SOURCES SOUGHT
B -- CSR Survey of NIH Grant Applicants’ Application and Submission Experiences
- Notice Date
- 6/12/2013
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541611
— Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- 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-CSB-RG-2013-182-JF
- Archive Date
- 7/12/2013
- Point of Contact
- Jenn Frazier, Phone: 3014966092
- E-Mail Address
-
jenn.frazier@nih.gov
(jenn.frazier@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- CSR Survey of NIH Grant Applicants' Application and Submission Experiences Sources Sought Notice NHLBI-CSB-RG-2013-182-JF Contracting Office Address 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 RKL2/6121A MSC 7902, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7902, UNITED STATES Introduction This is a 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 requirement. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, on behalf of the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) is conducting a market survey to assess the availability and technical capability of all qualified sources to perform this requirement. It is anticipated that one award will be made by September 2013 for a period of one year. A small business sources sought announcement is also being issued simultaneously to assess the capability of small businesses to perform this requirement. If two or more small businesses are found capable of performing this requirement, it will be set-aside for small business. All small business types are encouraged to submit a response. Background The NHLBI, on behalf of the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), is seeking small businesses with the ability to serve the purpose to access, using survey methodology, the perspectives of African American new (NI) and early stage investigators (ESI) regarding the unique challenges they face when seeking NIH research support. The data on topics of interest are not currently available from any other source. The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) is the portal for NIH grant applications and their review for scientific merit. They receive all research grant applications sent to NIH and handle the review of more than 70% of those by organizing peer review groups (study sections) to evaluate research grant applications. CSR has major responsibility for the quality of NIH's investments to advance science and health through research. CSR's mission is to see that NIH grant applications receive fair, independent, expert, and timely reviews - free from inappropriate influences - so NIH can fund the most promising research. Each year, CSR handles over 85,000 grant applications, employs nearly 500 staff (more than 50% PhD level scientists) and uses more than 15,000 reviewers. CSR is engaged in a new initiative to closely examine the peer review process. Aims include the identification of procedures and practices that are most beneficial in accomplishing the Center's mission as well as identifying any aspects that might make the review process vulnerable to bias. Should any potential weaknesses be identified, CSR will work with experts in the research community to develop policies that mitigate any potential problems. The proposed work will facilitate this process. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has long recognized that achieving diversity in the biomedical and behavioral research workforce is critical to ensuring that the best and brightest minds have the opportunity to contribute to the realization of our national research goals. Yet, despite longstanding efforts from the NIH and other entities across the biomedical and behavioral research landscape to increase the number of scientists from underrepresented groups, diversity in biomedicine still falls far short of mirroring the U.S. population. Recent studies (Ginther et al., 2011; 2012) have shown that African American researchers are less likely than White researchers to receive NIH R01 grant funding by at least 10 percentage points. Efforts are underway to identify factors that might account for these differences. The proposed work will access the perspectives of African American new (NI) and early stage investigators (ESI) regarding the unique challenges they face when seeking NIH research support. Factors within the investigator, the institution, and the grant application process will be evaluated using survey and focus group methodologies. The overall objective is to identify potentially modifiable factors that contribute uniquely to the challenges that African American new and early stage investigators face when applying for research grant funding from the NIH. Among the topics to be assessed are factors that may hinder investigators in producing a competitive grant application. These factors might include psychological factors such as stereotype threat, low self-efficacy for grant writing, or low expectations for success in funding. They might also include the absence of needed supports at the investigators' institutions such as limited access to mentors with grant experience or lack of oversight by the investigators' departments and/or grants management staff. Other factors that may play a role in the investigator's abilities to write an effective application include attendance at NIH grant writing workshops, contact with NIH Institute/Center program officers prior to grant submission, and use of online grant application training materials. Utilization of available resources and time management for completing application materials may also play a role. With regard to the NIH, factors that could present challenges to successful grant writing might also include the clarity and volume of online grant submission instructions and the accessibility of NIH program and review staff to answer questions regarding application submissions. The above listed factors are not intended to be exhaustive and the work proposed will include topics and concepts of importance identified by the responding entities. Funding of grant applications is directly related to the Overall Impact score provided during the peer review process. This is defined as the potential of the proposed research to have a sustained and powerful impact on the research field under study. The Overall Impact score is based on an assessment of the following review criteria: (1) the significance or importance of the proposed work, (2) the investigator's ability to adequately conduct the proposed research, (3) the quality of the scientific approach, including the design and methods to be utilized, (4) the innovative quality of the proposed work, and (5) the adequacy of resources available in the research environment. It is important to know how applicants view these scores and the related written critiques (summary statements) they receive (e.g., how helpful, informative, and accurate they seem to NI and ESI, particularly African American investigators). Not all investigators respond to critiques by revising and resubmitting their grant applications. It is important to know the degree to which any of the aforementioned factors play a role in their decision to resubmit an application that was not initially funded. An investigation of racial disparities in grant funding must include the exploration of potential bias in the peer review system. To that end, the proposed survey and focus groups should assess investigators' perceptions of any bias in the grant writing, application, submission, and review process. Potential questions to include are those that tap investigators' perceptions of the degree to which the review of their application are fair, independent of inappropriate influences, and expert in quality. Project Requirements The offeror is expected to fulfill the following: 1) Creation, Execution, and Analysis of a Survey of Investigators a. Creation of a survey b. Creation of a web-based version of the survey c. Identification of the Survey Sample d. Administration of the survey e. Management and analysis of survey data f. Written Report and Oral Presentation to CSR The contractor must have documented prior training in psychometric development of surveys including question scaling methodology, understanding of the relative strengths and weaknesses of question format options, and working knowledge regarding the reliability and validity of assessment measures. This may be evidenced by graduate level training in social science or related field. The contractor must also have demonstrated experience in creating and administering surveys, with survey data summary and analysis, and with report preparation. 2) Focus Groups of New Investigators to Identify Challenges to Successful Grant Funding a. Create an interview guide b. Focus Group Logistics Planning c. Focus Group Discussions d. Discussion Coding e. Qualitative analysis and descriptive and non-parametric statistics. f. Written Report and Oral Presentation to CSR The contractor must have documented prior training in the conduct of focus groups including the development of interview guides, an understanding of question format options, and experience with qualitative analysis strategies. This may be evidenced by graduate level training in qualitative research methods. The contractor must also have demonstrated experience in conducting focus group discussion as evidenced by prior work. 3) Monthly Progress Reporting a. Accomplishments of the reporting period b. Success at meeting the identified goals and milestones in the reporting period c. Challenges of the reporting period d. How the challenges were met e. Carry-over into the next reporting period f. Goals and milestones for the next reporting period g. Modifications to the overall project plan Capability Statement If an interested organization believes it can perform the above requirements, it may submit a statement of capabilities. The capabilities statement must specifically address each project requirement separately. Additionally, the capability statement should include 1) the professional qualifications of scientists, medical experts, and technical personnel as it relates to the above outlined requirements, 2) a description of general and specific facilities and equipment available, including computer equipment and software, 3) an outline of previous research projects that are similar to the project requirements in which the organization and proposed personnel have participated, and 4) any other information considered relevant to this program. The capability statement must not exceed 10 single sided or 5 double sided pages in length and using a 11-point font size minimum. Responses providing insufficient information will not be considered. This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP), nor is an RFP available. Statements of capability must be received at the following address (or by email as a Word document or PDF) no later than 4:00 pm local time, June 27, 2013. All capability statements sent in response to this Sources Sought Notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Marianne DiSomma, Contracting Officer, at disommam@nhlbi.nih.gov and Jenn Frazier, Contract Specialist, at jenn.frazier@nih.gov in either MS Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), within 15 calendar days of the date of this announcement. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. 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. 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). The solicitation release date is pending. The Government intends to negotiate one time-and-materials type contract, for a period of one year with an approximate award date of September 13, 2013. Original Point of Contact Jenn Frazier, Contract Specialist, NHLBI Extramural Contracts Branch, Phone (301) 496-6092, Fax (301) 480-3338, Email: jenn.frazier@nih.gov 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 RKL2/6121A MSC 7902, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7902, UNITED STATES
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NHLBI/NHLBI-CSB-RG-2013-182-JF/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 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 RKL2/6121A MSC 7902, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
- Zip Code: 20892
- Zip Code: 20892
- Record
- SN03087549-W 20130614/130612235900-aa94f02439768050c9225d558270f048 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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