A -- Support Services for Epidemiology

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES (NIEHS), NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, INTENDS TO SOLICIT PROPOSALS FOR EPIDEMIOLOGY SUPPORT. THE MAJOR PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL, MANAGERIAL, AND CLERICAL SUPPORT FOR STUDIES DIRECTED BY THE EPIDEMIOLOGY BRANCH (EB), ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE PROGRAM (EBMP), DIVISION OF INTRAMURAL RESEARCH (DIR), OF THE NIEHS. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL FUNCTION IN A PURELY SUPPORTIVE ROLE CARRYING OUT SPECIFIC TASKS, AND SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL ASSIST THE GOVERNMENT BY ADMINISTERING, MANAGING, AND CONDUCTING STUDIES DESIGNED AND SUPERVISED BY THE EPIDEMIOLOGY BRANCH. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PERFORM MAJOR ACTIVITIES AS FOLLOWS: (1) PERFORM PILOT STUDIES, LITERATURE REVIEWS, COMPUTER SEARCHES, OR OTHER ACTIVITIES TO DETERMINE CAPABILITIES OF COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS, NUMBERS OF ELIGIBLE STUDY SUBJECTS, EXPOSURE INFORMATION, ETC. AND PREPARE, PRETEST, EVALUATE AND PRODUCE DATA COLLECTION FORMS, INCLUDING COMPUTER-ASSISTED TELEPHONE QUESTIONNAIRES, WEB-BASED DATA COLLECTION PLATFORMS AND CAPABILITIES, AND IN-PERSON QUESTIONNAIRES; (2) ARRANGE AND PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR MEETINGS AND TELECOMFERENCES OF RELEVANT INDIVIDUALS, MEMBERS OF ADVISORY GROUPS, ETC. TO AID IN STUDY DESIGN, LOGISTICS, OR ANALYSIS. WHEN APPROPRIATE, CONVENE AND SUPPORT MONITORING OR ADVISORY BOARDS FOR SPECIFIC STUDIES; (3) PREPARE TRAINING PROGRAMS, PROCEDURE MANUALS, AND OTHER APPROPRIATE MATERIALS FOR ABSTRACTORS, INTERVIEWERS AND OTHER STUDY PERSONNEL; (4) ARRANGE FOR THE COLLECTION, HANDLING, TRANSPORT, STORAGE AND ANALYSIS OF BIOLOGIC, INDUSTRIAL, DIETARY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES; (5) ASSEMBLE DEATH CERTIFICATES, HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL RECORDS, INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DATA, GEOCODING DATA, DIETARY HISTORIES, REPRODUCTIVE HISTORIES, OCCUPATIONAL HISTORIES, ETC. AND HAVE THEM EVALUATED AND CODED BY APPROPRIATE NOSOLOGISTS, PATHOLOGISTS, CLINICIANS, OR OTHER RELEVANT EXPERTS; (6) DEPENDING ON STUDY DESIGN, RECRUIT OR TRACE STUDY SUBJECTS, LOCATE THEM, AND OBTAIN ANY NECESSARY CONSENT FOR INTERVIEW, PERFORMANCE OF RELEVANT INDUSTRIAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENTS, BIOLOGIC SPECIMEN COLLECTION, PHYSICAL OR OTHER EXAMINATION, INCLUDING IMAGINING OR ENDOSCOPY; DETERMINATION OF THEIR VITAL STATUS, ASSESSMENT OF THE PRESENCE OR THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE OR CONDITIONS RELEVANT TO THE PARTICULAR STUDY; ASSESSMENT OF THEIR EXPOSURES, ASSESSMENT OF THEIR GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY; OR TO OBTAIN OTHER INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR THE STUDY;(7) TRAIN ABSTRACTORS, INTERVIEWERS, TELEPHONE INTERVIEWERS, CODERS, PHLEBOTOMISTS AND OTHERS WHO WILL BE INVOLVED WITH ACQUIRING AND ASSEMBLING DATA; ABSTRACT, MICROFILM PHOTOCOPY OR OBTAIN COMPUTER RECORDS (CLINICAL OR OFFICE MEDICAL RECORDS, HOSPITAL CHARTS, VITAL RECORDS, EMPLOYMENT RECORDS, ETC.); (8) INTERVIEW SUBJECTS OR SURROGATES USING MAIL, TELEPHONE, COMPUTER-ASSISTED, WEB-BASED OR IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS, EVALUATING THE STATE-OF-THE-ART FOR TECHNOLOGY-DEPENDENT TECHNIQUES SUCH AS COMPUTER ASSISTED TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS AND WEB-BASED DATA COLLECTION, AND ARRANGING THROUGH LICENSING OR SUBCONTRACT TO USE THE APPROPRIATE TECHNIQUE; A(9) ARRANGE FOR CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES, LABORATORY OR OTHER CLINICAL EVALUATION OF STUDY SUBJECTS; INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL, DIETARY, AND/OR GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENTS; (10) COLLECT, ALIQUOT, INVENTORY USING BSI-II (OR OTHER EB-IDENTIFIED LAB SOFTWARE) AND DELIVER SAMPLES TO LABORATORIES, OR INDIVIDUALS FOR STORAGE AND/OR ANALYSIS; (11) IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE LABORATORIES, EVALUATE QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL OF ONGOING LABORATORY ANALYSES, ESTABLISH DATABASES OF THE RESULTS OF LABORATORY ANALYSES, HELP TO COORDINATE DATA PROCESSING NEEDS FOR LABORATORY RESULTS FOR A WIDE RANGE OF STUDIES AND ASSIST WITH MONITORING THE AVAILABILITY, AND MANAGING THE USE OF, STORED BIOLOGIC SAMPLES FROM PREVIOUS STUDIES; (12) ENTER CODED INFORMATION INTO SUITABLE COMPUTERS; (13) DESIGN AND MAINTAIN COMPUTER DATABASES AND ASSOCIATED REPORTING SOFTWARE AND PREPARE EDIT PROGRAMS, EDIT DATA, PERFORM BACKUPS AND CORRECT COMPUTER FILES WHERE NECESSARY; (14) PRODUCE ANALYSES SPECIFIED BY THE EB INVESTIGATOR; (15) DOCUMENT EACH STEP OF A STUDY AND MAINTAIN, IN AN ORDERLY AND ACCESSIBLE MANNER, ALL RELEVANT MATERIAL SO THAT ANY ASPECT OF THE STUDY MAY BE REVIEWED AND EVALUATED BY THE EB STAFF WITH LITTLE OR NO PRIOR NOTICE; (1) DEVELOP SUBCONTRACTS FOR CLINICAL, DATA MANAGEMENT, PROGRAMMING, TELEPHONE INTERVIEWING, CLINICAL OR OTHER SPECIALIZED PROCEDURES OR KNOWLEDGE NOT POSSESSED BY CONTRACTOR STAFF; (17 COMMUNICATE RESULTS WITH STUDY PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING LETTERS, NEWSLETTERS, REPORTS OF INDIVIDUAL AND SUMMARY RESULTS OF TESTS PERFORMED; AND (18) MAINTAIN STUDY WEBSITES. THE ESTIMATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE IS TEN YEARS. THE GOVERNMENT ESTIMATES THAT APPROXIMATELY 1,107,600 DIRECT LABOR HOURS MAY BE REQUIRED DURING THE DURATION OF THE CONTRACT. THE NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION CODE (NAICS) IS 541710. THIS IS A TOTAL SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE OF WHICH THE SIZE STANDARD IS 500 EMPLOYEES OR LESS. THE ANTICIPATED RELEASE DATE OF THE RFP IS JULY 27, 2004 WITH PROPOSALS DUE BY SEPTEMBER 14, 2004. INTERESTED ORGANIZATIONS MAY MAKE REQUEST VIA TELEFAXED, OR E-MAILED TO THE POINTS OF CONTACT LISTED BELOW. ELECTRONIC COPIES OF THE FED BIX OPPS SYNOPSIS AND RFP WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT HTTP://WWW.NIEHS.NIH.GOV/DERT/RCB/RFP.HTM ON OR ABOUT AUGUST 3, 2004.