HHS/BARDA Visualization Hub

HHS/BARDA Visualization Hub BACKGROUND Public health emergency events, such as the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Western Africa, can expand exponentially, making a rapid response essential. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues to make investments in technologies required to improve response capabilities to public health emergencies. HHS prepares and responds to natural disasters, infectious diseases including Ebola and pandemic influenza, and Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, and Radiological (CBRN) threats. The Division of Analytic Decision Support (ADS) within the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) provides real-time epidemiology analysis, analytics, and advanced visualization to support public health emergencies and planning activities. Specifically, the 2012 Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise (PHEMCE) Implementation Plan requires BARDA ADS to develop a visualization center to perform real time threat analysis and epidemiology modeling to support senior level PHEMCE decision-making process. The 2005 National Strategic Plan for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan requires the operations of a real-time modeling hub. The 2006 Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), (PL109-417) reaffirmed by the 2013 Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPRA) and the 2004 Project Bioshield contain requirements for analysis and evidence-base decision making within HHS, ASPR, and BARDA. Through these requirements and activities, HHS has identified the need for a visualization capability/environment that will enable developers to engage with officials within an immersive visualization environment to review models, explore scenarios, and conduct "What If?" analysis. This statement of work identifies the requirements for a new HHS visualization capability. The visualization environment will be identified as the BARDA Viz Hub, and will be available to HHS and its partners in the HHS Innovation Lab, which currently is in the design phase in a General Services Agency (GSA) managed building in Washington D.C. In concert with the management assignment of The VizHub, the newly initiated HHS Innovation Lab Program is also under the management responsibility of ADS. In 2013, the ADS began conducting extensive market research including site visits to visualization centers to identify the commercially available systems that meet HHS, ASPR, & BARDA's requirements. From the market research, it was determined that the utilization of an immersive, multi-person 3-dimensional stereographic virtual reality (VR) visualization environment to visualize and augment the results of operational data and modeling products (e.g. medical and public health consequence models and infectious disease forecasts developed by BARDA ADS) from the Modeling and Visualization Hub would fulfill the HHS and PHEMCE requirements for visualization infrastructure. SCOPE OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS HHS requires a "Visualization Hub" (synonymously "Viz Hub") that is a turnkey solution for immersive 3-dimensional visualization within a virtual reality environment that multiple people can simultaneously stand inside. In simple terms, the system shall be a metal frame on which multiple 3D stereographic televisions are mounted on the inside, making up a round room with a minimum of 300 degree panoramic viewing. Each screen would need to be connected to a computer with a video card, which requires mounting on the outside of the frame. Additional computer peripherals are needed including stereo speakers and motion tracking devices, 3D glasses, a controller, and computers to handle the development of content and processing. Additionally, software is required to serve as the operating system for the visualization unit to allow users to load and display interactive visualizations. The visualization system will be purchased by BARDA and will be part of a new HHS Innovation Lab that is currently being developed by ASPR, BARDA, the HHS Chief Technology Office and other HHS stakeholders. GSA has contracted separately with an Architecture/Engineering Design firm to complete the space planning for the Innovation Lab project. This Statement of Work addresses specifically the requirement for a turnkey visualization system from project design consulting through delivery, configuration, testing, operations and maintenance of a system. The overall scope of work is for potential vendors to propose a specific visualization system (including both hardware and software) that meets the Technical Specifications outlined in ATTACHMENT 1, STATEMENT OF WORK. Once the visualization system is installed, the vendor shall provide operations and maintenance support through onsite system operation and administration and maintenance of additional components needed to support content development within the Innovation Lab and BARDA Modeling and Visualization Hub. For The Viz Hub to be flexible and nimble to meet the requirements of the PHEMCE and the United States Government (USG) Continuity of Operations (COOP) initiative, the Viz Hub needs to be an integrated, standalone unit that can be transported and reassembled with minimal modifications at alternate locations, assuming adequate space, power, and cooling, if necessary. The Viz Hub shall require daily operations and maintenance support and periodic technology upgrades as new updates replace older hardware models and software versions. PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT 1, "STATEMENTO OF WORK," FOR FURTHER DETAIL AND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL REQUIRED TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ************************************************************** AMENDMENT #1 This notice is to amend the RFQ posting to include all questions and answers recieved ************************************************************** Question: ATTACHMENT_1_SOW CLIN 0001 identifies the virtual reality software requirements but does not identify an operating system restriction. Will a solution available only on one operating system still meet this SOW requirement? Answer: Yes, a virtual reality software solution that is available only on one operating system will meet the requirement for the SOW. Question: Optional services (CLIN 0003) (a) indicates the "person provided shall be required to pass the necessary background check to fulfill HHS security policy to report for duty." Is there a specific security clearance requirement? Answer: There is no requirement for a security clearance. HHS must complete a background check for a HSPD-12 identification card.