Public Health Impacts of Noise in National Parks

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT), Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) intends to solicit on a non-competitive basis with the Harvard School of Public Health. The Volpe Center is assisting the National Park Service (NPS), Natural Sounds Program in designing research studies to examine the physiological health effects of noise in National Parks, including the adverse health effects associated with exposure to anthropogenic noise pollution; and the positive health benefits of exposure to natural sounds. The contractor will be required to support the design of scientific research studies aimed at advancing the Park Service's overall vision of improving the level of understanding of the health effects of noise exposures in National Parks as described below. Specifically, the contractor shall 1. Conduct a literature search to identify knowledge gaps; 2.) Outline the methodological framework for conducting priority research studies; 3.) Participate in a peer review workshop to validate and refine the research study methodology; and 4.) Develop detailed study designs for priority research. A complete statement of work will be set forth in the Request for Quotation (RFQ). RFQ issuance will be on or about July 23, 2010. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 541620 and the small business size standard is $6.5M. This procurement will be conducted in accordance with FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Telephone calls made in place of the required documentation will not be accepted. NOTE: All contractors must be registered in Central Contractor Registration (CCR) in order to receive award from a DOT Agency. Contractors may access the site at http://www.ccr.gov to register and/or obtain information about the registration process. Additionally, solicitation Representation and Certifications are no longer provided within the solicitation and must be submitted on-line through On-Line Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA). ORCA is a web based system that centralizes and standardizes the collection, storage and viewing of the Representations and Certifications required by the Federal Acquisition Regulations. Potential offerors are highly encouraged to complete the on-line provisions within the Representations and Certifications at https://orca.bpn.gov. ATTENTION: Small and Disadvantaged (SDB), Women-Owned, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs). The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Short-Term Lending Program (STLP) offers working capital financing in the form of lines of credit to finance accounts receivable for transportation-related contracts. The Maximum line of credit is $750,000. The STLP loan has a variable rate, which is connected to the prime rate. The current rate may be found on the OSDBU website http://osdbuweb.dot.gov or call 1-(800) 532-1169.