provide scientific analysis and scientific-infrastructure support for the WISPR instrument on board Parker Solar Probe (PSP)

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN)/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) AND NOT A SOLICITATION OR AN INDICATION THAT A CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENT WILL EXIST AS A RESULT OF THIS SSN. This announcement is not a formal Request for Quotes (RFQ). This SSN/RFI is for informational and planning purposes only and does not guarantee that an award will be made. Any quotes submitted in response to this SSN/RFI are not quotes on which an order will be issued. The Government assumes NO financial responsibility for any costs incurred. A solicitation package is not available at this time. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against NRL shall arise as a result of a response to this SSN/RFI or NRL's use of such information either as part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications or work statements for any subsequent requirement. LOCATION: Contracting Office Address: NRL, 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20375 OBJECTIVE: To provide scientific analysis and scientific-infrastructure support for the WISPR instrument on board Parker Solar Probe (PSP). General Requirements: The contractor shall develop algorithmic tools to exploit the WISPR science data downlinked from PSP. The contractor shall develop, exploit, and publish analysis tools that enable photometric comparison of coronal features within the instrument sensitivity performance and requirements for PSP, using standard file formats such as FITS and standard programming environments such as C, Python, Perl, or IDL. The contractor shall develop, exploit, and publish experimental methods for tomographic inversion of the coronal structure around PSP, based on translational perspective effects from the motion of PSP through the corona, using standard file formats such as FITS and standard programming environments such as C, Python, Perl, or IDL. Software tools developed by the contractor for the specific purpose of analyzing PSP/WISPR data under this contract shall be published via the Gnu Public License (GPL) v3 or less restrictive open-source license. The contractor shall provide scientific support to the WISPR team by analyzing coronal structure, using the developed tools and WISPR data. The contractor shall attend scientific meetings of the WISPR team as applicable. The contractor shall represent WISPR at relevant scientific conferences, presenting in-progress and completed work as applicable. The contractor shall publish results in the scientific literature as applicable, and report such publications to the WISPR project scientist. The contractor shall coordinate with other PSP instrument teams, sharing data as applicable. Deliverables - Quarterly progress reports (technical and financial) in an agreed-to format, to be negotiated - Copies of all analysis software developed specifically for this project, under open source license to ensure reusability, in a mutually agreeable format and delivery mechanism such as a public git repository, CD-ROM, or bulk-downloadable web page; - Copies of all relevant scientific publications developed the course of this project; - A final report in an agreed-to format REQUIRED CONTRACTOR RESPONSE FORMAT: Interested parties, at a minimum, shall supply all of the below required information in a Capability Statement. 1. CONTACT INFORMATION: a) Company Name and Address b) Point of Contact for questions/clarification c) Telephone Number and e-mail address d) CAGE Code, and business size e) NAICS and PSC Code of the proposed solution (SEE https://psctool.us) f) Business Size Standard /Socioeconomic Categories 2. TECHNICAL INFORMATION: a) List of capabilities/resources relevant to the attached specifications. b) Questions for the Technical team regarding changes/suggestions to the draft Specification to add clarity. (Questions will not receive a response but will be provided to the technical team for consideration in preparing the final specification.) 3. COMMERCIALITY OF PROPOSED ITEM: a) Whether item(s) offered/proposed is a commercial item and customarily used by the general public or nongovernment entities for the other than Government purposes. b) Whether the item has been sold, leased, or licensed to the general public, and if so, identify one or more such sales, leases, or licenses to document the commerciality of the item. 4. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: a) Provide a description of how the proposed product will meet or exceed each of the specifications, as it is anticipated that ultimate evaluation will be best values and a go/no go basis. b) Provide a product brochure and highlight the areas that meet or exceed specifications. 5. PAST PERFORMANCE: A list of contracts or task orders that are similar to that required under the attached Specification. 6. MULTIPLE AWARD SCHEUDLE CONTRACT: a) Indicate whether products and services are all available on a GSA contract, or similar vehicle. b) Provide applicable GSA or other contract number. 7. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT DETAILS: Responses should be no more than 5 pages. FAR PROVISION(S): FAR 52.215-3 -- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION OR SOLICITATION FOR PLANNING PURPOSES (OCT 1997) (a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. (c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of: market research and procurement planning. (End of Provision) FAR 52.211-6 -- BRAND NAME OR EQUAL (AUG 1999) (a) If an item in this solicitation is identified as - brand name or equal, the purchase description reflects the characteristics and level of quality that will satisfy the Government's needs. The salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics that - equal products must meet are specified in the solicitation. (b) To be considered for award, offers of - equal products, including - equal products of the brand name manufacturer, must- (1) Meet the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristic specified in this solicitation; (2) Clearly identify the item by- (i) Brand name, if any; and (ii) Make or model number; (3) Include descriptive literature such as illustrations, drawings, or a clear reference to previously furnished descriptive data or information available to the Contracting Officer; and (4) Clearly describe any modifications the offeror plans to make in a product to make it conform to the solicitation requirements. Mark any descriptive material to clearly show the modifications. (c) The Contracting Officer will evaluate - equal products on the basis of information furnished by the offeror or identified in the offer and reasonably available to the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the offer. (d) Unless the offeror clearly indicates in its offer that the product being offered is an - equal product, the offeror shall provide the brand name product referenced in the solicitation. (End of provision)