AFOSR/PK, 801 North Randolph Street, Room 732, Arlington, VA 22203-1977

R -- NATIONAL DEFENSE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION SOL F49620-99-R-0007 POC Kathleen Miller, (703) 696-9748 WEB: Click on Go to the AFOSR Home Page, then on NDSEG Program, http://www.afosr.af.mil. E-MAIL: Click here to contact the contracting officer via, kathleen.miller@afosr.af.mil. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) anticipates issuance of a Request For Proposal (RFP) for offers to administer the Department of Defense (DoD) National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Program. The NDSEG program promotes education in science and engineering disciplines relevant to the defense mission through three-year graduate Fellowships to U.S. citizens and nationals who have demonstrated ability and special aptitude for advanced training in science and engineering. Preference is given to applicants who indicate an intention to pursue a doctoral degree in, or closely related to, aeronautical and astronautical engineering; biosciences (including toxicology); chemical engineering; chemistry; cognitive, neural and behavioral sciences; computer science; electrical engineering; goesciences (including terrain, water and air); materials science and engineering; mathematics; mechanical engineering; naval architecture and ocean engineering; oceanography; and physics. NDSEG Fellows may choose any U.S. institutions of higher learning with an accredited program in the chosen discipline. The NDSEG Fellowship program provides monthly stipends to the Fellows as well as payment of full tuition and required fees to the institution of choice. Currently, stipends have been $17,500, $18,500 and $19,500, respectively, in years one through three. NDSEG Fellowship applications are evaluated by a panel in the science and engineering discipline of the applicant's proposed advanced degree program. Selection of awardees is made by the three participating DoD services, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Army Research Office and the Office of Naval Research. The NDSEG program has been administered from 1994 to the present through a combination contract, N00014-94-C-0291, and grant, N00014-95-1-0265, issued by the Office of Naval Research. The contract covers the administrative costs of the program and the grant transfers to the contractor funds to cover participants' stipends and academic fees. The present contract and grant period of performance end in Nov 99. DoD is transitioning responsibility for the NDSEG program to AFOSR to compete and issue the follow-on contract. AFOSR is seeking qualified sources to provide the necessary personnel, accounting, administrative and database management services, and other resources required for the administration of the NDSEG Fellowship program. The successful offeror will be required to work with the incumbent contractor, as necessary, to smoothly transition administration of the program; as well as be required to transition administration of the contract to a successor contractor when the contract performance period ends. Functions required to administer the program include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: advertising the NDSEG Fellowship program; soliciting qualified applicants; receiving applications; organizing and distributing applications among the disciplinary panels for evaluation; forwarding the results to thethree participating DoD services for final selection; making offers of appointment to selected applicants and notifying unsuccessful applicants; administering payment of Fellows' stipends, tuition and required fees to institutions; and gathering and maintaining data, suitable for analysis and presentations, from current and former participants and unsuccessful applicants. DoD plans to award approximately 90 new three-year graduate fellowships each fiscal year. AFOSR anticipates the contemplated period of performance, including options, to be seven (7) years, to cover five classes of Fellows. No decision has yet been made as to whether administration and support will be acquired under a contract, or under a combination contract and grant. If a contract is decided upon, the administration provided by the contractor will be through a Cost Plus Fixed Fee arrangement, while the pass through funds for students' stipends, tuition and fees will be through a Cost Reimbursable arrangement. If a combination contract/grant is decided upon, the contract will provide for the administration of the program and the grant will provide the pass through funds. The proposed service Standard Industrial Classification Code (SIC Code) is 8741, Management Services, size standard $5.0M. Respondees should identify if they are a small or small disadvantaged business based on this SIC code. Interested sources are requested to provide a concise capability statement, limited to three pages, addressing experience relevant to the above described functions, to include experience in similar programs; knowledge of appropriate means to publicize the program and recruit participants; familiarity with issues related to conducting research in science and engineering; ability to attract university faculty members of the science and engineering community to serve on evaluation panels; cost accounting and financial management systems adequate to track costs, issue stipends and pay academic expenses; database management capabilities to gather and maintaindata; and other resources necessary to conduct a program of this magnitude in a timely manner. Reference to past customers for similar services should include organization name, point of contact name and telephone number. Interested sources are encouraged to provide capability statements no later than 15 days after the CBD publication date to the Contracting Specialist, Mrs. Kathleen Miller, at AFOSR/PK4, 801 North Randolph Street, Room 732, Arlington, Virginia 22203-1977; or fax (703) 696-9733. Interested sources are also asked to comment on the contemplated acquisition methods; i.e., a contract for the entire effort, or a combination contract/grant for the effort. For technical questions, contact the Program Manager, Dr. Victoria Franques, at (703) 696-7313, or e-mail, victoria.franques@afosr.af.mil; or Capt Robert Latin, at (703) 696-7312, e-mail robert.latin@afosr.af.mil. Contractual questions may be addressed to Mrs. Miller at (703) 696-9748; fax (703) 696-9733, or e-mail kathleen.miller@afosr.af.mil. Aweb site has been established for this acquisition on the AFOSR Home Page; http://www.afosr.af.mil. At that site, click on 'Go to the AFOSR Home Page', then find the NDSEG site under 'Doing Business with AFOSR'. The Air Force contemplates release of the RFP on or about 3 May 99, with award on or about 1 Aug 99. Requests for the RFP must be made to the Contracting Specialist in writing via mail or fax. See Note 26. Posted 03/31/99 (W-SN314973). (0090)

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