Contact Points
Baltimore, MD 21205-2109
This notice of proposed acquisition is posted as an intent to award a purchase order on a non-competitive basis to Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (JHMI) Division of Neuropathology. This acquisition is restricted to JHMI Division of Neuropathology because they are the only supplier capable of conducting brain autopsies for post-mortem assessment of brain pathology and to conduct post-mortem MRI scans of BLSA participants coming to autopsy. The JHMI Division of Neuropathology oversee the BLSA autopsies and the brain repository is maintained at their location. The brain autopsies must be performed in the JHMI Division of Neuropathology for consistency with prior autopsies, because participants have made arrangements for their bodies to be delivered to JHMI upon their death, and due to the fact that the BLSA brain repository is maintained by JHMI Division of Neuropathology as part of the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC). The postmortem MRI scans must be performed at JHMI because the body will be at the facility and postmortem interval, i.e., time between death and performance of the autopsy, must be minimized.
Acquisition Authority: This acquisition is being conducted under Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures, and the resultant contract award will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2021-05 published in the Federal Register on March 10, 2021.
The purpose of the overall program of research in the Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience (LBN) is to enhance our understanding of age-associated physical and biological changes in health and disease. We investigate structural and functional brain changes and how they relate to age-associated changes in cognition, including the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and factors that modify cognitive and brain aging. The BLSA autopsy program involves a long-standing arrangement with the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), whereby brain autopsies are conducted in the Division of Neuropathology of Johns Hopkins Hospital.
The purpose of this requirement is to conduct brain autopsies for post-mortem assessment of brain pathology and to conduct post-mortem MRI scans of BLSA participants coming to autopsy. Autopsies and histological analysis of prior autopsy specimens for BLSA autopsy participants, regardless of clinical diagnosis, is required. Also MRI scans will be conducted, where feasible. A specific focus will be the relation of in vivo brain amyloid-beta amyloid deposition and potentially tau, as demonstrated by PET scanning, with amyloid-beta and tau deposits in postmortem tissues.
The overall goal is to understand the biological substrates of age-related cognitive decline and cognitive resilience. To this end LBN will continue performing autopsy studies and post-mortem MRI’s to allow investigation of the relationship between antemortem cognitive and brain changes, including in vivo amyloid and potentially tau imaging studies, with brain pathology at autopsy. Continuation of postmortem MRI studies will provide new imaging data on participants for whom imaging data were not acquired antemortem and will provide postmortem imaging data for imaging-pathology correlations for individuals with prior imaging studies, especially to examine the associations between in vivo amyloid and tau imaging and post-mortem immunohistochemistry. A second focus will be to examine the relation between tau deposits and cognitive and affective status of BLSA participants who have come to autopsy.
General Requirements:
Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the Statement of Work below:
Specific Requirements:
The Contractor shall perform the following:
- Prepare tissues from the BLSA brain bank for research studies and perform immunohistochemistry.
- Perform postmortem MRI studies for 2 individuals since some BLSA participants coming to autopsy are local and thus eligible for MRI scans.
- Investigate the relation of in vivo brain amyloid and tau deposition, measured by PET scanning, with amyloid and tau deposits in postmortem tissues.
- Investigate the relation between amyloid and tau deposits and antemortem cognition and affect.
LEVEL OF EFFORT:
The estimated level of effort for this requirement is one (1) contractor employee on a part-time basis for one year.
GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Provide MRI and PET images and other necessary information for analysis of autopsy data in relation to imaging, cognition and affect.
DELIVERY OR DELIVERABLES
- Description of Tasks and Associated Deliverables:
- Prepare additional tissues from the BLSA brain bank for research studies and perform and quantify immunohistochemistry.
- Perform postmortem MRI studies for 2 individuals since some BLSA participants coming to autopsy are local and thus eligible for MRI scans.
- Provide results of analysis of in vivo brain amyloid and tau deposition in relation to postmortem findings, including use of whole hemisphere brain sections where possible.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Electronic project report in the form of an excel spreadsheet describing:
- List of autopsies performed, including BLSA ID, date of death, cause of death and post-mortem interval;
- Pathological diagnoses, including CERAD and Braak scores, information on infarcts, vascular disease, and Lewy-Body disease;
- Results of immunohistochemical analyses;
- List of postmortem MRI scans performed, including BLSA ID and date of scan.
Data Rights:
The National Institute on Aging shall have unlimited rights to and ownership of all deliverables provided under this contract including reports, recommendations, briefings, work plans and all other deliverables. This includes the deliverables provided under the basic contract and any optional task deliverables exercised by the contracting officer. In addition, it includes any additional deliverables required by contract change. The definition of “unlimited rights” is contained in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 27.401, “Definitions.” FAR clause 52.227-14, “Rights in Data-General, ” is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this contract/order.
Publications and Publicity:
The contractor will work with the National Institute on Aging on publications.
Contract Type: A Fixed-Price type of Purchase Order award not exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold is anticipated for any contract resulting from this requirement.
Quote Terms and Conditions (To be completed by the Offeror):
1. Period of Performance OR Delivery Date After Receipt of Order:
2. Shipping Point (F.O.B. OR Destination):
3. Payment Discount Terms:
4. NIH BPA Number, if applicable:
5. DUNS No:
6. Name of Company:
7. Street Address, City, State, Zip code:
8. Name of Person Authorized to Provide Quote:
9. Telephone Number and Email Address of Person Authorized to Provide Quote
The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated as an attachment. Offerors MUST complete the provision at 52.204-24 and 52.204-26 and submit completed copies as separate documents with their quotation.
1. FAR 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Aug 2020)
2. FAR 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Aug 2020) 3. FAR 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (Oct 2020)
All responses must be received by July 09, 2021 at 10AM EST and must reference announcement number NIA/21-008795. Responses may be submitted electronically to Jacqueline Newman at Jacqueline.newman@nih.gov. Fax responses will not be accepted.
Interested parties may identify in writing their interest and capability in response to this requirement. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.
All responses must be received by closing date and must reference the announcement. Responses may be submitted electronically to the attention of the contract specialist. Fax responses will not be accepted.
All responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency.