Development of White Matter Atlases for the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

Quick Summary

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), on behalf of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), intends to award a non-competitive, sole-source contract to The Vanderbilt University for the Development of White Matter Atlases for the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. This combined synopsis/solicitation, under solicitation number HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-2018-1, is for commercial items and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. Responses are due by Friday, October 6, 2017, at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Scope of Work

The contractor will be responsible for:

• Developing and evaluating new labeled atlases for application to BLSA MR images.
• Providing manually labeled data to generalize structural imaging technologies to diffusion tensor imaging by labeling brain white matter of representative subjects.
• Developing a protocol document for implementing the "Eve" white matter labeling protocol.
• Applying the labeling protocol to 10 subjects from the BLSA and 10 subjects from the Human Connectome Project, delivering labeled images.
• Preparing an electronic report detailing access and use of deliverables. The Government will retain unlimited rights and ownership of all deliverables.

Contract Details

• Type: Non-competitive, Sole-Source Purchase Order (Request for Quote)
• Solicitation Number: HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-2018-1
• Period of Performance: One year from the date of award (anticipated October 15, 2017 – October 14, 2018).
• Principal Investigator: Bennett Landman, Ph.D.
• NAICS Code: 541711 - Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology), with a Size Standard of 1,000 Employees.
• Authority: FAR Part 13 (Simplified Acquisition Procedures), FAR Subpart 13.5 (Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items), and FAR Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Items).

Set-Aside & Justification

This is a non-competitive, sole-source acquisition. The justification for this non-competitive award is for continuity of research. The proposed contract principal investigator, Dr. Landman, has been the primary investigator for processing and analyzing diffusion tensor imaging data within the BLSA since 2010, making The Vanderbilt University uniquely qualified for this work.

Submission & Evaluation

This is a request for quote. Responses must include:

• Sufficient information to establish bona-fide capabilities, including unit price, list price, shipping, handling, delivery days, payment terms, F.O.B. Point, product/catalog number, product description, and other relevant factors (e.g., past performance, special features, warranty, maintenance).
• Clear and convincing evidence of the offeror's capability related to technical evaluation criteria.
• A price proposal detailing labor categories, estimated hours, fully loaded fixed hourly rates, and rationale for other direct costs/materials.
• DUNS number, TIN, and business size certification.
• An active registration in SAM.gov. The Government will award to the responsible offeror whose offer is most advantageous, considering price and other factors.

Response Deadline & Contact

• Responses Due: Friday, October 6, 2017, at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time.
• Submission: Electronically to Danielle R. Brown, Contract Specialist, at Danielle.brown2@nih.gov. Fax responses will not be accepted.
• Questions: Contact Danielle R. Brown at Danielle.brown2@nih.gov or (301) 594-1928.