NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 219, Greenbelt, MD 20771

A -- CESDIS SOL RFP5-62638-255 POC Claudette Parent, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-6584, Fax (301)286-0237, Email Claudette.D.Parent.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#RFP5-62638-255. E-MAIL: Claudette Parent, Claudette.D.Parent.1@gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA/GSFC plans to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the operation of the Center of Excellence in Space Data and Information Sciences (CESDIS) at GSFC. This procurement is for continuation of scientific, technological, and coordinated research services in the area of computational and information sciences. The contractor will facilitate collaboration among computer and space scientists at university, industrial, and governmental organizations and the NASA/GSFC Earth Sciences Directorate on a nation-wide basis. NASA/GSFC intends to procure the research services from Universities Space Research Association (USRA) of Columbia, MD under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (1) -- Only One Responsible Source. The period of performance is for five years and the contract will be a cost plus fixed fee, performance based contract. The contractor is responsible for operation of the CESDIS. The contractor will coordinate the award of and will administer subcontracts and enter into memoranda of understanding for research projects, in a process that is open to all research institutions such as universities and industrial or governmental concerns. The CESDIS Director selects cooperating institutions, upon the advice of an outside peer review committee and with the concurrence of NASA. The administration of this contract requires the contractor to interact with university computer science departments throughout the country as well as national research institutions, the computer science industry, and related government facilities. For this purpose GSFC requires a national association, which can provide coordination and executive oversight, and encourage broad university and industry participation. GSFC has examined the operation of other computational centers, and find that their functions do not address those of a computer science research institute dedicated to support of Earth and space Science. USRA is a nonprofit consortium of universities that was chartered under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, specifically to develop and facilitate support for space related computing research and development in the university community. USRA has 80 university members, which include nearly all institutions that have graduate research programs in the space sciences and computer sciences. This membership base enables its contacts to extend throughout the university community. USRA has unique experience and capability in successful management of other research programs for NASA in Earth, space and computer sciences, that involve the participation and cooperation of research scientists drawn from throughout the university community and from industry. These other research programs include the management of three institutes in addition to CESDIS. Thus USRA's experience encompasses the fields of computer science, computational methods, networking, and information sciences, as well as space science. As a result of this experience, USRA has a unique capability to provide, from its membership, academically recognized experts from the scientific and technological fields of computing, computer science, information science, networking, and space sciences, or has ready access to such experts. As a result of its broad experience gained through managing other cooperative research organizations in conjunction with NASA centers, and its open access to universities, industry, and Government organizations in similar fields, USRA is uniquely qualified to provide the required research and services. NASA anticipates that there would be duplication of cost and unacceptable delays for on-going research projects if this contract were awarded competitively. The Government does not intend to acquire commercial services using FAR Part 12. See Note 26. RFP will be released on or about 60 days after publication of this synopsis in the CBD. Firm date for receipt of proposals will be stated in the RFP. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the agency. An Ombudsman has been appointed, See Internet Note "B". See Note 22. Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nnotes.htm. (0325)

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