Attachment A-SOW.pdf

ATTACHMENT A

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

NASA Headquarters (HQ)

December 2025

Solicitation: 80HQTR26R0002

NASA Research and Education Support Services (NRESS) III

Statement of Work

1. PURPOSE

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Science Mission Directorate looks to continue the requirements under NASA Research and Education Support Services

Contract (NRESS) III. The purpose of the NRESS III Contract is to facilitate the announcement of research opportunities and/or outreach programs, collect and manage proposals/applications, review proposals/applications, provide support for selection of proposals/applications for awards, and provide information technology management and compliance.

The terms “NRESS”, “SMD”, “CO”, “COR”, TMR, “SOW” and shall be used throughout this document for:

• NRESS: NASA Research and Education Support Services

• SMD: Science Mission Directorate

• CO: Contracting Officer

• COR: Contracting Officer Representative

• TMR: Technical Monitor Representative

• SOW: Statement of Work

A Primary and Alternate COR will be appointed to provide oversight of the services provided to the SMD and its partnering organizations. In addition, one TMR for each Customer Task Plan and

Associated Work Plans. All modifications will come from the CO and COR.

2. INDEFINITE DELIVERY INDEFINITE QUANTITY (IDIQ)

The CO shall authorize IDIQ Services in accordance with Section I, “Task Ordering Procedures”, through the issuance of IDIQ Task Orders (TOs). The Contractor will be responsible for providing the necessary management, supplies, materials, services, information technology, and qualified personnel to perform the specified task(s). The Government prefers the iSite tool to be used to manage the life cycle of the task orders, or a comparable task order management tool.

3. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

3.1. Contract Management and Administration

The Contractor shall:

A. Implement a centralized management structure that ensures the effective and timely performance of all requirements in the SOW.

B. Plan, organize, control and document and report all requirements in the SOW.

C. Continually evaluate and implement fiscally responsible, cost effective, innovative, and efficient processes for implementing the requirements outlined in the SOW.

D. Notify the COR and CO of any contract non-compliance, policy non-compliance, or Organization Conflict of Interest (OCI) that could have an impact on the successful performance on the requirements in the SOW. Participate in any required meetings scheduled by the CO, COR, Office of General Counsel

(OGC), and Office of Inspector General (OIG).

3.2. Grants Policy

The contractor shall:

A. Remain abreast of current and future grant policy changes that may impact system requirements. They will work with Grants Policy and Compliance to ensure NASA and federal-wide grants policies are followed within the grants system. This includes emerging requirements through OMB memos, Executive

Orders, and other regulations that may be released throughout the contract period. NPR 1080.1

B. Additionally, maintain a working knowledge of the main source documents of these policies, and how they affect the system, including:

i. Grants and Cooperative Agreement Procedures (GCAP) or similar guidance document

ii. Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations

iii. Grant Information Circulars

iv. Grant Notices

v. Presidential Actions

C. Supply, upon request, data from the system to inform grants policy decisions and reporting at the Agency. This may include, but is not limited to, data on number of applications submitted, numbers of applicants to certain funding opportunities, demographics information collected, number of Notices of Funding Opportunity published, etc.

D. Comply with the Federal Integrated Business Framework (FIBF) Grants

Management standards defined in the business capabilities and use cases associated with the following FIBF activities: GRM.010.020, Grant Program

Funding Opportunity; GRM.020.010, Grant Application Support and Receipt;

and GRM.020.020, Grant Application Review and Selection.

E. Comply with any future updates to grants management data standards as posted on https://grants.gov/data-standards.

3.3. Records Management

A. Maintain a Data and Records Management Plan which shall define the scope and requirements for SMD records management including acquisition, management, organization, planning, implementation, control, destruction, and validation. The plan shall include the following elements:

i. Data and records acquisition and identification through their records lifecycle as defined by NPR 1441.1

ii. Data and records control and destruction plan that includes protection of electronic and paper data and validation of their destruction/sanitization per NIST SP 800-88 rev. 1 (Guidelines for Media Sanitization)

iii. Data and records status accounting through their lifecycle including the verification of their destruction or transfer to the National Archives and

Records Administration (NARA)

iv. Data and records management in compliance with NASA and NARA regulations

v. Data and records management organization

vi. Appropriate storage and retrieval of data and records

vii. Procedures and policy follow NPR 1440.6l (NASA Records

Management), NPR 1441.1E (NASA Records Management Program

Requirements), and NPR 2810.7 (Controlled Unclassified Information)

NIST SP 800-53 rev. 5 (Security and Privacy Controls for Information

Systems and Organizations)/FIPS 200 (Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and Information Systems), NIST SP 800-600 rev. 1 (rev. 2 is currently being worked on and just closed for public comment)

viii. Special Restrictions for Controlled Unclassified Information are maintained and validated per NPR 2810.7 (Controlled Unclassified

Information), NIST SP 800-53 rev. 5 (Security and Privacy Controls for

Information Systems and Organizations), NIST SP 800-171 rev. 2

(Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations), and NIST 800-88 rev. 1 (Guidelines for Media

Sanitization)

ix. Process to transition data and records at contract end and validate completion of transfer

x. An incident response plan that includes adequate preparation, detection, analysis, containment, recovery, and user response activities; and (ii) track, document, and report incidents to appropriate organizational officials and/or authorities.

xi. NASA Records Management training for personnel responsible for managing the organizations records

B. Ensure accurate and complete records of Government business are maintained in accordance with the NPR 1441.1, NASA Records Management Program

Requirements. Information and records include electronic and paper records, including but not limited to legacy records inherited from previous contracts, records actively in use, and records that are waiting out their required records retention. Records of Government business shall be segregated from company-owned records and from non-record materials. Provide the Government access to

Government records in accordance with FAR Subpart 4.7, Contractor Records

Retention. Ensure all contractor systems that hold Federal CUI records are compliant with the Government reserves the right to inspect, audit, and copy record holdings and NIST SP 800-53 rev. 5 (Security and Privacy Controls for

Information Systems and Organizations), NIST SP 800-171 rev. 2 (Protecting

Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations) and FIPS 200 (Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and

Information Systems).

i. Note: Ensure all records are managed in an electronic format, per OMB-

NARA-M-23-07.

ii. Develop, implement, and maintain a Records Management Program

Plan:

• NPR 1441.1E Records Management Program Plan.

C. Establish a Record Liaison with SMD Records Manager to ensure the Records

Management Program and File Plan requirements are adhered to.

D. Perform a yearly audit of systems and records to ensure that records and associated metadata are validated.

E. Ensure information systems that process, store, or transmit CUI comply with:

FIPS 199 Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and

Information Systems; FIPS 200 Minimum Security Requirements for Federal

Information and Information Systems; NIST SP 800-53 Security and Privacy

Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organization ; NIST SP 800-171 rev. 2 Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and

Organizations; and NIST SP 800-60 Guide for Mapping Types of Information and Information Systems to Security Categories.

3.4. OCIO Compliance

A. Comply with the information security requirements of NASA Policy Directive

(NPD) 2810.1F, NASA Information Security Policy; NPR 2810.1, Security of

Information and Information Systems and NFS 1852.204-76, Security

Requirements for Unclassified Information Technology Resources.

B. Comply with information protection requirements in accordance with NPD

1382.17, NASA Privacy Policy; NPR 1382.1, NASA Privacy Procedural

Requirements; and NFS 1852.204-76. Assess all information collections to ensure compliance with Federal regulations and privacy protection requirements using the NASA-provided assessment tool, Risk, Information Security

Compliance System (RISCS). Access to RISCS may be granted through a NASA

Access Management System (NAMS) request.

C. Ensure successful completion of all mandatory annual IT Security Training for all Contractor personnel:

i. NASA IT Security Awareness Training, IT Security Role Based Training.

ii. Other IT Security Training, as required by the Government and provided in the System for Administration, Training, and Educational Resources for

NASA (SATERN).

D. Provide support to NASA IT Security Offices for Contractor IT security incidents or investigations.

E. Notify the Security Operations Center (SOC) followed by the Chief Information

Security Officer (CISO), COR, and CO, within one hour upon discovery of an incident involving Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU)/Controlled Unclassified

Information (CUI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), or Export Control information.

F. Submit an encrypted email with the initial assessment of event impacts and plan for mitigation within eight hours after acknowledgement after notifying the SOC, CISO, COR, and CO of an incident involving SBU/CUI, PII, or Export Control information, and provide continued support and status until the incident is resolved.

G. Protect all sensitive information in accordance with NASA Interim Directive

(NID) 1600.55, Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) Controlled Information, and the follow-on Executive Order 13556, Controlled Unclassified Information

(CUI), and store and handle all SBU data in accordance with NPR 1600.1, NASA Security Program Procedural Requirements.

H. Encrypt sensitive information (e.g., SBU/CUI, PII, Export Control) at the file and electronic mail levels using a Government-approved solution.

I. Obtain all desktop and workstations used for office automation from the current

NASA approved service providers. The Contractor shall request through the CO and the Office of the Chief Information Officer’s (OCIO) approval of any exemption from the use of the NASA-provided IT products and services.

J. Comply with NPR 2810.2, Possession and Use of NASA Information and

Information Systems Outside of the United States and United States Territories, is followed by getting OCIO approval before taking any electronic devices outside the U.S. and Territories, including any personal devices that includes

NASA data.

K. Comply with NPD 2540.1, Acceptable use of Government Office Property

Including Information Technology.

L. Comply with the Use of Unauthorized Device (UD) memorandum and ensure that all IT devices have an approved Authorization to Operate (ATO) from a

NASA Authorizing Official (AO) prior to the use of the IT device to store, process, or transmit NASA data. A UD includes but is not limited to a mobile phone, tablet, computer, USB drive, external drives, Internet of Things (IoT) device, wearable technology, or any other device that can connect to NASA's internal or non-public network or systems and does not have a valid ATO from a

NASA AO, regardless of who provided or owns the device. All ATOs must be documented in RISCS.

M. Protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of NASA electronic information and IT resources and protect NASA electronic information from unauthorized disclosure.

N. Coordinate with NASA OCIO to ensure that IT policies are followed. The protection of NASA information shall extend to off-site facilities.

O. Ensure that all products, platforms, services, and communications delivered as part of this work statement that are Information and Communication Technology

(ICT) or contain ICT will conform to the Revised Section 508 of the

Rehabilitation Act Standards, 36 C.F.R. § 1194.1 & Apps. A, C & D. The

Standards may be found at Revised 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines (access-board.gov) (https://www.access-board.gov/ict/).

3.5. Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs)

• Develop and comply with SOPs to complete the requirements of this SOW.

Example SOPs:

o User Notifications for System Maintenance & Outages.

o Annual Authorization to Operate (ATO)

3.6. Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)

A. Establish a SOP for implementing and recording all Non-Disclosure Agreements.

B. Draft a Review Assignment Agreement. Participants wanting to be part of a

NASA review must accept the Review Assignment Agreement. If a participant is not a U.S. Civil Servant, they must agree to a Non-Disclosure Agreement regarding the proposals associated with the review.

3.7. Subject Matter Expertise

A. Provide Subject Matter Expertise (SME) to advise SMD and its partners in the implementation of the requirements called out in this SOW.

B. Remain abreast of current NASA OCIO, Records, Grants, and associated policies, compliance, training requirements, laws, regulations, and technologies relative to internal and public facing systems.

C. Provide Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to SMD for periodic audits and data calls that can be needed in relation to services performed under this contract. (e.g.

Budget, Office of General Counsel, Property, Procurement, Office of Inspector

General, NASA Research Announcement Solicitations, Unsolicited Proposals, Grants Policy, Demographic Data, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)s

Requests from Office of Communications.)

3.8. Supplies, Materials, Services, and Information Technology

A. Be responsible for supplying all materials, services, Information Technology and equipment not otherwise provided for under this contract as Government

Furnished Property (GFP) to fulfill the requirements of this contract.

3.9. Contractor Facilities

The services to be performed under this contact shall be performed at the following location(s): Remote, Contractor’s facilities, rented facilities as required. Alternate places of performance may be specified in individual task orders issued. The Contractor shall:

A. Appoint a Facility Security Officer (FSO) who will work with NASA OPS to perform all PIV requirements.

B. Ensure that all required information is complete and accurate to facilitate badging of all NRESS III staff upon phase-in, contract start and through-out the contract period of performance.

C. Promote cost savings when applicable. For example: historically contractor facilities were made available to host offsite meetings at no additional cost to the Government.

D. Store, configure, and secure IT Infrastructure when applicable.

3.10. NASA Required Training

A. Provide a skilled and capable workforce. The Contractor shall ensure all individuals are qualified to accomplish all aspects of their assignments as required by the SOW prior to assuming any work responsibilities.

B. Ensure employees complete required NASA SATERN training to maintain logical and physical access to NASA resources (i.e., Annual Information

Technology (IT) Security Training and Annual Security Refresher Briefing).

C. Ensure all systems training is complete regarding the OCIOs Risk Information

Security Compliance System (RISCS). Information System Owner (ISO), Information System Security Owner (ISSO), and other associated roles. The

Contractor shall:

i. Ensure that cybersecurity design and development activities are properly documented (providing a functional description of security implementation) and updated as necessary. The development is limited to training material and not systems.

ii. Support the identification of cybersecurity and privacy requirements for information systems, including conducting or supporting FIPS 199 security categorizations.

iii. Support the Government with identifying and prioritizing essential system functions or sub- systems required to support essential capabilities or business functions for restoration or recovery after a system failure or during a system recovery event based on overall system requirements for continuity and availability.

iv. Design, develop, implement, validate, document, monitor, support, and update system security measures that provide appropriate confidentiality, integrity, availability, authentication, and non-repudiation. The development is limited to training material and not systems.

v. Ensure Privacy Threshold Assessments (PTA) and Privacy Impact

Assessments (PIA) are conducted as required or requested.

vi. Perform information system security risk assessments.

vii. Perform security reviews and identify security gaps in architecture.

viii. Support the development of continuous monitoring strategies for information systems.

ix. Provide input to implementation plans and standard operating procedures as they relate to information systems security.

x. Assess the effectiveness of cybersecurity and privacy measures utilized by system(s) and personnel.

xi. Assess threats to and vulnerabilities of information system(s) to develop a security risk profile.

xii. Develop and maintain a detailed and accurate System Security Plans

(SSP), including security documentation for component and interface specifications, to support appropriate cybersecurity and privacy throughout the information systems’ life cycle

xiii. Support the development and validation of contingency plans for operational information systems and systems under development and ensure testing is completed per control details.

xiv. Analyze and recommend risk mitigation strategies to ensure vulnerabilities are mitigated in accordance with NASA policy and recommend security changes to system or system components as needed.

xv. Identify and direct the remediation of problems encountered during testing and implementation of new systems and during continuous monitoring.

xvi. Support the Information System Owner (ISO) in ensuring that all components of the information system are appropriately updated and patched in accordance with Federal and NASA requirements.

xvii. Identify, assess, and recommend cybersecurity products for use within a system and ensure that recommended products are compliant with the organization's evaluation and validation requirements.

xviii. Perform risk analysis (e.g., threat, vulnerability, and probability of occurrence) whenever an application or system undergoes a major change.

xix. Review cyber intelligence threats reports, including but not limited to

SOC MARs, SARs, and DHS/CISA Emergency Directives, in order to identify threats to the information system and develop mitigations.

xx. Provide subject matter expertise and recommendations as part of RMF process activities and development of related documentation (e.g., system life-cycle support plans, concept of operations, operational procedures, and maintenance training materials).

xxi. Provide support to cybersecurity tests and evaluation activities.

xxii. Work with the appropriate information system roles to develop a strategy for determining, implementing, and closing out remediation actions.

xxiii. Track and manage Plans of Actions and Milestones (POA&M) in

NASA’s authoritative A&A repository.

xxiv. Brief the Government regarding any risks that may arise and provide recommendations to mitigate the POA&Ms in accordance with the organizational risk management requirements.

xxv. Ensure that accepted risks are documented, including documentation to support risk acceptance decisions, and reviewed regularly in accordance with NASA A&A policies and procedures.

xxvi. Prepare any necessary documentation, participate in interviews, and work with Security Control Assessors to support any other methods necessary to complete the security control assessment to ensure accurate assessment findings.

xxvii. Provide support for continuous monitoring and work with the

Government to mitigate findings and ensure remediation activities are tracked in the approved Agency Continuous Monitoring tool/application.

xxviii. Recommend and implement POA&Ms or other remediation activities for vulnerabilities identified during assessments, audits, inspections, etc., as needed.

xxix. Develop and maintain system security authorization documentation.

xxx. Prepare and brief initial and ongoing authorization products as required.

4. PEER REVIEW PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW

NASA’s aeronautics, human exploration, science, space technology Mission Directorates depend on NRESS to facilitate peer review program management on behalf of the Agency’s basic and applied research.

NASA funds intramural and extramural research and technology development, primarily through solicited, peer-reviewed proposals that result in grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or intergovernmental agreements. Solicitation mechanisms include NASA Research

Announcements (NRAs), Announcements of Opportunity (AOs), and Cooperative Agreement

Notices (CANs). NASA also receives and considers a small number of non-competitive proposals, such as unsolicited and sole-source proposals each year. Finally, NASA uses the

NRESS III contract to invite responses that do not result in financial awards via methods such as

Requests for Information (RFI).

The life-cycle of the Agency’s peer review program, for purposes of NRESS requirements, consists of the following general processes:

(1) development of requirements

(2) solicitation of proposals,

(3) proposal review; and

(4) disposition of proposals following proposal review and prior to award. All decisions about proposals selected for award are made by NASA selection officials and all awards are made by authorized NASA procurement and federal assistance personnel with appropriate warrants.

Peer review processes and methods differ among the Mission Directorates. Historically, approximately 85% of the panels are virtual and 15% are in person. Small or Large reviews consisting of one or many (sub)panels, mail-in reviews, permanent committees, or one-time panels are all features of the NASA peer review program. Further, peer review events may be conducted via teleconference; however, they are customarily held as face-to-face panel meetings, often in the Washington, DC area, but also in locations across the country. Panels usually consist of seven-to-ten individuals. Rarely a large panel might consist of as many as 30+ individuals.

Student and engagement related research efforts may involve participation in conferences or similar events. Despite the variations, NASA peer review processes and methods have evolved services and related customer support; system documentation, user training materials and job aids; comprehensive information technology security including appropriate protective controls, risk management planning and execution; and maintaining and assuring continuous operations in the event of system outages. Information technology support also includes workflow management for work requests under this scope.

Sections A - H that follows below provides details about the summary requirements presented above. NASA customer organizations for this contract consist principally of

NASA Mission Directorates, and these components’ Center-based program and project offices. Additional information about the programmatic activities of the principal component users of this contract’s services can be found in the following links:

o NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) see https://www.nasa.gov/aeroresearch o NASA Human Research Program (HRP) see https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/ o NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD), see https://www.nasa.gov/exploration-systems-development-mission-directorate/ o NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD), see https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/space-operations/ o NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), see http://science.nasa.gov/

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, see https://www.nasa.gov/space-technology-mission-directorate/

A. Research Announcement & Solicitation Planning & Support. The Contractor is responsible for the efficient administration of peer review program-related pre-solicitation and solicitation processes and activities, to include documenting the workflows, processes, and procedures for administering pre-solicitation and solicitation activities. As required, the contractor shall:

i. Support (virtual: approximately 85% and in person: approximately 10%) peer-review panels, as well as workshops and pre-solicitation meetings that lead to the development of NASA Research Announcements, Announcements of Opportunity, and Cooperative Agreement Notices.

Support outreach activities for related student research programs, including conferences and presentations. Ensure the confidentiality and information security of information, notes, discussions, and decisions reached during such events.

ii. Support the preparation of solicitation schedule and milestone charts and provide reporting tools to track progress of activities against schedules and milestones.

iii. Plan, organize, and deliver communications to support scheduled events;

provide all logistics support, including support for outreach events, student research events, solicitation planning meetings, pre-proposal meetings, and any similar planning workshops and operational meetings related to peer review planning.

iv. In-person meetings are often in the Washington DC area but may be anywhere in the country. When not at NASA HQ or another known facility, make planning-related site visits to assure that venues are appropriate and conducive to upcoming events.

v. Support the development of solicitation documentation such as but not limited to user-specific questions, FAQs, copyediting documents, and checking for internal consistency.

vi. Support drafting and editing solicitations and Federal Business

Opportunities Announcements for subsequent announcement to stakeholder communities and post announcements, synopses, and solicitations and on

NSPIRES (or subsequently developed information technology system), and/or via grants.gov and/or by other means suitable for reaching targeted communities of recipients, e.g., sam.gov.

vii. Maintain, and enhance a searchable web-based database, with attendant software, containing approved synopses, solicitations, and other announcements about research opportunities, proposals (organizations, team members and their roles and affiliations) reviews and reviewers (their review history and affiliations) for example via NSPIRES or subsequently developed information technology system). Search functionality software shall optimize search results to facilitate efficient ease of use and user acceptance by external and internal (NASA) users.

viii. Promptly post solicitations to the searchable information technology system and Synopsis on Grants.gov on release dates and distribute notifications of solicitations (or other announcements) via existing directorate or division specific email distribution lists and/or by other means suitable for reaching targeted communities of recipients.

ix. Support the preparation of reports, lessons learned, improvement ideas, or minutes resulting from these activities to enhance the management and operations of future events.

x. Support the analytics, including software, related to proposal evaluation prior to or during peer review by, for example, providing for key word search (tags) to enable more effective retrieval and categorization of proposals, analysis of and comparison of distribution of scores by different reviewers for a given proposal, for a given reviewer vs. the other scores given to that proposal, proposals selected vs final grade etc.

xi. Support mid-term reviews, briefs, and informational presentations related to research awards, to include logistical and travel support.

B. Notice of Intent to Propose. Solicitations may require potential offerors to submit a preliminary statement such as a Notice of Intent (NOI) to propose or a Step-1 proposal. When NOIs or a Step-1 proposals are requested or required the contractor shall:

i. Manage, operate, and maintain a user-facing web-based NOI (or Step-1 proposal) submission capability, including software, for example, via

NSPIRES.

ii. Receive and log NOIs (or Step-1 proposals) and any accompanying information that offerors submit in response to Program Announcements.

iii. Create, manage, operate, and maintain search capabilities on the submission tool software that includes an ability to dynamically organize, summarize, sort, and group on designated NOI (or Step-1 proposal) characteristics, for example, using NSPIRES.

iv. Within three working days after NOI (or Step-1 proposals) submission deadlines specified by a solicitation, prepare and deliver NOI (or Step-1 proposals) summary reports containing key characteristics of NOI (or Step-1 proposals) data sets, e.g., itemize the names of proposing institutions, name the Principal Investigators, co-investigators, their titles, sub-disciplines, or other information as may have been specified in the instructions in the solicitation or Program Announcement.

v. Upon request, respond to NOIs (or Step-1 proposals) either by web-based tool or email, to encourage/discourage (or invite/disinvite) submission of subsequent proposals based on the NASA assessment of the Step-1 proposal, or to provide information to proposers, such as updates to the solicitation or posting of FAQs on the NSPIRES page for the program element.

C. Proposal Documents, Panel, Review & Selection Decision Support. Each solicitation contains detailed proposal preparation and content instructions. The contractor shall receive, maintain, record information on, and process proposals submitted to the government as follows:

i. Manage, operate, and maintain a web-based system (including software) that enables proposers to submit materials required by a solicitation, including proposers’ responses to Requests for Information (RFI), proposal cover pages, proposal summaries, and all other documents specified in proposal announcements.

ii. Assure that the web-based system assigns a unique identification code to each proposal package to enable retrieval, edit, and review by proposers and by authorized NASA program officials, reviewers, and panelists.

iii. Assure that the user-facing web-based system provides for submission of partial proposals or that enables proposal information to be submitted incrementally. Proposers shall be able to save incomplete proposals;

retrieve, review, edit, and complete over time and enable proposers to verify proposal status via the user-facing web interface.

iv. Manage, operate, and maintain the provided web-based system (including software) to enable NASA program managers and those whom they designate to assign reviewers to proposals and enter those assignments into the system for them when requested by NASA. Support sharing of documents and spreadsheets (e.g., of proposals and potential reviewers) using existing NASA tools (e.g., g-suite) and/or establish and deliver superior tools for this purpose. Maintaining records of organizational affiliations of all team members allows self-certification by peer reviewers and thus considering personal and organizational conflict of interest during peer review.

v. Support NASA in screening each incoming proposal to determine compliance with eligibility criteria and consistency with general program solicitation requirements.

vi. Establish and maintain the software capability to electronically sort, summarize, group on characteristics of proposal records. Lead and support the development of reports on characteristics of proposal populations and provide summary information about proposal records as requested.

vii. Deliver an itemized summary of proposal cover information, formatted according to key characteristics unique to each proposal, within three working days after a proposal’s due date (if fewer than 250 proposals are received) or within five working days (if the number of proposals received exceeds 250).

viii. Provide each proposal received in electronic format to the appropriate program officer(s) if requested, within 24 hours after the proposal due date;

or support program officers in accessing, summarizing, and analyzing their own proposal data sets. In lieu of electronic documentation, provide for printed versions at the request of panelists.

ix. Manage, operate, and maintain a software capability to make electronic proposals available to panelists, and/or to (external a.k.a., "mail-in") reviewers. The capability shall support reviewers’ needs to access proposals and evaluate (review) them. The capability shall provide for reviewers’ electronic responses.

x. Manage, operate, and maintain an electronic capability, including software, to make proposal reviewers’ evaluations available to panel chairs and panelists prior to and during panel events.

xi. Maintain, support, and enhance and electronic system(s), including software, to support creation, compilation, development, storage, and retrieval of reviewer of panelists findings and recommendations, panel summaries, technical evaluations, panel pre-decision discussion notes, and other artifacts from peer review events.

xii. Maintain, and support NASA's tools for videoconferencing (e.g., Webex) and document editing (g-suite) during peer review and/or establish and deliver superior tools for videoconferencing, and the creation, editing, and finalization of panel summaries during panel events.

xiii. Store panel and review findings, recommendations, and other results or information provided by the review panel (e.g., spreadsheets of scores), mapped to their proposals, in a secure information technology system.

Reviewers’ findings and panel results shall be optimized for search and retrieval by authorized personnel.

xiv. Provide electronic copies (or paper copies only upon request) of panel evaluations, technical evaluations, and any other information provided by the review panel (e.g., spreadsheets of scores) to authorized NASA program managers and/or selection officials.

xv. Support process of providing feedback to all Authorized Organization

Representative (AORs) and to Principal Investigators about decisions made about their proposals.

xvi. Prepare and distribute packages containing proposal summaries, proposal review scores and statistical summaries, reviewers’ comments, and outcomes from review panel meetings to appropriate NASA officials within two working days after the conclusion of the panel meeting, unless required otherwise.

xvii. Manage, operate, and maintain a web-based capability, including software, to compile, store, and make available to authorized NASA program managers, selection officials, and procurement officials all panel summaries and other panel artifacts (as requested by NASA) related to NASA’s selection decisions related to proposals reviewed during supported peer review program activities.

xviii. Within three working days after NASA announces its selection decisions to the contractor, support and assure the preparation and release of principal investigator packages (PI packages) which shall include such things as decision letters, panel or individual evaluations, debriefing letters, and requests for further information. Release approved PI packages to Principal

Investigators and to AORs.

xix. Support the preparation and release of electronic technical requirements

(TR) packages to procurement personnel. TR packages include such things as the following: solicitation cover page, proposals; award letters, technical evaluations, transmittal information, proposal status summary, any revised documents from the proposer, and, in some cases, selection statements;

summaries of the review process; justifications for awards, and certifications required for award. Support shall be supplemented, at a minimum, by reports to affected stakeholders about the completeness of TR packages and conformance of TR packages with NASA funding decisions.

xx. Create, manage, operate, and maintain a quality assurance program for the preparation, assembly, release, and distribution of PI and TR packages.

xxi. Support post-review document management activities, such as supporting the submission of post-review and post-selection documents to an electronic peer review management system.

xxii. Maintain electronic records of the review history of each proposal consistent with NASA records management policy (e.g. which proposals were sent to whom, which reviews were submitted, and which requests for reviews were declined or ignored).

xxiii. Maintain electronic records of the demographic information of each proposal, proposer, reviewer, and selection/awardee in support of NASA efforts.

D. Panel & Peer Review Planning, Operations, Logistics & Close-Out. The contractor shall support planning, operations, logistics, and close-out of peer review events, such as virtual panels, face-to-face panels, and mail-in reviews, as follows:

i. Maintain a web-based application and attendant software that contains records of and data from previous peer reviewers to support NASA solicitation managers, usually program officers, for the selection of prospective reviewers. Manage, operate, maintain, and enhance a prospective reviewer module to enable the addition of new (prospective) reviewers to the established population of known reviewers. Ensure that one feature of the application is to enable access and data entry by interested external researchers, engineers, educators, and civil servants.

ii. Support the recruitment of panelists and reviewers, in collaboration with

NASA’s solicitation manager. Obtain each reviewer’s commitment to participate, to review designated proposals, to report and avoid conflicts-of-interest. Verify that each reviewer is registered in the web-based peer reviewer database indicated above.

iii. Develop, manage, operate and maintain a conflict-of-interest program to avoid conflict-of-interest during selection of reviewers and during proposal solicitation and review. Alert NASA officials to potential or actual conflicts-of-interest.

iv. Obtain conflict-of-interest and non-disclosure agreements electronically from all reviewers; maintain a record of all conflict of interest and non-disclosure certification forms for all peer reviewers; and ensure that all conflict of interest and non-disclosure agreements are valid and current.

Within twenty-four hours of learning that a potential conflict of interest may exist, the contractor shall notify the appropriate NASA Official in accordance with conflict-of-interest avoidance plans. NASA will make any and all decisions related to conflicts of interest.

v. Develop and provide brief initial and refresher training to all appropriate personnel, including reviewers, on the implications of International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and any other relevant foreign-national restrictions related to the handling of proposals.

vi. Obtain ITAR/EAR agreements from all foreign-national participants and restrict applicable content as required.

vii. As required in order to ensure an independent peer review process, provide a respected and technically qualified non-civil service peer review administrator who will be responsible for: (1) supporting the selection of a panel chair (Civil Servant); (2) together with the chair, selecting the panel members; and (3) facilitating the overall peer review process, including assignment of proposals to reviewers and the preparation of accurate and detailed critiques.

viii. Produce and issue electronically participation requests to panelists and reviewers and, as needed or required, develop electronic review instructions and evaluation forms that are consistent with the evaluation criteria in the

Program Announcement.

ix. Produce for each panelist and reviewer all necessary review information to include, but not limited to, pertinent forms, instructions, list of primary and secondary reviewer assignments, summary pages of proposals.

x. Contact panel members and make arrangements for their travel, per diem and honoraria, as appropriate. All travel arrangements shall be made by the contractor and shall comply with rate and fee limits authorized by the contract, per the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR); the Joint Travel

Regulation (JTR), Volume 2, Department of Defense Civilian Personnel; or the Department of State Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas), Chapter 925. Special accommodations and reasonable exceptions to FTR guidelines shall be provided with authorization by the

COR and/or CO, as required. Other explicit guidance to the contractor regarding reimbursement of travel and lodging costs to peer review panelists is summarized per GSA per diem rates (https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates).

xi. Organize, manage, and deliver all logistical and related administrative support necessary to the conduct of panel meetings and events. Plan, contract for, and provide space for panel meetings. Panel meetings are often outside of the Washington, D.C. area.

xii. Provide computer support, presentation equipment, audio and video conferencing and file-sharing capabilities as requested to support external reviewers and panel members.

xiii. Facilitate the responsibilities of panel chairs and the activities of reviewers during peer review meetings and events. Sustain and facilitate debate, assist panel chairs in mitigating conflicts. Respond to panelist and panel chair requirements for real-time data gathering and support needed to keep evaluation and debate moving forward.

xiv. Support the activities of panelists during the creation of panel summaries and technical evaluations. Support user acceptance of electronic tools used during panel events (especially those that the contractor provides and maintains specifically to support the production and finalization of panel summaries and technical evaluations).

xv. Facilitate user acceptance of electronic tools, including software, via pre-event user training, troubleshooting during panels, via periodic evaluation of the user experience, and continuous change and improvement.

xvi. Prepare interim reports during the panel reviews to assess conflicts-of-interest and the need for additional external reviewers.

xvii. Upon request, provide qualified Executive Secretaries to support panel meetings, and provide for minutes of the peer review process.

xviii. At the conclusion of each panel event or other review activity (such as mail-in reviews) administer a customer survey about the quality of the logistics provided. Solicit responses from panelists and reviewers as follows: (1) from the NASA official(s) responsible for panel events; and (2) from the participating panelists. Customer surveys shall evaluate the contractor’s performance relative to scheduling the event, pre-event support, logistics support, event management, event documentation, and post-event support.

Customer surveys shall evaluate the contractor’s performance in terms of quality of accommodations, timeliness of disseminating information and written materials, and overall services provided to the attendee. Compile and deliver customer survey results semi-annually. A customer survey is required to be solicited from all participants described above. Contractor will exercise best professional effort to assure that responses are obtained.

Maintain the records, including the survey responses, for each six-month period in a form and manner that is available for Government verification.

xix. Identify non-respondents and calculate the response rate as a component of each semi-annual customer survey report. Provide an itemized list of non-respondents, along with a narrative explanation of the contractor’s effort to acquire the completed survey responses from non-respondents. There shall be at least three attempts to obtain each completed and signed form.

xx. Conduct infrequent expedited peer reviews on accelerated schedules.

E. Programmatic Documentation, Analytics & Reporting. The contractor shall support the following documentation maintenance requirements, analytics support, and reporting requirements:

i. Produce Annual Program Task Books and Bibliographies that contain contract histories and technical information, NRA/AO information with respect to the proposal submitted, PI affiliation and address data, research description abstracts, etc., and which may be made available in hard copy or a standard electronic format and must be available in a searchable database available on the World Wide Web.

ii. Support activities to facilitate and promote availability of space life sciences scientific and technical knowledge and expertise by collecting, creating, and disseminating space life sciences bibliographic data issuing from NASA and non-NASA sponsored research, and that augment and validate bibliographic material captured in the appropriate enterprise Task Book and bibliography.

iii. Facilitate and support electronic search, retrieval, and analysis (analytics) of solicitations and proposals, panelists’ evaluations, panelists’, and proposers’ past participation in peer review events, and other system data objects as requested by the government. Examples of support provided, and emphasis areas shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following examples:

• Select and report proposals, grouped according to selected or not selected; categorize according to proposals submitted in response to

NASA NRAs, CANs or AOs. Display or list at a minimum, name of

PI, institution, identification of selection announcement, name of task, and related science discipline. For proposals that were endorsed for funding maintain and report information about the requested and recommended funding amounts by funding periods/years.

• Provide post-award demographic statistics (e.g., awards by state;

awards to minority businesses; to minority universities, faculty, and students).

• Summary reports for NOIs received that shall include, at a minimum, data on Institution, Principal Investigator, and Discipline.

• Report all proposals received in response to a solicitation and summarize the status and findings for each criterion on each proposal, as well as any overall summary ratings as may have been determined.

• Prepare summary reports on all external reviews and panel meetings for appropriate NASA review (e.g., of panel composition).

• For each solicitation, provide a summary report showing the proposals accepted and rejected.

• Upon request ensure that selections are accurately and correctly entered into in NASA information systems to which the contractor has access, such as RAPTOR; report observed errors and mischaracterizations between peer review decisions and information contained in NASA information systems; report observed errors and mischaracterizations using an emphasis that the contractor deems to be in proportion to the nature and degree of errors or mischaracterizations observed; support reconciliation as required.

• All records, electronic or hardcopy, associated with solicitation planning, NOIs, proposals, peer review planning meetings, and peer review panel events, including notes about panel deliberations, and compiled selection decisions shall be stored and disposed of in accordance with NASA Records Management (NPD 1440.6I) and

NASA Records Retention Schedules (NPR 1441.1E). Backup and redundant storage shall be utilized as appropriate.

• Support compiling prompt, compliant answers to information requests such as FOIA inquiries and congressional inquiries (urgent and routine).

• As part of the close-out for each solicitation, prepare a report for the

Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, including: a brief description of the solicitation, number of proposals received and number selected, total potential value of the selected proposals, period of performance covered by the grant, and a list of AORs and PIs.

• Prepare on a quarterly basis two reports on the status of recent NASA

Research Announcements (NRA) and Announcements of Opportunity

(AO). One report shall be on Announced Competitions; the other shall be regarding the Selected Proposals. For each NRA and AO, the

Announced Competitions report shall list: the NASA Center originating the requirement, a description of the research to be competed, type of competition (NRA or AO), solicitation number, and announcement date (day/month/year). The Selected Proposals report shall include: the solicitation number, Selection Date

(day/month/year), calculation of calendar days from the announcement date to the selection date, total number of proposals, number of proposals containing NASA civil servant Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions, and the number of civil servant FTEs included in each proposal. For each selected proposal, the report shall provide: the proposed cost, the period of performance, and the number of civil servant FTEs broken out into the following categories: scientists, engineers, medical personnel, and support personnel.

F. Process or Systems Improvements & User Acceptance. The contractor shall propose and solicit NASA’s endorsement of initiatives and activities to improve or enhance the quality,…