HT9425-24-RFI-TNG01-Request for Information.pdf

Request for Information (RFI)

1. RFI Number: HT9425-24-RFI-TNG-01

2. RFI Title: Identifying Biomarkers of Resilience to Spatial Disorientation

3. Agency: Defense Health Agency (DHA) J9 Research & Development (R&D)

4. Office: United States Air Force (USAF) 59th Medical Wing, Science and Technology Office.

5. Contracting Office: United States Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD.

6. Location: Joint Base San Antonio – Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

7. Synopsis: In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201, "Exchange with industry before receipt of proposals," and FAR 52.215-3, "Request for information (RFI) or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (SFP)," this RFI is for information and planning purposes only, at this time, and shall not be construed as a solicitation or obligation on the part of the Government. This RFI is not expected to be a Request for Proposal or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach. This notice is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for solicited information. At this time, no solicitation exists; therefore, please do not request a copy of the solicitation. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. It is the responsibility of any potential vendor to monitor sam.gov for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.

8. Background: The USAF 59th Medical Wing, Science and Technology Office has a requirement for research and development services. This research study is titled ‘‘Identifying Biomarkers of Resilience to Spatial Disorientation.” Spatial disorientation (SD) is a common, well-recognized, and critical problem in pilots, correlating with aviation accidents, fatalities, and loss of jets. Identifying the factors that confer resilience against development of SD is of high priority and an unmet need for the USAF. Akin to numerous human traits (height, weight, cardiovascular disease) we hypothesize that the proclivity to develop SD may have a genetic and genomic influence. In collaboration with the 59th Medical Wing Science and Technology and the Foundation for Advancing Veteran’s Healthcare Research (FAVHR), this study design proposes a single-site, non-randomized, prospective study.

9. Objective and Purpose:

1. Evaluate the contribution of genetic variants to resilience against development of spatial disorientation.

2. Evaluate the interaction between these genetic variants and environmental influences

(e.g., exposure to aeroallergens) and the combinatorial effect on spatial disorientation.

3. Evaluate immunologic biomarkers of resilience against development of spatial disorientation.

10. Information Requested in Capability Statement:

• Provide a capability statement which demonstrates the vendor’s abilities to accomplish the scope of work described in this RFI.

11. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: The NAICS code for this potential action is: 541715 – Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering and Life Science with a Size Standard of 1,000 employees.

12. Response Due Date: Interested parties should submit their RFI response electronically by 12:00 pm Eastern on 24 May 2024 via e-mail to Tara Garver at tara.n.garver.civ@health.mil.

13. Instructions to Responders:

13.1 The Government appreciates responses from all capable and qualified sources.

13.2 The Government welcomes input and will accept questions pertaining to this RFI;

however, the Government reserves the right to answer or not answer all questions pertaining to this RFI. Only one set of questions per vendor will be accepted. Telephone requests will not be entertained.

13.3 The subject header of the e-mail for submission of questions and/or the RFI response shall be: HT9425-24-RFI-TNG-01.

12.4 Interested firms should submit a response (Capability Statement) that demonstrates the Offeror’s capabilities to accomplish the scope of work identified in this RFI. The Capability Statement shall not exceed five (5) typed pages; additional sheets for cover page, table of contents, tables, and charts will not be counted toward page limitation.

12.5 Fill in the below table when responding to this Sources Sought / RFI.

Question Answer RFI Number Company Name Company Address Point of Contact Phone Number E-mail Address Tax Identification Number (TIN) Cage Code

DUNS

Company Web Page Company Location(s)

Company is / is not a Small Business Company is / is not SAM Registered Other Classifications (e.g. 8(a), HubZone, Woman-Owned, Veteran-Owned, Service- Disabled Veteran-Owned)

If 8(a), date that the company graduates from the program.

13. Disclaimer and Important Notes:

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201, "Exchange with industry before receipt of proposals," and FAR 52.215-3, "Request for information (RFI) or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (SFP)," this RFI is for information and planning purposes only, at this time, and shall not be construed as a solicitation or obligation on the part of the Government. The purpose of this RFI notice is to gain market knowledge.

This RFI is not expected to be a Request for Proposal or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach. The Government is not obliged to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the responses received.

The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its responses are complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's solution. Responders are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received, or to provide feedback to respondents regarding any information submitted.

After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published on SAM.gov. At this time, no solicitation exists; therefore, please do not request a copy of the solicitation. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. It is the responsibility of any potential vendor to monitor SAM.gov for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.

Responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

14. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in submitted responses. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).

Original Point of Contact (POC): Tara Garver, tara.n.garver.civ@health.mil