Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Consulting Services

ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER : NHLBI-CSB-AR-2013-080-CSP POST DATE : January 30, 2013 CLOSING DATE : February 4, 2013 PROPOSED AWARD DATE : February 20, 2013 Title : Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Consulting Services Project Title or General Description: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) on behalf of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), is seeking sources to provide Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Consulting Services. This SOURCES SOUGHT (SS) is being issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP), NOR IS IT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ). It is not to be construed as a commitment by the requesting party to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this SS. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this SS. This FedBizOpps SS is strictly for market research purposes only. As a result of this SS, the Government may issue a RFQ, however, should such requirements materialize, no basis for claims against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to the SS. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code applicable to this requirement is 541690 - Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services and the associated small business size standard is $14.0 Million. Based on the responses received from this SOURCES SOUGHT announcement, the NHLBI may conduct a competitive procurement. All eligible companies responding to this SS Announcement must have the capabilities to provide the below services upon receipt of contract. Statement of Work: The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), Intramural Research Program (IRP), is one of the nation's premier research institutions in the area of basic and clinical research efforts in rheumatic, other inflammatory disorders, autoimmune diseases, and a state of the art clinical research hospital. NIAMS has been in the process over the past few years of reinvigorating the clinical program and has established Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) as a particular area of emphasis. This field, has been a historical strength in the NIAMS, but is presently under-emphasized. Therefore, to promote this effort, NIAMS requires the services of a tenured Senior Advisor. The Senior Advisor will have specific strength in translational focus, which not only examines pathogenesis of human disease but also applies novel insights to design innovative therapeutic approaches for Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Contractor Requirements: The contractor will act as a senior advisor and will oversee the lab transfer of research and personnel, and provide advice and guidance for projects related to SLE as assigned by the Scientific Director (SD). Comprehensive knowledge of Federal Government policies, procedures, rules, and regulations in all areas of administrative management is required. Responsibilities would include: 1) Provide a project plan with targeted dates when personnel and identified projects will be up and running in the IRP. 2) Provide the SD advice and expertise in matters related to the research enterprise at the NIH and in NIAMS on SLE. 3) To provide guidance to OSD management in the establishment of a basic and translational research program as follows: a. Serve to identify appropriate research topics and develop strategies and priorities for research efforts in these areas. b. Utilize existing or develop new research methodologies and databases to provide new insights in lupus and other inflammatory disorders. c. Help develop and/or amend existing protocols to study subjects with lupus or other inflammatory diseases at the NIH Clinical Center. e. Assist clinical staff research efforts to maximize productivity. 4) To augment and/or work to initiate new collaborations that promote productivity and seize upon existing basic and clinical research resources within NIAMS and throughout the NIH. 5) To provide mentorship, research instruction, and advice to NIAMS clinical staff formal and informal discussions, and through fostering and/or developing research opportunities. Period of Performance: Six (6) months. February 20, 2013 through July 31, 2013. Companies that can perform the requirement above are requested to submit a tailored capability statement for this requirement, not to exceed 20 single-sided pages (including all attachments, resumes, data, etc.) presented in single-space and using a 12-point font size minimum, that clearly details the ability to perform the task (s) as described above. The capability statement shall include the following: 1. Name and identify your size and type of business (i.e. Large Business; Small Business; Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB); Woman-owned Small Businesses (WOSB); Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone); Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB); and Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB]; 2. If subcontractors will be utilized, the name of company(ies), and a point of contact for the company (name, phone number, fax number and email address); 3. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in finalizing its market research. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. All capability Statements sent in response to this SOURCES SOUGHT notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Caitlin Palmer, Contract Specialist, at caitlin.palmer@nih.gov in either MS Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), by February 04, 2013 by 4:30 p.m. EST. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered.