Monograph: Advancing Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Data Collection at NCI-Designated Cancer Centers

1.0 DESCRIPTION The National Cancer Institute (NCI), Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch (IIB), plans to procure services, on a sole source basis, from Oxford University Press, The University of Oxford, Cary, NC 27213-5822. The response close date of the notice for this requirement is in accordance with FAR 5.203(b). This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 12 - Acquisition for Commercial Items and will be made pursuant to the authority in FAR Part 13.106-1(b)(1)(i); and is exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6. The North American Industry Classification System code is 513130 and the small business size standard is 1,000 in number of employees. It has been determined there are no opportunities to acquire green products or services for this procurement. 2.0 BACKGROUND The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), requires a joint publication, hereafter referred to as a monograph, of findings from 14 NCI-funded administrative supplements to P30 Cancer Center Support Grants, plus an opening editorial and up to two accompanying Commentaries. This funding mechanism was created in response to research suggesting that members of the sexual and gender minority (SGM) community experience worse cancer outcomes than the heterosexual, cis-gender community. These differences may be explained by challenges such as an elevated prevalence of risk factors like smoking and alcohol consumption; delayed diagnosis and treatment; and sociocultural factors that influence things like medication adherence. However, further understanding and addressing these challenges requires SOGI data, which is currently impeded by Cancer Centers failure to collect the measures in a complete and consistent way across their clinics. Thus, award recipients conducted a variety of research studies aimed at understanding and expanding sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection at NCI-designated cancer centers. The joint publication of these findings will create an essential compendium providing a roadmap for implementing SOGI data collection measures, including gaining SGM community support, garnering buy-in from clinic and administrative leadership, overcoming IT barriers, and using SOGI data to assess and improve SGM patient outcomes. 2.1 OBJECTIVE A compendium, generally known as a monograph in population science contexts, is needed to compile findings from a set of administrative supplements to NCI-designated cancer centers into a single resource for other organizations and their staff seeking to implement collection of sexual orientation and gender identity measures in clinical settings. 3.0 SCOPE The Contractor shall publish a compendium, in the form of a monograph, of 15 to 17 manuscripts on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collected submitted by scientific teams funded through NCI-funded administrative supplements to P30 Cancer Center Support Grants. 4.0 CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS/ AND PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS The Contractor shall perform the following tasks: 1. Facilitate manuscript submission and peer review process. 1.1 Issue submission invitation letters to the list of corresponding authors provided by the NCI TPOC. 1.2 Receive submissions. 1.3 Distribute individual manuscript submissions to peer reviewers designated by the NCI TPOC. 1.4 Collate peer reviewer comments for each manuscript and give NCI TPOC electronic access to the reviews. 1.5 Distribute author-updated manuscripts to designated peer reviewers as necessary. In order to resolve all peer review comments, tasks 1.2 to 1.5 may need to be repeated. 1.6 Obtain final editor approval of each manuscript and forward to the NCI TPOC. 2. Format manuscript content for publication. 2.1 Review each accepted manuscript to ensure that the format is consistent and compliant with standard formatting; that tables and references are complete and correctly formatted; that language, syntax, and grammar are clear and correct; and that any tables and figures are explained. 2.2 Create draft page proofs for each manuscript and send to the NCI TPOC. 2.3 Make changes to the page proofs per the NCI TPOC comments. To resolve all issues, tasks 2.1 to 2.3 may need to be repeated. 2.4 Create final page proofs for each manuscript and send to the NCI TPOC. 3. Provide Free-to-View On-Line Access 3.1 The Contractor shall provide Free-to-View online access so that members of the public will have immediate access to the supplement. 4. Publish Manuscripts as a Special Issue Monograph 4.1 The Contractor shall provide 25 paper copies of the supplement, which shall be mailed to the NCI TPOC. 5. Provide updates on the progress of the above activities. 4.5.1 The Contractor shall email the NCI TPOC an update on progress by 6 pm Eastern time on the second Monday of each month during the period of performance. 4.5.2 The Contractor shall participate in a phone call with the NCI TPOC on the fourth Monday of each month during the period of performance. 5.0 TYPE OF ORDER This is a firm fixed price purchase order. 6.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance shall be twelve (12) months from award of the Purchase Order. 7.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE All services shall be performed at the Contractor's facility. 8.0 UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CONTRACTOR The Oxford University Press (OUP) owns and operates the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) family of scientific journals. This family includes JNCI Monographs, which publishes compendiums of the required type. None of the three cancer journal families with comparable prestige publish such compendiums (American Association for Cancer Research, American Cancer Society, and American Society of Clinical Oncology). This means that OUP, through ownership of the JNCI family of journals, is the only contractor with established submission processes and infrastructure to support creating of the required compendium. This includes a standard submission invitation letter, a submission and peer review system, and expertise to prepare proofs and paper copies of a monograph. The capacity of these systems has been demonstrated by successful publication of prior Monographs. 9.0 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS This notice is not a request for competitive quotations. However, if any interested party believes it can meet the above requirements, it may submit a proposal or quote for the Government to consider. The response and any other information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NCI to determine if the party can perform the requirement. All responses and questions must be sent via email to the Contract Specialist, Dana Summons, at dana.summons@nih.gov by no later than 3:00 PM EST on July 24, 2024, (7/24/24). A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. In order to receive an award, Contractors must be registered and have valid certification through SAM.gov. Reference: 6987833 on all correspondence.