Rodent Sleep Deprivation Chambers

The Defense Health Agency, under the Department of Defense, is seeking information through a sources-sought notice for the potential procurement of twelve rodent sleep deprivation chambers to support sleep fragmentation and deprivation studies at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research’s Center for Military Psychiatry & Neurosciences Research. This request, identified by solicitation number HT942626RE022 and classified under NAICS code 334516 for Instrument Manufacturing Analytical Laboratory, is explicitly a pre-solicitation RFI issued solely for planning purposes and does not constitute a formal solicitation or binding contract. Respondents are invited to submit white papers and capabilities statements not exceeding three pages in total, formatted in 12-point font and submitted electronically as Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF files to the designated point of contact by 10:00 AM ET on June 3, 2026. Submissions must include a cover page with organization details, technical and administrative contacts, topic alignment, and NAICS code, and must be properly marked if containing confidential business information, though no hard copies will be accepted and telephone inquiries will not be addressed. The chambers must be designed as transparent cylinders constructed of clear acrylic with a durable polycarbonate base, capable of housing one adult rat with a secured lid to prevent escape. The internal dimensions must be at least 38 cm in diameter and 30 cm in height, with total external dimensions of 42 cm in length, 42 cm in width, and 50 cm in height. Operation must be quiet, generating less than 40 dB of noise, and feature a motor capable of speeds from 0 to at least 100 meters per minute. Automated control systems are required to support four rotation modes—clockwise, counterclockwise, alternate, and random—and must allow configurable settings for total time, scheduled start, rotation period, and periodic breaks adjustable in one-second increments from 0 to 240 seconds. Custom daylight control must be included to enable user-defined illumination cycles. All units must be shipped with comprehensive instructions for use to the delivery address at WRAIR in Silver Spring, Maryland. No pricing, contract value, delivery terms, or formal evaluation criteria are provided, as this is a market research tool to assess industry capabilities and generate interest prior to any potential solicitation.