditions. Offerors must provide scientific justification for their selection of alternative series of Microspora for these studies. At the time of proposal, Offerors should propose a murine model and an in vitro model for standardization and validation under the contract using E. bieneusi; alternative models using other species of microsporidia should be justified in their selection, validated, and readily available at the time of proposal. It is anticipated that one (1) cost reimbursement, level-of-effort type contract will be awarded for a period of five (5) years beginning on or about July 15, 1997. It is estimated that 1,750% total effort will be needed for this acquisition during the five-year period. RFP NIH-NIAID-DAIDS-97-02 will be available electronically on or about April 15, 1996, and may be accessed through either the NIH Gopher or the NIH Home Page by using the following electronic mail addresses and instructions: 1) To access the NIH Gopher: Point your gopher client to GOPHER.NIH.GOVPORT 70. (You should now be in the NIH Gopher.) Select ''Grant and Research Information,'' then select ''R&D Requests for Proposals (RFP). 2) NIH Home Page (via the World Wide Web): Access the NIH Home Page by using http://www.nih.gov. Once you are at the NIH Home Page, select ''Grants and Contracts,'' then select ''R&D Requests for Proposals (RFP).'' Responses to this RFP will be due on August 15, 1996. Any responsible offeror may submit a proposal which will be considered by the Government. This advertisement does not commit the Government to award a contract. Inquiries may also be faxed to Mr. Hastings at (301) 402-0972 or sent by electronic mail to ph23k@nih.gov. No collect calls will be accepted. (0085)

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