Animal Husbandry and Behavioral Testing Services for a NASA Human Research Program.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This SOW outlines the requirements for animal husbandry and behavioral testing services for a NASA Human Research Program project involving live animal experiments with mice that have previously experienced simulated spaceflight. The goal is to assess sensorimotor and cognitive behavior of aged mice to understand factors astronauts may encounter during lunar and Martian missions.

• Provide housing and veterinary care for approximately 109 cages (176 mice) for up to 4 months.

• Services include food, water, caging materials, cage and room cleaning, and animal husbandry by a veterinarian and certified support staff.

• Conduct a battery of behavioral tests, including:

  • SHIRPA phenotype assessment
  • Sociability and Social Memory
  • Force Plate Actimetry
  • Grip Strength
  • Elevated Zero Maze
  • Balance Beam
  • Barnes Maze

• The facility must have expertise in neurological disease models, behavioral testing with rodents, and understanding of spaceflight effects.

• Acceptance criteria include meeting all scientific requirements in Section B and all logistics requirements.

• Deliverables include animal husbandry services, daily animal census, veterinary care program, and data/videography from behavioral tests.

• Period of Performance: February 10, 2026 – May 31, 2026.

• Funds delivery is requested to begin as soon as reasonably achievable.

• Services are to be performed at an accredited Animal Facility with the specified infrastructure and staffing.

• The institution must possess world-class expertise in relevant areas.

• Total cost for housing and testing must not exceed the contracted price.

• Funds will be disbursed in a phased manner based on actual costs (behavioral testing and 4 months of housing).

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

NASA/NSSC intends to issue a sole source contract for Animal Husbandry and Behavioral Testing Services for a NASA Human Research Program. The contract will be awarded to the UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER, which has been determined to be the sole provider of these services for the NASA Human Research Program. Performance will be located at NASA/ Ames Research Center (ARC).

• Animal Husbandry and Behavioral Testing Services.

• The NAICS Code for this procurement is 541715.

• The contract is intended to be sole source.

• Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications in writing to the identified point of contact.

• Submission deadline: 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on February 10, 2026.

• Submitted capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely to determine if the procurement should be conducted on a competitive basis.

• Oral communications are not acceptable.

• This notice is for a sole source determination. The government reserves the right to not compete the proposed effort.

• FAR 52.213-4 Terms and Conditions-Simplified Acquisitions (Other Than Commercial Items) (Mar 2016) is incorporated by reference.

• NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html .

• Primary Point of Contact: Laura Quave, Procurement Specialist, laura.a.quave@nasa.gov, 228-813-6420.

Statement of Work (SOW)

This Statement of Work outlines the requirements for animal husbandry and behavioral testing services for a NASA Human Research Program project titled ‘Oxidative Stress and the Neuroconsequences of Spaceflight Environment - Immune Dysfunction and Dietary Countermeasure Efficacy'. The project aims to assess the sensorimotor and cognitive behavior of aged male and female mice following exposure to simulated microgravity, radiation, and isolation, factors relevant to future NASA Artemis missions.

• Animal Husbandry: Provision of housing, food (Envigo Teklad 2014), water, bedding, enrichment, cage changes, cleaning, room cleaning, cage census, daily health checks, and veterinary services.

• Behavioral Testing: Performance of the following tests on mice:

  • SHIRPA phenotype assessment
  • Sociability and social memory
  • Force Plate Actimetry
  • Grip Strength
  • Beam Walk
  • Elevated Zero Maze
  • Barnes Maze

• Data Provision: Providing data and videography from all behavioral tests.

• All scientific requirements in Section B must be met.

• All Logistics requirements must be met.

• Acceptance criteria include meeting all scientific and logistics requirements.

• Period of Performance: February 1, 2026 – May 31, 2026.

• Place of Performance: University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) Rodent Behavior Facility, Kansas City, Kansas.

• The facility must have world-class expertise in neurological disease models and behavioral testing with rodents, specifically with experience related to spaceflight effects.

• The KUMC Behavioral Facility is identified as the only vendor capable of meeting the study's requirements due to its specialized lab and expertise, particularly with the Barnes Maze and its prior involvement in the Rodent Research RR-20 mission.

• This work is mission-critical for NASA's HRP Path to Risk Reduction project, requiring identical experimental operations across multiple labs to ensure data consistency for simultaneous analysis.

• Approximate phased payments: $33,402.50 for behavioral testing and $14,388.00 for animal housing for 4 months.

• Total cost for housing and testing must not exceed the stated total (amount not fully specified in provided text).