NICHD Human Specimen Repository

The contract will support the storing, monitoring, and distributing of biospecimens collected by the scientific centers/divisions of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The NICHD conducts studies focusing on child health and human development and as such has generated and will continue to generate a collection of human biospecimens pertaining to these research activities. Currently, the NICHD requires specimen storage services that will provide a functional inventory system coupled with proper storage and disbursements of these biological specimens to four NICHD dividions: the division of Intramural Population Health Research (DIPHR), the Maternal and Pedicatric Infectious Disease Branch (MPIDB), the Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch (PPB), and the Division of Intramural Research (DIR). The procurement will not only provide services for these divisions, but potentially for all of NICHD. Most Task Orders will be cost re-imbursement although some may be fixed priced. Cost re-imbursement Task Orders will be issued because the absence of precise specifications and difficulties in estimating costs with accuracy applies to this requirment. The complexity of the requirement and uncertain nature of the work being performed makes it impractical to establish a fixed price for the work.