Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), Procurement & Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-4146

D -- CENTRALIZED DATABASE FOR DIVERSE BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY DATA DUE 063000 POC Deborah White, Contract Specialist, 770-488-2608, MS K14, IT Section WEB: NIOSH Web Site; Description of NIOSH's Mission and, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh. DESCRIPTION OF WORK: Request for Information (RFI)/Market Research. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT. A SOLICITATION IS NOT AVAILABLE. No contract will be awarded on the basis of this announcement. The Health Effects Laboratory Division ("HELD" Morgantown, WV) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ("NIOSH"), a component of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"), intends to implement an open-architecture, server-based electronic laboratory notebook and database system for tracking scientific aspects of its laboratory research projects. This RFI is issued to seek sources and encourage Information Technology (IT) companies to provide suggestions/comments/recommendations relative to current products and technologies for the implementation of a system for tracking scientific data of laboratory research projects. The HELD is primarily a research and development entity that investigates occupational diseases and is involved in sample testing only to a limited degree. The research in HELD involves biomedical and related disciplines (i.e, pathology, physiology, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology, toxicology, biomedical engineering, biostatistics, molecular biology, particle physics, etc.) in a number of focus areas (i.e., engineering control and technology, exposure assessment, cancer, dermal diseases, pulmonary diseases, neural diseases, behavioral diseases, lung diseases, health communication, reproductive diseases, inflammatory diseases, etc.). The storage system will integrate and make available all information for each project and allow entry and tracking of the information. This information will include, but is not limited to: project description, project protocols, raw data, analyzed data, reports and manuscripts, SOPs, equipment calibration and maintenance, analyte records, facility management, safety procedures, animal information where relevant, chemical records, personnel and training records, radio isotopic records, statistical and computational output, and graphical output created by analytical software packages. The system will allow manual data entry and on-line data logging. The system is expected to be compatible with the data produced by a diverse array of instruments and their proprietary software. This data could include but, is not limited to ASCII files, electronic images, video and audio files and binary data. The system should also be able to interface with software used to analyze results graphically and statistically and prepare reports. The system should be capable of interfacing with these software packages in a manner which will be transparent to the end user. All information will be validated in accordance with accepted principles of good laboratory practice (21 CFR 58 FDA or 40 CFR 160 EPA), and readily accessible for analysis and audit by the quality assurance unit. The system must be written in a client server environment. The server will be a SUN Enterprise Server with 18 processors running preferably SYBASE system 12. However, other relational database packages will be considered. The database must be a relational database which will be the repository for the laboratory information described above. The client will consist of primarily a Windows based system (Windows NT, Windows 95/98, or Windows 2000) running on a Novell Netware 5.x fast ethernet or token ring network. There will also be a limited number of SUN, SGI, and Macintosh clients connected through the same topology. Since the laboratory environment at NIOSH is evolving, the flexibility to incorporate other client system types should be available in the proposed infrastructure. The ideal package will provide a mechanism for archiving data stored in the database. The need to archive will arise when the project is completed and online access is no longer necessary. This archival process should provide a media alternative which will ensure the reliability of the archived data. The prospective vendor would be available to provide a partnership with NIOSH before, during, and after package implementation. This includes a structured training and support agreement for both technical staff and users of the application. Along with the support agreement, problems or bugs associated with the software would be resolved efficiently by the prospective vender support staff. NIOSH intends to create a partnership with a prospective vendor which will facilitate the development of a reliable and user friendly electronic laboratory system through the requirements, specification, implementation, and testing phases of the software. It is the Government's initial assessment that currently available laboratory information management systems ("LIMS") designed for testing laboratories do not adequately fulfill the requirements stated above. A successful product may include other available electronic laboratory software products which may involve the customization of these products and/or the development of novel software and hardware solutions from one vendor or through a consortium/team of vendors. It is essential that a prospective vender develop a close partnership with the HELD to customize and optimize its key elements. The electronic laboratory software products used in the proposed system must be established and mature with a satisfied customer base. Companies developing new approaches and technologies are also encouraged to respond to this RFI. Interested parties are invited to provide in writing a capability statement in sufficient detail to allow for evaluation of products, resources, and related experiences. Three copies of the following information should be included (10 pages maximum): 1) Description of areas of expertise and work force capability, company size and history, location and financial and management resources. 2) Client base. It is recommended that at least one client contact be provided to obtain references for past performance and/or arrange for government staff to visit an in-place system. 3) Demonstrate company's development and technical knowledge of the desired system. 4) Demonstrate capability to provide support in the requirements area described above, including similar database systems in a biological research and development environment. 5) Proposed technical expertise and background for the requirement and suggested approach. 6) Capability to provide on-site and off-site contract performance. 7) Demonstration software if available (not included in page count). 8) Company brochure, if available, and web site address (not included in page count). Capability Statements should be addressed to Deborah White, Contract Specialist, 2920 Brandywine Road (Mailstop K-14), Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone (770)488-2608. Closing date for this RFI is 45 days from publication of this notice. All information received will be safeguarded against unauthorized disclosure, therefore proprietary information submitted will be protected when so designated. This RFI is not to be construed, either implicitly or explicitly, as a commitment by the Government to compensate voluntary respondents in any way for information, materials or demonstrations provided. The information gathered from the responses to this RFI may be subsequently used to generate a request for proposal in order to procure an electronic laboratory system. In order to protect the integrity of any possible future procurement, additional information will not be given beyond that provided in this RFI and or at the on-site briefing (see below). Your response will be treated as information only. All interested firms are encouraged to attend a NIOSH/HELD Industry Day in which a detailed briefing will be given on Wednesday, May 31, 2000, from 2:00pm -- 4:00pm at NIOSH in Morgantown, WV. Attendees must register in advance by calling Joyce Blosser at (304)285-6056 or sending an e-mail message to jjb8@cdc.gov. Attendance will be limited to three personnel per vendor. Directions to the facility will be made available at the time of registration. Posted 05/15/00 (W-SN454830). (0136)

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