B -- PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACT FOR UGANDA LABORATORY DIRECTOR

Notice Date

June 1, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease = Control and Prevention, Procurement and Grants Office (Atlanta), 2920 = Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA, 30341-4146

ZIP Code

30341-4146

Solicitation Number

2001-N-00107

Response Due

June 18, 2001

Point of Contact

Barry Smith, Contracting Officer, Phone (770)488-2642, Fax = (770)488-2671, Email BAS4@CDC.GOV

Description

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) contemplates = awarding a sole source contract to Dr. Robert G. Downing of Entebbe, = Uganda to provide services as a Laboratory Director in Uganda. The = purpose of this contract is to contract with a private individual to = serve as Laboratory Director for CDC as part of a collaboration with = the Uganda virus Research Institute (UVRI) located in Entebbe. The = Laboratory Director shall provide scientific direction and management = for the in-country laboratory aspects of the research and provide = consultation to the U.S.-based project officers and the U.S. and Uganda = senior investigators on laboratory issues relating to studies planned = and underway. This project is part of CDC's Global AIDS Activity (GAP) = and is funded under the U.S. Government's "Leadership and Investment in = Fighting an Epidemic" (LIFE) activity. The purpose of GAP is to = strengthen capacity and expand activities in the areas of 1) HIV = primary prevention; 2) HIV care, support, and treatment; and 3) = capacity and infrastructure development. The overall goal of CDC's GAP = activities in Uganda is to improve the health of people in Uganda = through the design, implementation, and evaluation of appropriate = health interventions. Awarding this contract to anyone other than Dr. = Robert Downing would cause unacceptable delays in GAP's mission in = Uganda and lead to substantial, unnecessary expenditure of CDC funds = for the following reasons: 1) During his long tenure with the UVRI-CDC = Collaboration, Dr. Robert Downing has developed a unique collection of = laboratory skills, including serologic, molecular, and immunologic = assays for HIV and related viruses. He has adapted laboratory testing = to conditions prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, and this collection = skills is extremely difficult to find in any researcher. CDC's = activities in Uganda are heavily laboratory-based, and multiple studies = are ongoing. Having to change the Laboratory Director would cause = considerable problems with conducting many of the studies and projects, = and would lead to irreparable harm to some of them. Several of the = projects would have to continue for several more months to accommodate = delays, and costly laboratory errors would undoubtedly occur while the = new Laboratory Director learned new techniques and methods. This would = require considerable resources that are not currently available. 2) In = a country such as Uganda, good relationships between the directors of = health programs and local authorities are crucial to the success of a = project such as CDC's GAP. Such relationships, however, take years to = develop. Dr. Downing's long tenure of over a decade at the Uganda = Virus Research Institute has enabled him to establish long-standing, = strong ties with Ministry of Health authorities and laboratories. = Developing these relationships between a new laboratory director and = Ugandan counterparts would take years to establish, resulting in = counter-productive delays in carrying out CDC's mission in Uganda. The = Government knows of only one qualified source capable of providing the = required services. This is not a request for proposals. Interested = parties shall submit in writing; their name, address, point of contact, = and telephone number. Interested parties shall also submit a brief = capability statement indicating their capabilities to perform this = service. This information shall be submitted in writing, or faxed to = (770) 488-2671, or e-mailed to BAS4@CDC.GOV. Attn: Barry E. Smith. = Interested parties that fail to provide the required information within = 15 calendar days from date of the publication of this announcement will = be considered not responsive to this announcement and no information = will be provided. All responsible sources that meet the above = requirements may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the = Agency. See numbered Note 26.

Web Link

Visit this URL for the latest information about this (http://www.eps.gov/spg/HHS/CDCP/PGOA/2001-N-00107/listing.html)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010605/BSOL009.HTM (D-152 SN50N7F0)