2026-SFF-VR-PCs-Statement-of-Work with 508 FINAL.pdf

Statement of Work / Performance Work Statement

Title: Small Form Factor (SFF) Virtual Reality (VR) PC Purchase

Period of performance of this contract is: 8/3/2026

SECTION 1 – BACKGROUND

In the event of an emergency, underground mine rescue teams may perform a variety of non-routine tasks as they encounter hazardous and rapidly changing conditions (e.g., navigate through toxic environments, pump water, and supporting unsafe roof). To be fully prepared, mine rescue teams require training and resources, but often lack funding. In the 1990s, the industry went almost a decade without a large-scale disaster.

However, the dramatic rescue of nine trapped miners at Quecreek, and a rash of disasters including Sago and

Upper Big Branch, reminded the industry of its importance. In response, Congress quickly passed the Mine

Improvement and New Emergency Response Act (MINER Act) that increased the mine rescue team training requirements and reduced the allowable response time [Public Law 109-236].

Another decade has passed without a major incident occurring. While there has been some investment in mine rescue technology (e.g., mine rescue robots and drones), the mining industry has minimally invested in new training content and delivery [Deuel et al. 2018]. The diminishing resources for mine rescue coupled with the

COVID-19 pandemic have led to reduced participation in training activities beyond compliance. With a minimum of only 96 hours of training for underground coal mine rescue teams that must include the participation in two mine rescue contests, two underground sessions, time under apparatus every other month, and exposure to smoke under apparatus (30 CFR 49.18), there is not a lot of time remaining to cover higher level skills such as decision-making and communication let alone incorporating practice. This may be problematic because research suggests that cognitive/procedural skills are more susceptible to decay.

Because of these requirements, many of the teams end up training primarily for the mine rescue competitions.

These competitions have traditionally been in the form of low fidelity competitive drills in above-ground facilities or open fields where the teams explore a network of tunnels represented by traffic cones and caution tape and hazards such as smoke, collapsed areas, or the location of trapped workers are represented by laminated sheets of paper. Often, the mine rescue scenarios also often incorporate unrealistic aspects like extremely elevated gas levels without any leakage. While these features allow the competitions to be more accessible and cover more possible hazards, they lack context and realism shown to improve training.

Supporting this concern, a recent survey of mine rescue team members found that more than 1 in 5 do not feel fully prepared to respond in the event of an emergency [Bellanca et al. 2023].

NIOSH/PMRD is addressing this issue through the development and evaluation of a Virtual Reality (VR) training platform, VR Mine Rescue Training (VR-MRT). NIOSH has been developing and evaluating VR-

MRT for the past five years. The VR-MRT software is comprised of five modules— Scenario Editor, Director, Simulation, Spectator, and Debrief—with the goal of improving mine rescue team members' procedural, collaborative, and problem-solving skills for an underground emergency response in a more realistic and immersive environment. to create custom scenarios, conduct VR training, and debrief trainees.

For additional background of the current project see:, VR Mine Rescue Training Platform | Mining | CDC and

CORESafety TV: September 2024 (youtube.com).

NIOSH/PMRD is seeking to purchase small higher performance VR computers for use in the field when running VR simulations. These computers should be more portable than standard workstations, but also have more performance than the available laptops for running more complex VR scenarios.

SECTION 2 – PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this contract is to purchase eight small form factor (SFF) virtual reality (VR) capable desktop computers.

SECTION 3 – SCOPE OF WORK

The purchase and delivery of eight SFF VR computers meeting the required specifications:

https://arlweb.msha.gov/MinerAct/2006mineract.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-30/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-49/subpart-B/section-49.18 https://www2a.cdc.gov/nioshtic-2/BuildQyr.asp?s1=Usability+of+Collaborative++VR+Mine+Rescue+Training++Platform&f1=%2A&Startyear=&Adv=0&terms=1&whichdate=DP&D1=10&Limit=500&Sort=DP+DESC&EndYear=&RecSlct=79748,&View=f&PageNo=1 https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/tools/vr-mrt.html https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvqDnOAOqdk__;!!P9AnIVdJ!T_-f1Jlf9GUkI8ornKhGWgfq82y0h66NIy_8aklXVfa-az2dTi0mShO19cimnDEKOqqP0ADlGZQ$

• Empowered PC LAN Gamer 8L Mini

• AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 GPU

• 32GB System Memory

• 1TB NVMe System Drive

• Quantity: 8

SECTION 4 – TASKS TO BE PERFORMED

N/A

SECTION 5 – GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

N/A

SECTION 6 – PLACE OF PERFORMANCE AND CONTRACT SUPPORT HOURS

SUBSECTION A – PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

SUBSECTION B – CONTRACT SUPPORT HOURS

N/A

SECTION 7 – TRAVEL

N/A

SECTION 8 – DELIVERABLES/REPORTING SCHEDULE

The contractor shall provide a license file detailing agreed usage rights to be included with the distribution of VR-MRT upon the execution of this contract.

SECTION 9 – REFERENCE MATERIALS

N/A

SECTION 10 – MINIMUM VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS

SECTION 11 – ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Information Security and Privacy

Section V.1, Other IT Procurements: Hardware Procurements

a. Card Readers. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall include Federal Information

Processing Standard (FIPS) 201-compliant smart card readers (referred to as LACS Transparent Readers) with the purchase of servers, printers, desktops, and laptops.

b. Mobile Devices. The contractor must follow NIST 800-124, Rev. 1, Guidelines for Managing the

Security of Mobile Devices in the Enterprise and comply with Public Law 115-232 § 889, when purchasing and/or using mobile devices that process or store HHS data.

Section V.3, Other IT Procurements: Information Technology Application Design, Development, or

Support

a. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must ensure IT applications designed and developed for end users (including mobile applications and software licenses) run in the standard user context without requiring elevated administrative privileges.

b. The Contractor must consult the guidelines from NIST SP 800-160 volume 1, Systems Security

Engineering: Considerations for a Multidisciplinary Approach in the Engineering of Trustworthy Secure

Systems, NIST SP 800-160 volume 2, Systems Security Engineering: Considerations for a

Multidisciplinary Approach in the Engineering of Trustworthy Secure Systems, and NIST SP 800-53 to implement security during the development of all applications and throughout the life cycle stages of software development.

c. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must follow secure coding best practice requirements, as directed by United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US- CERT) specified standards, the

Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), System Admin, Audit, Network and Security (SANS), HHS Policy for Software Development Secure Coding Practices, and CDC Secure Software Development

Standard that will limit system software vulnerability exploits.

d. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must ensure that computer software developed on behalf of CDC or tailored from an open-source product, is fully functional and operates correctly on systems configured in accordance with government policy and federal configuration standards. The contractor must test applicable products and versions with all relevant and current updates and patches updated prior to installing in the CDC environment. No sensitive data must be used during software testing.

e. The Contractor must, at a minimum, segregate physically or logically, all test and development systems from production systems as applicable in accordance with the HHS Standard for Segregation of

Dev/Test Environments from Production.

f. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must protect information that is deemed sensitive from unauthorized disclosure to persons, organizations or subcontractors who do not have a need to know the information. Information which, either alone or when compared with other reasonably available information, is deemed sensitive or proprietary by CDC must be protected as instructed in accordance with the magnitude of the loss or harm that could result from inadvertent or deliberate disclosure, alteration, or destruction of the data. This language also applies to all subcontractors that are performing under this contract.

Human Subjects Protections in Research

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)

Section 508 and Accessibility Requirements

Part A – Provision

Reference HHSAR 352.239-73[8] Electronic Information and [Communication] Technology

Accessibility Notice.

[(Deviation)]

[(a) Any offeror responding to this solicitation must comply with established HHS Information and

Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility standards. Information about Section 508 is available at https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html.

(b) The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this solicitation are stated in the clause at

352.239-79 Information and Communication Technology Accessibility. In order to facilitate the

Government’s determination whether proposed ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, and documentation meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an appropriate HHS Section 508 Accessibility Conformance Checklist (see https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html) or an Accessibility

Conformance Report (ACR) (based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) see https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat), in accordance with the completion instructions. The purpose of the checklists and conformance reports are to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining whether proposed ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, and documentation conform to applicable Section 508 accessibility standards. Checklists and ACRs evaluate—in detail—whether the ICT conforms to specific Section 508 accessibility standards and identifies remediation efforts needed to address conformance issues.

(c) If an offeror claims its supplies or services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and it is later determined by the Government, i.e., after award of a contract or order, that supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support delivered do not conform to the described accessibility standards, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its expense.

(d) In order to facilitate the Government's determination whether proposed ICT supplies meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an Accessibility Conformance

Report, in accordance with its completion instructions and tailored to the requirements in the solicitation. The purpose of the Report is to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining whether proposed ICT supplies conform to applicable Section 508 accessibility standards. The template allows offerors or developers to self-evaluate their supplies and document, https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat in detail, whether they conform to a specific Section 508 accessibility standard, and any underway remediation efforts addressing conformance issues. Instructions for preparing the Template are available at https://www.section508.gov/.

(e) Additionally, offerors must provide enough information to assist the Government in determining that the ICT services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards, including any underway remediation efforts addressing conformance issues.

(f) Respondents to this solicitation must identify any inability to conform to Section 508 requirements. If an offeror claims its supplies or services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and it is later determined by the Government, i.e., after award of a contract or order, that supplies or services delivered do not conform to the described accessibility standards, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its expense.

(g) Items delivered as electronic content must be accessible to HHS acceptance criteria. Checklist for various formats are available at http://508.hhs.gov/. Materials, other than items incidental to contract management, that are final items for delivery should be accompanied by the appropriate checklist, except upon approval of the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer’s Representative.

(End of provision)]

Part B - Clause

352.239-74[9] Electronic, Information, and Communication Technology Accessibility.

[(Deviation)]

(a) Pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the

Workforce Investment Act of 1998, all information and communication technology (ICT) supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, and services, or support developed, acquired, maintained or delivered under this contract or order must comply with the Revised 508 Standards, which are located at 36 C.F.R. 1194.1 and Appendices A, B, and C, and are available at https://www.access-board.gov/ict/. Information about Section 508 is available at https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html.

(b) Additional Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this contract or order are identified as follows:

205 WCAG 2.0 Level A & AA Success Criteria

302 Functional Performance Criteria

402 Closed Functionality

403 Biometrics

404 Preservation of Information Provided for Accessibility

405 Privacy

406 Standard Connections

407 Operable Parts

408 Display Screens

409 Status Indicators

410 Color Coding

411 Audible Signals

502 Inoperability with Assistive Technology

503 Applications

504 Authoring Tools

602 Support Documentation

603 Support Services

If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, and services support provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

(c) In the event of a modification(s) to this contract or order, which adds new ICT supplies or services or revises the type of, or specifications for, supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support, the Contracting Officer shall require that the Contractor submit a completed HHS Section 508 Accessibility Conformance Checklist (see https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html) or an Accessibility

Conformance Report (ACR) (based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) see https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat), and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the ICT supplies or services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, and services support provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies, https://www.section508.gov/ http://508.hhs.gov/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

(d) If this is an Indefinite-Delivery type contract, a Blanket Purchase Agreement or a Basic Ordering

Agreement, the task/delivery order requests that include ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support will define the specifications and accessibility standards for the order. In those cases, the Contractor shall be required to provide a completed HHS

Section 508 Accessibility Conformance Checklist (see https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-

508/accessibility-checklists/index.html) or an ACR (based on the VPAT see https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat), and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the provided documentation, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

(e) The contractor shall identify to the Contracting Officer any perceived exception or exemption to

Section 508 requirements for review by the agency Section 508 Program.

Printing

SECTION 1 – PROPOSED CONTRACT TYPE

Firm Fixed

SECTION 2 – OPTIONAL SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

SUBSECTION A – PAYMENT CLAUSES

SUBSECTION B – DATA RIGHTS CLAUSES

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR OFFICE

OF ACQUISITION SERVICES