UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (USDOT) NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) Synopsis for Solicitation DTNH2216R00024 Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) Introduction The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce traffic-related health care and other economic costs. The agency develops, promotes, and implements effective educational, engineering, and enforcement programs with the goal of ending vehicle crash tragedies and reducing economic costs associated with vehicle use and highway travel. NHTSA strives to base its rulemaking and research priorities on findings from field crash data. In the late 1970s, NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) devised an approach to provide nationally-representative traffic crash data. NHTSA's NCSA operates data programs consisting of records-based systems (crash records recoded for uniformity) which include the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System (NASS-GES); and the investigation-based National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) and Special Crash Investigations (SCI) programs. While the nationally-representative data systems provide crucial data to understand overall trends in motor vehicle safety, more detailed data on injury causation were needed to support NHTSA research efforts. A recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, in their 1985 publication "Injury in America," for multidisciplinary injury studies involving medical, engineering, and other research professionals led to the creation of injury-focused hospital-based studies of motor vehicle crash victims. Those efforts led to the creation of the trauma center-based Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) in 1997. This synopsis, in accordance with FAR 5.203(a), issues a 15 day public notification prior to the issuance of a solicitation DTNH2216R00024. NHTSA intends to issue a solicitation for a Full and Open Competition to provide data collection for Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network. NTHSA intends to award a multiple-award Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract whereby a combination of Firm Fixed Price and Cost Task Orders may be issued, in accordance with FAR16.504 and16.505. The applicable NAICS code and size standard for this acquisition are as follows: 541910 and not greater than $15.0M The anticipated period of performance is a 60 month base period. The solicitation will be issued on or about March 22, 2016. Scope of Work The objectives of this acquisition are to expand NHTSA's, and the public's, understanding of human injury causation in motor vehicle crashes by conducting in-depth investigations and performing multi-disciplinary reviews of case subjects' outcomes. The data generated in these studies will provide the impact biomechanics and automobile safety community with highly-detailed field-based data that can support trend analysis and research related to advanced dummies and models, injury criteria, restraint performance, and vehicle design. Results of work conducted under this acquisition will facilitate the reduction of motor vehicle crash-related injuries and fatalities. The objective is also to provide NHTSA with the capability to award Task Orders that require a range of skills and abilities, which could be called into use to conduct studies of real-world motor vehicle crash-related injuries. Multiple entities will be required to provide the services under the resultant contract. Each award under the resultant IDIQ Contract will be for one of two primary CIREN Center types: - 1. Medical Center: - a. A CIREN Medical Center enrolls and collects required data for injured occupants who have been involved in crashes of newer model year motor vehicles. The objective is to identify eligible patients, perform in-depth investigations of the vehicle and scene, and collect relevant patient data including digital radiology to support the determination of injury causation. - b. A CIREN Medical Center may be called upon to enroll and collect data for injured pedestrians who have been struck by motor vehicles, motorcycle riders/operators who have been involved in crashes, or pedal cyclists who have been involved in crashes with motor vehicles. The objective is to identify eligible patients, perform in-depth investigations of the involved vehicle(s) and scene, and collect relevant patient data including digital radiology to support the determination of injury causation. - c. A CIREN Medical Center cooperates with CIREN Engineering Centers to support establishment of injury causation scenarios for all crash-related injuries. This cooperation includes delivery of relevant case-related materials to the Engineering Center and participation in web-based meetings to discuss injury causation. - d. A CIREN Medical Center participates in outreach endeavors to promote traffic safety within its community and maintain cooperation with community safety organizations. - e. A CIREN Medical Center may propose research ideas based on findings and experience in the CIREN program. NHTSA may elect to provide additional funding for such projects depending on availability of funding and relevance to NHTSA and CIREN missions. - f. A CIREN Medical Center ensures all employees performing work on the CIREN project obtain the requisite CIREN-specific training as prescribed by NHTSA and participate in periodic CIREN team meetings. - g. A CIREN Medical Center may also be tasked to support NHTSA development of investigation and data collection protocols specific to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, motorcyclists, and pedal cyclists. - 2. Engineering Center: - a. A CIREN Engineering Center reviews the vehicle, scene, and patient injury evidence to establish injury causation scenarios for all crash-related injuries according to NHTSA biomechanical coding guidelines. The objective is to collectively assess available data from the Medical Center(s) and build a comprehensive dataset of injury causation scenarios based on sound interpretation of case evidence, engineering knowledge, and relevant literature findings for each enrolled case subject. - b. A CIREN Engineering Center cooperates with CIREN Medical Centers to establish injury causation scenarios for all crash-related injuries. This cooperation includes receipt and review of relevant case-related materials and participation in web-based meetings to discuss cases. - c. A CIREN Engineering Center may propose research ideas based on findings and experience in the CIREN program. NHTSA may elect to provide additional funding for such projects depending on availability of funding and relevance to NHTSA and CIREN missions. - d. A CIREN Engineering Center ensures all employees performing work on the CIREN project obtain the requisite CIREN-specific training as prescribed by NHTSA and participate in periodic CIREN team meetings. - e. A CIREN Engineering Center may also be tasked to support NHTSA development of investigation and data collection protocols specific to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, motorcyclists, and pedal cyclists. - 3. The CIREN program will consist of multiple Medical Centers and multiple Engineering Centers to meet NHTSA's case enrollment and analysis needs. Offerors may be required to have an approved accounting system to be eligible for award of Cost Type contract. The solicitation will be released electronically via this Government Point of Entry (GPE) otherwise known as Federal Business Opportunities or www.fbo.gov. As such, no written, telephonic or other type of request for an advance copy of the solicitation will be entertained at this time. Potential offerors/vendors are encouraged to register on www.fbo.gov to receive any further information in reference to the subject action inclusive of any announcements, and/or amendments to the solicitation after its release.
