66--Maze PI Tamara Richards FY19 BLRD Portland VA

The Department of Veterans Affairs in Portland, WA plans to negotiate a sole source contract with Maze Engineers to provide a specialized radial arm maze system designed for neuroscience research. This automated equipment is intended to assist VA researchers studying the effects of binge-level methamphetamine use on neural and behavioral functions. The maze will feature multiple motivators, including food dispensers and sipper tubes delivering various solutions, and must be adaptable to different maze configurations, such as T or Y mazes, to assess various learning and memory parameters. This flexibility enables detailed, long-term data collection to advance understanding of methamphetamine’s impact on cognitive processes. This procurement is being conducted under specific federal acquisition regulations allowing sole source negotiations, but interested and capable vendors are invited to submit capability statements by a set deadline for consideration. The solicitation, identified by number 36C24E19Q0140, is not a request for competitive proposals, and the government retains discretion over whether to compete the contract based on the responses received. All submissions must be sent via email by August 21, 2019, with no telephone inquiries accepted. The contracting office overseeing this effort is located in Pittsburgh, PA, and the project supports research led by Principal Investigator Tamara Richards for fiscal year 2019.