Mathematical Modeling and Economic Evaluation
This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. The NAICS code for this Sources Sought Notice is: 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences, Size Standard: 1,000 employees.
See the attached Sources Sought document in MS Word format for more information.
75D30123-R-72520 Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Acquisition Services
10/11/22, 4:25 PM Mathematical Modeling and Economic Evaluation
This is a Pre-Solicitation Notice for a full and open competitive requirement under North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) Code of 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences, Size Standard: 1,000 employees. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) is contemplating an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) single award for a research support services project entitled, " Mathematical Modeling and Economic Evaluation." The anticipated period of performance for the contract is sixty months. Place of Performance will be determined on individual task orders. The solicitation Request for Proposal (RFP) will be made available on the Internet at www.sam.gov on or about December 5, 2022. Requests for Proposals in hard copy form will not be available to interested parties. Telephone requests will not be honored. Interested parties are responsible for checking the website regularly for release of the RFP and for other procurement-related documents. The information provided in this pre-solicitation is for information purposes only. If there are any differences in the information provided here and the actual solicitation when released, the information provided in the actual solicitation shall govern.
Contractors are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback with respect to any information submitted. RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED ADEQUATE RESPONSES TO A SOLICITATION.
Background for the Acquisition: Mathematical models of HIV transmission and disease progression in the United States can help predict the future of the disease, the impact of prevention and care strategies, and how best to allocate resources to optimize impact on health and disease outcomes. Under previous contracts, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a dynamic, compartmental model of HIV in the United States. The purpose of this HIV Optimization and Prevention Effectiveness (HOPE) model is to assess the impact of prevention and care strategies on the reduction of HIV incidence in the total population and by race/ethnicity, among other types of evaluations.
Given limited resources and a mandate to protect public health, it is important for CDC to have the tools to assess the costs and effectiveness of, and optimal allocation of resources for, a wide array of strategies and policies to prevent the transmission and acquisition of HIV and to extend the survival and quality of life for those who are infected.
Complex mathematical models often are required to predict future trends in HIV disease and potential impact of public health interventions because they need to account for many continually changing dynamics over time, including the estimated costs and effectiveness of interventions to prevent the spread of HIV and extend the life of those infected, various behaviors either increasing or decreasing risk of HIV acquisition or transmission, the variations in HIV disease progression and transmission risk based on care, treatment, and viral suppression status, while accounting for differences across key demographic subpopulations. New mathematical approaches (using models for simulations and projections) to assess infectious disease transmission and effects of treatment and care on survival are constantly being developed and extended.
Mathematical modelers can be difficult to recruit and retain. Even with extensive hiring efforts, hiring efforts over the past 5 years have resulted in very few qualified candidates to fill vacancies. Candidates who do qualify possess skills are in wide demand; over a dozen modelers over the last few years have departed government service. To sustain modeling capacity within CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention (DHP), CDC has contracted for mathematical modeling and economic evaluation since 2012—one research IDIQ from FY 2012 to FY 2016, and a second research IDIQ from FY 2017 to FY 2022.
For FY 2023 through FY 2028, DHP requires an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) research contract to acquire support in the following areas.
Expand and refine in MATLAB® a dynamic, compartmental model of HIV transmission and disease progression in the U.S. population. CDC’s HIV Optimization and Prevention Economics model—the HOPE model—is a dynamic, compartmental model that shows how persons with HIV progress through disease stages and within the HIV care “continuum.”
Conduct analyses of HIV transmission and disease progression using the HOPE model
Conduct HIV resource allocation analyses using the HOPE and other models.
Build, refine, and conduct analyses using agent-based and network models of HIV transmission and disease progression.
Conduct economic analyses of HIV prevention interventions.
Maintain a database of relevant literature related to HIV prevention interventions..
Project Objectives: The purpose is to provide to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of HIV Prevention (DHP), an 'as needed' mechanism to obtain required services related to the mathematical modeling of HIV transmission and disease progression in the U.S., economic evaluation of HIV prevention, care, and treatment interventions, and resource allocation modeling.
Located within the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), the Division of HIV Prevention (DHP) is responsible for providing national leadership and support for HIV epidemiologic research and surveillance of the behaviors and determinants of HIV transmission and disease progression, and for prevention and intervention research and the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of evidence-based HIV prevention programs serving persons affected by or at risk for HIV infection. These programs are authorized under the Public Health Service Act sections: 317 (42 U.S.C. 241 (a) and 247b); 301 (42 U.S.C. 241); 311 (42 U.S.C. 243), as amended.
Some general objectives of this effort will include, but are not limited to:
Build on and expand existing national-level models of HIV transmission and disease progress to evaluate the effects of HIV prevention strategies.
Develop new types of models as needed to better understand the effects of transmission networks.
Explicitly evaluate the optimal allocation of limited HIV prevention funds to prevent the most new cases at least cost.
Construct cost-effectiveness analyses that meet changing methodological standards and guide HIV prevention policy.
Provide technical support on models to ensure PMET staff are trained to program, refine, and restructure any models originally programmed by the contractor.
Update and maintain a database on relevant literature related to HIV prevention strategies and assist in the preparation of manuscripts for CDC clearance and submission to peer-reviewed journals.
Each Task Order is expected to produce a technical report suitable for use by DHP decision-makers and a manuscript suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal unless the specific Task Order indicates otherwise.
All work must be of sufficient quality for presentation at national conferences with peer-reviewed abstracts and for publication in high-impact, peer-reviewed scientific journals. Modified, expanded, or newly created models shall become the property of the CDC.
In summary, to support DHP's mathematical and economic modeling capacity, CDC seeks a contractor with a proven group of mathematical modelers with expertise in HIV transmission and disease progression modeling. This approach will allow DHP to sustain the mathematical modeling and economic analytic capacity needed to meaningfully inform HIV prevention program and policy. The contract mechanism will allow for assurance of appropriate responsiveness to input from the division, assignment of specific model-related projects of high interest to the division, and completion of those assignments within meaningful timeframes.
75D30123-R-72520 Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Acquisition Services
11/17/22, 3:52 PM