The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a civilian agency under the U.S. Department of Commerce, awarded a $6 million Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to Media Barn, Inc. to provide human factors and usability support services. Under this single-award BPA, which is issued against Media Barn's Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract, NIST has placed over $700,000 in firm fixed price call orders for a variety of research and data collection services. These call orders have covered tasks such as exploring cybersecurity definitions for non-experts, validating trust in automation scales for AI vignettes, defining security and privacy concepts for users, and researching public perceptions of AI privacy, security, and pervasiveness. No set-aside designations were used for this BPA or the associated task orders, which are performed primarily in Arlington, Virginia through September 2025.
The contracted services support NIST's mission to develop standards, measurements, and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade, and improve quality of life. This includes NIST's work to educate the public and non-technical stakeholders on cybersecurity, emerging technologies like smart home devices and AI, and related privacy and security issues. The call orders leverage Media Barn's expertise in human-centered design, user experience, and survey research to help NIST better understand user perceptions and knowledge in these areas.
Generated 6/8/24, 9:05 AM