National Cancer Institute, Research Contracts Branch, ESS, Executive Plaza South, Rm. 620, 6120 Executive Blvd., MSC 7224, Bethesda, MD 20892-7224

B -- REQUEST FOR CAPABILITY STATEMENTS FOR MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY ASSAY SUPPORT SOL RFP N01-CP-01000-21 DUE 040199 POC Barbara A. Shadrick, Contracting Officer, phone 301-435-3787, fax 301-480-0241 E-MAIL: Barbara A. Shadrick, bs92y@nih.gov. The Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program (EBP), Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) and the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis (LHC), Division of Basic Sciences (DBS), both with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), are jointly issuing this Sources Sought announcement in order to conduct a Market Research to determine the availability and potential capabilities of small businesses to conduct the following work. BASED ON THE TAILORED CAPABILITY STATEMENTS RECEIVED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS ACQUISITION MAY BE SOLICITED AS A 100% SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE, SIC CODE 8731, WITH A SIZE STANDARD OF 500 EMPLOYEES. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND DOES NOT COMMIT THE NCI TO AWARD A CONTRACT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. NO RFP IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. The objectives of this five-year acquisition are to provide support services for biochemical epidemiology projects. These support services shall include: 1) bio-processing, inventorying, storing and distributing biological and environmental materials; 2) providing support to field centers for the collection and shipment of specimens; 3) identifying and selecting subcontract laboratories to perform support services required by the NCI; 4) monitoring subcontract laboratories to ensure the production of high-quality data and fulfillment of contractual obligations; 5) ensuring that data and other end-products of subcontract laboratories are acceptable, complete and in the proper format prior to their transfer to the NCI; 6) transferring unused and residual specimens to a long-term storage facility; and 7) providing consultation and logistical support to other NCI investigators in areas relevant to biochemical epidemiology. The EBP, DCEG, conducts epidemiologic research on the etiology of cancer. The research includes studies on the distribution, causes, natural history, and prevention of cancer. A variety of epidemiologic and multi-disciplinary approaches are used to investigate environmental and host risk factors, including descriptive, case-control, and cohort studies, as well as analyses of cancer-prone families and other groups at high risk of cancer. In recent years, an increasing number of epidemiologic studies include laboratory analyses of biological and environmental specimens collected as part of epidemiologic investigations. The LHC, DBS, conducts investigations to assess mechanisms of carcinogenesis in human and laboratory animal epithelial cells, to examine experimental approaches for extrapolating carcinogenesis data and mechanisms from laboratory animals to humans, and to study host factors that determine differences in carcinogenic susceptibility among individuals. The LHC emphasizes the role of inherited and acquired host factors as determinants of individual susceptibility to environmental and endogenous carcinogens and co-carcinogens. Multi-disciplinary studies, which combine epidemiologic and experimental approaches, are important to the research goals of EBP and LHC. The specific research often requires the acquisition of laboratory support for assays or other commercially available services. In recognition of this need, this Sources Sought Announcement is seeking capability statements from a prime contractor capable of acquiring subcontract laboratory support services for EBP and LHC. A contract for this purpose has been in place since 1985, with Microbiological Associates, Inc. (Contract N02-CP-50500) and this planned solicitation is for recompetition of that contract. The contractor seeks potential subcontract laboratories after a need for support services has been identified by the NCI. The contractor develops and issues Requests for Proposal to subcontractors for these support services, evaluates respondents, and awards subcontracts to the highest qualified laboratories offering the best buy for the Government. The contractor monitors subcontract laboratories to ensure the production of high quality work and fulfillment of contractual obligations. In addition to procuring support services, the contractor is directly responsible for operating a specimen processing laboratory and epository capable of processing and storing a wide range of biospecimens, including but not limited to sera, plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, urine, feces, saliva, and tumor tissue. Red blood cells shall be cryopreserved in a manner that allows their use in genetic polymorphism marker determinations. White cells and tumor tissue shall be cryopreserved, as required. Feces shall be either frozen in bulk form or lyophilized, as required. Precautions shall be taken to ensure that biological materials remain free of bacterial or other contamination during processing and other manipulations of the specimens. The Contractor shall have a quality control/assurance program to monitor the performance of work in the biospecimen processing laboratory. The biospecimen repository currently houses 50,000 sera, 20,000 plasma, 1,000 whole blood, 250 lymphocytes, 6,500 red blood cells, 1,500 supernatants, 6000 cervical lavage/scrapes, 5,500 urine samples and 500 tissue blocks/slides. The level of effort required for this activity would be 9,620 person-hours of effort per year, a total of 48,100 person-hours of effort for five years (based on a 2,080 hour work year). On an annual basis, this would include a Project Director (1 FTE), Senior Laboratory Technician (1 FTE), Junior Laboratory Technician (1 FTE), Administrative Support Assistant (1 FTE), Data Technician (0.50 FTE) and a Messenger (0.125 FTE). An example of studies which may require support services under this proposed contract activity is: 1) case-control studies of breast cancer, 1800 study subjects, serum hormone assays, growth factor assays, serum lipid profiles, micronutrient assays; 2) case-control studies of breast and prostate cancer, 500 breast cancer and 600 prostate cancer study subjects, gene polymorphism analysis, urinary heterocyclic aromatic amine analysis, micronutrient assays, prostate specific antigen assays; 3) prospective study of human papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer risk in Portland, Oregon, 23,000 study subjects, human papillomavirus typing; and 4) case-control study of cervical cancer in Costa Rica, 2,000 study subjects, human papillomavirus typing, micronutrient assays. Respondents will be evaluated on personnel, technical approach, corporate experience and capabilities and facilities/resources. All respondents to this market research announcement shall submit an original and two copies of your tailored capability statement specific to the needs of this project. No statements will be accepted after the closing date. No collect calls will be accepted. See Note 25. Posted 03/17/99 (W-SN309399). (0076)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0020 19990319\B-0003.SOL)