A--Management and Support of the US Army Research Laboratory PostDoctoral Fellowship Program

The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has as its primary business research and technology development. ARL maintains a postdoctoral research fellowship program, the ARL Resident Research Associateship Program, to provide post-doctoral scientists and engineers of unusual promise and ability with opportunities for research in problems, largely of their own choice, that are compatible with the interests of the supporting laboratories/directorates, thus contributing to the overall efforts of the ARL. The research conducted by fellows under this program is intended to be performed at one of the ARL Directorates performing basic and applied research from within the broad context of scientific and engineering disciplines. The possible participating ARL dire ctorates, located in Adelphi MD and Aberdeen MD, are: Computational and Information Sciences Directorate (CISD), Human Research and Engineering Directorate (HRED), Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD), and Weapons and Materials Research Directo rate (WMRD). Research efforts may also be performed at a site arranged by ARL within the United States with an environment and resources that will facilitate the research efforts of the fellow. The Contractor, as an independent contractor and not as an a gent of the US Government or the ARL, shall provide all necessary personnel, facilities, equipment, and materials (except as furnished by the Government) to establish and administer the ARL postdoctoral research fellowship program, to include advertising t he program, administering the application process, and funding the Research Associate efforts (Stipends, Relocation Costs, Travel Costs, and Insurance). The Contractor shall provide ARL with highly qualified postdoctoral scientists and engineers as candid ates for fellowship appointments. The emphasis is on the quality of the personnel nominated for ARL appointments and the relevance of their proposals to the ARL mission. The Contractor shall actively advertise the program to prospective applicants, inclu ding annual preparation of an opportunity booklet in the general style and format of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) booklet entitled: 2002 Army Research Laboratory 2002 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. The Contractor shall maintain a website showcasing ARL research opportunities; the website will contain as a minimum the technical sections of the opportunity booklet and complete application and applicant review forms. The Contractor shall provide application assistance to qualified a pplicants and shall provide recommendations to ARL to assist in attracting highly qualified applicants. The Contractor shall also maintain records, to include but not limited to ARL progress reports and evaluations for each fellow and records of all expen ditures under the program, and submit reports to ARL as required. This will be an unrestricted negotiated procurement. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541611 Administrative Management Services. The Sta ndard Industrial Classification (SIC) is 8742. Small Business size standard is $6 million. Only one contract award will be made under this solicitation. A Cost Type contract is anticipated. The period of performance for this effort is five years. It i s estimated that up to 39 postdocs may be active in a particular year and this count consists of new, renewed, and senior postdoc awardees. Interested parties are advised that paper copies of the solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation will be made available on-line at http://w3.arl.army.mil/contracts/opport.htm, and solicitation amendments, if any, will also be found at the same location. Offerors are responsible for checking the website to ensure they have latest information available concern ing this acquisition. Proposals from all qualified sources will be considered. No telephone requests will be honored.