Contact Points
Chicago, IL 60637-5418
The University of Chicago (Key personnel Dr. Hae Kyung Im) is the sole reasonably available source for this acquisition. Dr. Im is a pioneer in developing computationally efficient and statistically sound methods to sift through the vast amounts of genomic and other high dimensional data with the goal of making discoveries that can be translated to improve human health. She has developed sophisticated methods to elucidate the function of genome-wide association study discoveries, the transfer of the knowledge generated in predominantly Eurocentric datasets to other ancestries, and the bi-directional transfer of knowledge generated in human studies to and from animal studies. She has pioneered the use of genetically predicted molecular traits to shed light into the etiology of complex traits and has extensive experience analyzing large scale studies such as GTEx, TOPMed, and other studies.
Her work is recognized internationally and has an extensive publication record with over 70 peer-reviewed papers over the last 10 years and an active research portfolio. She maintains and hosts a database of state-of-the-art prediction models and the results of application to thousands of phenotypes providing a popular source of evidence for the function of human genes. Her websites are visited by thousands of users annually from users across the globe.
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 2021-06 published in the Federal Register on July 12, 2021.
A Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Purchase Order award not exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold is anticipated from any contract resulting from this requirement.
There is currently a pressing need to understand mechanisms underlying risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) so that effective treatments targeting these mechanisms can be identified. Similarly, it is important to understand the biological basis of vulnerability to age-associated cognitive impairment as well as cognitive resilience during aging. Research in the NIA IRP has provided evidence that abnormal metabolism in the brain may be a key molecular mechanism underlying both AD as well as age-associated cognitive impairment. The purpose of this project is to perform advanced computational analyses to identify the heritability of abnormal metabolism in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease. The main objective is definition of the genetic architecture underlying dysregulation of metabolic pathways in the brain in AD.
The Period of Performance shall be September 30, 2021 through September 29, 2022.
SCOPE OF WORK
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:
Qualitative control analysis accounting for principal components and potential covariates such as sex and study in publicly available transcriptomic datasets such as GTEx and PsychENCODE.The contractor will perform:
- Calculations of heritability, Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) and PrediXcan of personalized metabolic models derived from the latest version of human genome-scale metabolic network, Human-GEM, using the iMAT algorithm. These analyses will be performed using transcriptome data from 255 (GTEx brain) and 336 (Common Mind brain) individuals.
- Provide input on Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) of AD that can be used to support ongoing network-based analysis of drug repurposing in AD in the NIA IRP.
LEVEL OF EFFORT:
250 hours; Graduate student researcher under supervision.
GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Provide reconstructed personalized metabolic models from the latest version of human genome-scale metabolic network, Human-GEM, using the iMAT algorithm from the specific transcriptomic datasets to be used in the analyses such as GTEx and PsychENCODE.
DELIVERY OR DELIVERABLES
- Detailed report (WORD document) of Qualitative control analysis of GTEx and PsychENCODE.datasets
- Reports of heritability, Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) and PrediXcan of personalized metabolic models.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
The contractor is required to provide written progress reports every 3 months for the contract period 09/30/21 through 09/29/22. The progress report shall cover all work completed during the specified period and shall present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent period. This report shall also identify any problems that arose and a statement explaining how the problem was resolved. This report shall also identify any problems that have arisen but have not been completely resolved and provide an explanation.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Key Personnel:
Graduate student researched and supervisor.
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.