Research Associate Program Assistance

The Eastern Region Acquisition Division (ERAD) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Norfolk, VA, on behalf of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in Narragansett, RI, is conducting market research in an effort to identify all potential industry sources with the capabilities to provide scientific research associates and related management services to effectively administer the comprehensive program administrative effort described herein. The NAICS code for this requirement is 541690 with the annual size standard of $6.5M. This synopsis is issued solely for market research and does not constitute a solicitation. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The NEFSC has a requirement to provide support for NOAA's Resident Research Associateship Program. The program administration includes identifying research associates in the fields of Meteorology, Climate and Air Quality, Earth Science, Hydrology, Oceanography, Limnology, Space Sciences, Electrical Engineering, Fisheries and Marine Mammals, Toxicology, Quantitative Ecology, and Molecular Biology, processing applications, and establishing or renewing sub-agreements for up to 90 research associates. The Contractor shall manage a recruitment, selection, and stipend distribution process that attracts domestic and foreign national post-doctoral and senior research scientists of the highest caliber to conduct research in NOAA laboratories on science topics of interest to NOAA. This involves managing a process that shall: work closely with respected, degree-granting engineering and science institutions and organizations to provide high visibility for the research opportunities through advertising in many scientific journals and at key scientific conferences; publish in hardcopy and on the web a compilation of research opportunities that is updated frequently; conduct scientific review of NOAA research scientists nominated as Research Advisers to the Research Associates and of NOAA sponsoring facilities; assemble highly experienced review panels of pre-eminent scientists to assess and rank research proposals by prospective Associates based on their scientific merit; effectively communicate with applicants, Awardees, Research Advisers, and the NOAA Program Representative; demonstrate strong efforts to attract minority candidates to the program; provide sufficient documentation and information to the NOAA Contract Office, through the NOAA Program Representative, on distribution of funds, applicant status, Advisers status, and Associates status; have stipend levels determined and approved by the NOAA Program Representative; serve as the U.S. sponsor of foreign nationals for visa acquisition; provide standardized forms for all the processes involved in administering the program, e.g., for applications, reviews, recommendations, progress evaluations of associates, adviser nominations, sponsoring lab exit interviews and; provide necessary guidance and appropriate forms to foreign nationals for U.S. visa acquisition. The planned period of performance for this effort is April 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011 with four option years. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS: Interested firms that possess the capability to provide the above referenced services are invited to submit a written response not later than January 20, 2009. The response shall be submitted electronically in Microsoft Office or Adobe Acrobat format to teresa.l.watson@noaa.gov or, in paper form, to Teresa Watson, Contract Specialist, NOAA, Eastern Region Acquisition Division, Norfolk Federal Building, 200 Granby Street, Suite 815, Norfolk, VA 23510-1811. The response shall include: 1. A descriptive statement of your firm, including the business address, type of business, and points of contact; 2) A descriptive statement of your capability and capacity to perform the work described herein; 3) A statement that provides specific examples of relevant experience and past performance documentation of a minimum of three previous projects to include customer names and points of contact. Projects must be similar in size, scope, and complexity to the above referenced requirements. All information received in response to this request will not be returned. Responses to this notice are not to be considered as offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this request.