SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study - Echocardiography Reading Center
- Notice Date
- 2/6/2012
- 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 Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Rockledge Dr. Bethesda, MD, Office of Acquisitions, 6701 Rockledge Dr RKL2/6100 MSC 7902, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-7902
- ZIP Code
- 20892-7902
- Solicitation Number
- NHLBI-HV-13-18
- Archive Date
- 3/7/2012
- Point of Contact
- Elizabeth Zoller, Phone: 301-435-0374, Cheryl A Jennings, Phone: (301) 435-0347
- E-Mail Address
-
zollere@mail.nih.gov, cj19f@nih.gov
(zollere@mail.nih.gov, cj19f@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The Division of Cardiovascular Sciences of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), is conducting a market survey to assess the availability and potential technical capability of small business firms to perform as the Echocardiography Reading Center as part of the renewal of the program entitled "Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study". The applicable NAICS Code is 541712 and the size standard is 500 employees. It is anticipated that one award will be made in July 2013 for a period of five years. CARDIA began in 1985 in four U.S. communities (Birmingham, AL; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; and Oakland, CA). The original cohort (n=5,115) was selected to have approximately the same number of participants in subgroups of age (18-24 and 25-30), sex, race (black and white), and education (high school or less and more than high school) within each community. Seven additional examinations have been completed every 2-5 years, including a Year 25 examination completed in 2011. The objectives of the renewal of the CARDIA program are: (1) to perform a limited examination of the cohort to determine abnormalities in cardiac structure and function that exist in a community-based sample of mid-to-late middle-aged adults; to utilize novel measures to better understand myocardial dysfunction; to examine 25-year trajectories in cardiac structure and function; and to assess whether these abnormalities and trajectories differ between white and black adults; (2) to continue cohort follow-up for cardiovascular events, including heart failure, coronary heart disease, stroke, and atrial fibrillation; and (3) to provide a platform for ancillary studies particularly to the cohort examination, a training ground for new investigators, and data sharing. These objectives will be accomplished through annual follow-up and a ninth (Year 30) examination of the existing cohort. NHLBI plans to support one (1) Research Coordinating Center, four (4) Field Centers, and one (1) Echocardiography Reading Center. THIS NOTICE ADDRESSES THE ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY READING CENTER ONLY. The important overall technical requirements associated with this acquisition for CARDIA include the following: • Develop the protocol for the acquisition and reading/information abstraction of the echocardiograms to be performed as part of the CARDIA Year 30 Exam. • Determine comparability of the proposed CARDIA Year 30 echocardiographic measurement to that from the Year 5 and Year 25 Exams by performing repeat measures of about 200 digitized Year 5 echocardiographic studies and 200 Year 25 echocardiographic studies. • Propose a plan to evaluate myocardial function using novel techniques, particularly left ventricular function from the Year 30 echocardiographic studies. This plan should be based on sound scientific evidence and hypotheses. • Propose a plan to assess 25-year changes (from Year 5 to Year 30) in echocardiographic measurements utilizing the Year 5 and Year 25 results, particularly left ventricular structure and function, in the CARDIA cohort. • Train and certify Field Centers' echocardiography technicians according to protocol. • Train and certify echocardiography readers at the Reading Center according to protocol, as well as orient professional staff from the Coordinating Center and NHLBI Project Office who have quality assurance responsibilities • Perform readings/information abstractions of echocardiograms in a timely manner during the pilot phase and throughout the Year 30 Exam period. • In collaboration with the Steering Committee, provide advice on the development of clinical alert values for reporting results to participants. • In collaboration with the Coordinating Center and Field Centers, provide timely reporting of clinically significant results to participants. Reviews for clinical alerts and referrals should be performed within 14 days. • Track the receipt, reading, and storage of echocardiograms. • Develop and implement short-term archiving during the Year 30 Exam at the Field Centers, long-term archiving and storage of echocardiograms, and timely creation of backup copies. • Participate actively in data analysis, presentation, and publication using the echocardiographic data. Small business firms that have demonstrated experience in performing the tasks as articulated above are invited to submit capability statements. Capability statements must provide evidence of ability to perform and experience in performing the tasks described above and will be reviewed based on the following: (1) the professional qualifications of scientific and technical personnel in accordance with the above requirements; (2) demonstrated capacity of individuals and the institutional support to perform the functions of an Echocardiography Reading Center for a multi-center collaborative epidemiology study, including protocol development, operational and scientific coordination, and information processing; (3) facilities and equipment available for transfer of echocardiography data between the Field Centers and Coordinating Center; (4) evidence of the ability to assess and monitor quality control for data acquisition at the Field Center; (5) evidence of ability to publish results in peer reviewed journals; and (6) the small business status of the firm under NAICS Code 541712. Evaluation of the capability statements shall be based on the technical capabilities listed above. Each technical point (criterion) will be weighted equally. Capability statements submitted in response to this notice that do not provide sufficient information for review will not be considered. This is NOT a Request for Proposals (RFP), and responses should NOT include budgetary information. The Government intends to negotiate one contract for the period of five years with an approximate award date of July 01, 2013. Firms responding to this notice shall provide capability statements (original and three copies) no later than 04:00 pm EST on the fifteenth (15th) calendar day from the date of this announcement to the address shown above. Your submission shall include the name and telephone number of a point of contact. Please reference this notice number. Electronic copies of capability statements will be accepted and shall be sent to Elizabeth Zoller, Contract Specialist (email address: elizabeth.zoller@nih.gov) and Cheryl Jennings, Contracting Officer (email address: cheryl.jennings@nih.gov).
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NHLBI/NHLBI-HV-13-18/listing.html)
- Record
- SN02668398-W 20120208/120206234446-677b20366bcd54646f8714f078c69cf5 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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