SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Early Markers of Alzeheimer’s Disease in BLSA Participants: Structural and Functional Brain Changes
- Notice Date
- 1/5/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Mental Health, Contracts Management Branch, 6001 Executive Blvd, Rm 8154, MSC 9661, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-9661
- ZIP Code
- 20892-9661
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NIDA(AG)-RDSS-11-160
- Point of Contact
- Tawanda Haynes- Brown, Phone: 301-443-6162, Yvette Brown, Phone: 301 443-2696
- E-Mail Address
-
haynest@nida.nih.gov, Yvette.Brown@nih.gov
(haynest@nida.nih.gov, Yvette.Brown@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE for HHS-NIH-NIDA(AG)-RDSS-11-160 entitled, "Early Markers of Alzeheimer's Disease in BLSA Participants: Structural and Functional Brain Changes" This is a Research and Development (R&D) Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential R&D requirement. Small Businesses are encouraged to respond. The NAICS code for this requirement is 541712. BACKGROUND The BLSA was initiated in 1958 and is a multi-disciplinary study of physiologic and psychologic aspects of normal aging in community-dwelling men and women. Active BLSA participants are volunteers who visit the Clinical Unit of the NIA-IRP in Baltimore, Maryland for testing every 1 to 4 years. Since 1994, we have been conducting a longitudinal brain imaging study of selected older adults in the BLSA to characterize individual differences in longitudinal brain changes, investigate the extent to which these brain changes underlie individual differences in cognitive aging, identify brain changes that may be predictors of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease, and assess the impact of potential modulators of brain and cognitive aging. As of August 5, 2011, 1486 neuroimaging evaluations, including 210 PET-PiB scans, have been performed. As part of this research program, it has also been necessary to develop and validate sophisticated tools for analysis of longitudinal neuroimaging data that can be applied in large-scale studies. More than 150 publications have resulted from the work of the initial phases of this project. Although image acquisition techniques have been refined over the initial contract period, the challenges and expense to conducting and quantifying longitudinal imaging data remain. While recent studies indicate that structural and functional longitudinal changes in specific temporal lobe regions predict cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, data based on the prior contract have shown that using networks of information throughout the brain provide greater sensitivity and specificity to predict who is likely to develop cognitive impairment and dementia and who is likely to remain healthy. BLSA imaging and autopsy studies also show that about 30% of individuals with considerable pathology in their brains remain healthy. Thus, a gap remains in our understanding of the temporal sequence of brain and cognitive changes in healthy aging and disease. The proposed contract will continue to fill this gap in our knowledge about the neuroanatomic and neurophysiologic underpinnings of cognitive and other functional changes and their temporal sequence in aging men and women by maximizing the number of repeated assessments with more recently introduced PET measures of brain amyloid deposition. In addition to continued analysis of volumetric MRI studies of brain aging, this contract will continue to perform in vivo measurement of vascular changes and amyloid deposition through continued acquisition of PET CBF scans and PET amyloid imaging using 11C PiB. Recent evidence indicates possible synergistic effects of vascular changes and Alzheimer's pathology on the development of dementia. As approximately half of the current sample aged 55 and older is enrolled in the BLSA autopsy program, in vivo imaging changes will continue to be validated against neuropathological findings. The proposed contract will also include analysis of more recently acquired BLSA MR scans, including younger individuals, collected at the NIA 3T facility to provide information on structural brain changes throughout the adult lifespan. Through the use of the existing physical and psychological data for BLSA participants, this project will provide unique insights into our understanding of predictors and the temporal sequence of individual differences in the rate of neuroanatomic, neurophysiologic and cognitive aging. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of the overall program is to enhance our understanding of physical and psychological changes in health and disease. Through the use of the existing physical and psychological data for BLSA participants, this project will provide unique insights into our understanding of predictors of individual differences in the rate of neuroanatomic, neurophysiologic and cognitive aging and the temporal dynamics of these changes. This neuroimaging data will provide important normative data, including the frequency and extent of brain abnormalities in community-dwelling individuals, from which to evaluate pathological aging. In addition, this project will provide critical information on accelerated brain and cognitive changes associated with cognitive impairment and the predictors of cognitive decline and cognitive resilience. The purpose of this acquisition is to continue services currently being performed by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) under Contract HHSN263200400012C. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS The primary tasks for this acquisition include: A) Scheduling and Contacting Subjects, B) Brief Medical Evaluation, C) Image Acquistion and Quantification Procedures, D) Neuropsychological Testing, and E) Collecting Data. REPORTS/DELIVERABLES : The following reports will be required: A) Project Plan, B) Semi-Annual Progress Reports, C) Annual Reports, D) Final Report, and E) Electronic transmission of data ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The anticipated period of performance is from September 30, 2012 to March 31, 2014. OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS: The government is expected to use procedures in FAR Part 15, Contracting by Negotiations. A contractor in another geographic location would require a new sample of participants who would have to be followed from the age of 50 to ages from 70-90 years (representing a delay of 20-to 40 years). For this reason, the existing participants and data cannot be transferred to a new location and should remain in their current location. CAPABILITY STATEMENT/INFORMATION SOUGHT a. Capability Statement - Respondents to this notice must provide, as part of their responses, a capability statement to include the following: (1) information regarding the respondents' (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, background with acquiring the neuroimaging scans and sophisticated quantitative analysis of imaging data, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work, including access to the identified study; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information; (2) respondents' DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code; and, (3) any other information that may be helpful. b. Information Submission Instructions - Respondents should provide responses accordingly: (1) submit information both electronically and by mail. No telephone and facsimile responses will be accepted; (2) format capability statements using Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF including attachments, resumes, charts, etc. Use single space, 12 font minimum and 8 ½ x 11 size paper; (3) organize material in such a manner that clearly identifies and address capability requirements and provide an executive summary; (4) respondents must send two original copies via mail and one electronic copy via email; (5) RESPONSES SHOULD BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN JANUARY 20, 2012 at 4:00 PM EDT; (6) include respondents' technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses; and (7) send responses to this notice via email to haynest@nida.nih.gov. The original statements mailed using the U.S. Postal Service should be sent to ATTN: Tawanda Haynes-Brown, National Institutes of Health, Office of Acquisitions - NIDA Neuroscience COAC, NIA R&D Contracts Management Section, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8154, MSC 9661, Bethesda, MD 20892-9661. If using a courier service such as the UPS, Federal Express, etc., change the City, State and Zip Code to Rockville, MD 20852. (Please be aware that the U.S. Postal Service's "Express Mail" DOES NOT deliver to the Rockville, Maryland address.) 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. CONFIDENTIALITY No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). Primary Point of Contact: Ms. Tawanda Haynes-Brown Contract Specialist Phone - 3014436162 Email - haynest@nida.nih.gov Secondary Point of Contact: Ms. Yvette Brown Contracting Officer Phone - 3014432696 Email - ybrown@mail.nih.gov
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