Scientific Research Services in Colombia

The contract for Scientific Research Services in Colombia, issued under solicitation number VIR260016_N3239825PA048U00001, is a sole-source 8(a) award to the University of Cartagena for continued collaboration with NAMRU SOUTH on the characterization of infectious causes of acute febrile and exanthematous illnesses in Latin America. The work focuses on the Colombian Caribbean region, a strategically vital area due to its geographic position between Central and South America and its relevance to U.S. military operations through USSOUTHCOM. The University of Cartagena’s Laboratory of the Doctorate in Tropical Medicine, part of the State University System and home to the UNIMOL research group, has been an active and indispensable partner since 2012, demonstrating proven capacity in financial management, technical expertise, and organizational reliability over more than a decade of sustained involvement. Critical to the success of this long-term effort is the established network of trusted local medical personnel and community relationships built by the University of Cartagena, which ensures effective field access, sample collection, and public cooperation—elements that cannot be replicated by any other institution. The infrastructure and institutional memory developed over 13 years of collaboration are foundational to the study’s implementation, making any substitution of the lead partner unfeasible. The contract is administered by the Naval Medical Research Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, with a response deadline of July 24, 2026, and performance centered in Zaragoza, Colombia, under a NAICS code for research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences.