A -- Women's Health Initiative Study on Cognitive Aging (WHISCA) Extension

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) plans to negotiate a two-year extension with Wake Forest University (WFU) School of Medicine for the contract titled "Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Cognitive Aging: Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA)." This extension will build upon the original contract, which involved collecting ancillary neuropsychological data for the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS), a study originally funded privately and conducted by WFU. The extension will enable the administration of up to three additional annual neuropsychological assessments using the same participants to maintain continuity in cognitive data collection. The contract extension relies on a sole-source justification under the statutory authority 41 USC 253(c)(1) because WFU is uniquely positioned to continue the study, having initiated and coordinated the WHIMS and continuing to manage it. No formal Request for Proposals has been issued, but if other capable parties believe they can fulfill the project requirements, they may submit proposals for consideration. The contracting officer for this opportunity is Teresa A. Baughman, who can be contacted for further information. The extension ensures the continuity and integrity of ongoing cognitive aging research within the Women’s Health Initiative framework.