RFQ,_Solicitation_No._N01DA-19-9916.pdf

Solicitation No. N01DA-19-9916

Standard Form 18, Request for Quotation (RFQ)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I – INSTRUCTIONS

ARTICLE 1 – General …………………………………………………………………….2

ARTICLE 2 - Quote Submission …………………………………………………………3

ARTICLE 3 - Socio-Economic Small Business Set-Aside Program …………………3

ARTICLE 4 - Price Reductions …………………………………………………………..3

ARTICLE 5 - Evaluation of Quotes and Award Determination ……………………….3

ARTICLE 6 - Clarification of Quotes …………………………………………… ………5

ARTICLE 7 - Period of Performance …………………………………………………….5

ARTICLE 8 – Business Proposal (Price Quote)………………………………………

ARTICLE 9 - Technical Proposal …………………………………………..... ………….6

ARTICLE 10 - Quote Packaging and Delivery Instructions ……………………..…….8

PART II: CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION ……………………………………………………

PART III: PURCHASE DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS / SCOPE OF WORK / STATEMENT

OF WORK ……………………………………………………………………………………….….14

Standard Form 18, Request for Quotation (RFQ)

PART I – INSTRUCTIONS

ARTICLE 1 – General

This request for quote is issued in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures and FAR 35 - Research and Development Contracting.

This request for quote does not commit the Government to pay any cost incurred in the submission of quotes or make necessary studies or designs for the preparation thereof, nor to procure or contract for the articles or services. It is also brought to your attention that the Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with this proposed acquisition. Any other commitment, either explicit or implied, is invalid.

In addition to the clauses/provision of this request for quote, the resultant purchase order shall include any clauses/provisions required by Public Law, Executive Order, or acquisition regulations, in effect at the time of execution of the award.

Responses’ to this RFQ are not to be considered an offer that can be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The actual purchase order award is considered the offer by the Government to the contractor and the contractor's written acceptance of the purchase order, or the commencement of performance under the purchase order, is the contractor's indication of their acceptance of the offer.

THE GOVERNMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE AN AWARD WITHOUT FURTHER

DISCUSSIONS OF THE QUOTES RECEIVED. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE

QUOTE IS INITIALLY SUBMITTED ON THE MOST FAVORABLE TERMS FROM BOTH THE

TECHNICAL AND COST STANDPOINTS.

All communications must be directed to the attention of the Contract Specialist / Contracting Officer.

All documents and deliverables described in this RFQ and amendments or modifications, shall be submitted in a professional manner.

ARTICLE 2 - Quote Submission

Responses to this RFQ are due on September 18, 2018 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

The Contractor must submit with their quote the following:

Technical Proposal Cost-Price Quote Past Performance Information Dun and Bradstreet Number (DUNS); and Verification of System for Award Management (SAM) Registration www.sam.gov.

ARTICLE 3 - Socio-Economic Small Business Set-Aside Program

1. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is

541715 and the size standard is 1,000 Employees.

2. This requirement is NOT restricted as a socio-economic small business set-aside

(issued as Full and Open/Unrestricted).

ARTICLE 4 - Price Reductions

Vendors are expected to propose pricing that is fair and reasonable and should consider offering price reductions which are guided by the complexity, scope and estimated value of the requirement.

ARTICLE 5 - Evaluation of Quotes and Award Determination

Selection of an offeror for contract award will be based on an evaluation of proposals against three factors. The factors in order of importance are: technical, cost/price, and past performance. Although technical factors are of paramount consideration in the award of the contract, past performance and cost/price are also important to the overall contract award decision. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost/price. The Government intends to make an award to that offeror whose proposal provides the best overall value to the Government.

1. Technical Evaluation

The evaluation will be based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective Contractors in relation to the needs of the project as set forth in the RFQ. The merits of each proposal will be evaluated carefully. Each proposal must document the feasibility of successful implementation of the requirements of the RFQ. Offerors must submit information sufficient to evaluate their proposals based on the detailed factors listed below.

The evaluation factors are used by the technical evaluation committee when reviewing the technical proposals. The factors below are listed with weights assigned to indicate relative importance for evaluation purposes. Proposals will be evaluated on the likelihood of meeting the http://www.sam.gov/

Government's objectives. The evaluation will be based on the technical and administrative capabilities in relation to the needs of the tasks and the reasonableness of costs/price shown in relation to the work to be performed. The following criteria are those that will be applied in the evaluation of technical proposals. The assigned weight of each factor is shown below:

1. Understanding the Project (10 points) - NIDA will evaluate the offeror's proposal on how clearly it demonstrates the offeror's thorough understanding of the objectives of the program as described in the Statement of Work, specifically the techniques needed to carry out the requirements. NIDA will also evaluate the offeror's discussions of human protection considerations. Offerors shall direct their attention to the Special Contract Requirements specified in the RFP for compliance requirements regarding protection for Human Subjects and IRB approval requirements.

2. Technical Approach (50 points)- NIDA will evaluate the methodology and technical approach in the offeror's proposal on how clearly and concisely the proposal presents a detailed plan to accomplish all requirements in the Statement of Work. NIDA will evaluate the offeror's description for appropriateness and likelihood of obtaining relevant and valid results.

3. Management Plan (20 points)- NIDA will evaluate how clearly presented in the proposal are the following components of the proposed management plan: Coordination with NIDA; plans for quality control; and a milestone chart addressing deliverables.

4. Personnel (20 points)- NIDA will evaluate the proposed personnel (professional and technical) on the appropriateness of credentials, training, qualifications, and experience necessary to carry out the required studies detailed in the SOW. Government expectation is that key personnel will have master degree or above with specialized and experienced work in MRI approached with MVPA analyses or equivalent.

2. Cost/Price Evaluation

The price quoted will also be evaluated taking into consideration any price reductions, the level of effort and the mix of labor proposed to perform the task(s) being ordered. A price reasonable determination will be made and a best value analysis will be performed.

3. Past Performance Evaluation

Offeror's past performance information will be evaluated subsequent to the technical evaluation.

However, this evaluation will not be conducted on any offeror whose proposal is determined to be technically unacceptable.

The evaluation will be based on information obtained from references provided by the offeror, other relevant past performance information obtained from other sources known to the Government, and any information supplied by the offeror concerning problems encountered on the identified contracts and corrective action taken.

The government will assess the relative risks associated with each offeror. Performance risks are those associated with an offeror's likelihood of success in performing the acquisition requirements as indicated by that offeror's record of past performance.

The assessment of performance risk is not intended to be a product of a mechanical or mathematical analysis of an offeror's performance on a list of contracts but rather the product of subjective judgment by the Government after it considers relevant information.

When assessing performance risks, the Government will focus on the past performance of the offeror as it relates to all acquisition requirements, such as the offeror's record of performing according to specifications, including standards of good workmanship; the offeror's record of controlling and forecasting costs; the offeror's adherence to contract schedules, including the administrative aspects of performance; the offeror's reputation for reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction; and generally, the offeror's business-like concern for the interest of the customer.

The Government will consider the currency and relevance of the information, source of the information, context of the data, and general trends in the offeror's performance.

The lack of a relevant performance record may result in an unknown performance risk assessment, which will neither be used to the advantage nor disadvantage of the offeror

ARTICLE 6 - Clarification of Quotes

All aspects of a quote are subject to clarification, including price, technical approach and terms and conditions. At the completion of clarifications, the contractor will ensure his technical plan and price quote reflects the mutual understandings of the requirement and if requested, submit a revised technical plan and price quote to the Contracting Officer. The technical plan should consist of the contractor’s intent and approach to this particular effort, any considerations that should be made by the government, as well as any additional information that expresses the Contractor’s position above others for this effort.

1. The Government may request clarifying information from the schedule contractor, as it relates to its quote.

2. If an award will be made without conducting clarifications, schedule contractors may be given the opportunity to clarify certain aspects of their quote or to resolve minor or clerical errors.

3. The Government reserves the right to make a single award, multiple awards, or no award at all as a result of the RFQ. In addition, the RFQ may be amended or canceled as necessary to meet the Government’s requirements.

ARTICLE 7 - Period of Performance

The Period of Performance shall be effective from one year from the award date (12 month period). The Government contemplates a Firm Fixed Price-type of Purchase Order contract for non-commercial items. For proposal purposes, it is anticipated that approximately 250 hours of labor will be required to complete the tasks specified in the Statement of Work.

ARTICLE 8 – Business Proposal (Price Quote)

The Vendor shall submit a price quote for the period of performance with the following:

1. Number of hours proposed

2. Fully loaded fixed-price hourly rate

3. Total price proposed

4. All other relevant information and documentation that the item(s) quoted meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in the purchase description, brand name or equal description, or brand name only description.

ARTICLE 9 - Technical Proposal

1. Instructions

The Contractor must submit a technical proposal and business proposal (price quote) for this requirement to the Contract Specialist / Contracting Officer cited herein.

A detailed technical proposal must be submitted indicating how each aspect of the statement of work is to be accomplished. Your technical approach should be in as much detail as you consider necessary to fully explain your proposed technical approach or method and to address all of the technical evaluation factors.

2. Format

The technical discussion included in the technical proposal should respond to the items set forth below:

1. Statement of Work

a. Objectives - State the overall objectives and the specific accomplishments you hope to achieve. Indicate the rationale for your plan, and relation to comparable work in progress elsewhere. Review pertinent work already published which is relevant to this project and your proposed approach. This should support the scope of the project as you perceive it.

b. Approach - The offeror must submit an explanation of the proposed technical approach in conjunction with the tasks to be performed in achieving the project objectives. Proposals which merely restate the requirements of the Government's scope of work will not be eligible for award. Use as many subparagraphs, appropriately titled, as needed to clearly outline the general plan of work. Discuss phasing of research and, if appropriate, include experimental design and possible or probable outcome of approaches proposed.

c. Methods - Describe in detail the methodologies you will use for the project, indicating your level of experience with each, areas of anticipated difficulties, and any unusual expenses you anticipate.

d. Schedule - Provide a schedule for completion of the work and delivery of items specified in the statement of work. Performance or delivery schedules shall be indicated for phases or segments of work, as applicable, by contract year as well as for the overall contract. Schedules shall be shown in terms of calendar months from the date of authorization to proceed or, where applicable, from the date of a stated event, as for example, receipt of a required approval by the Contracting Officer. Unless the request for proposal indicates that the stipulated schedules are mandatory, they shall be treated as desired or recommended schedules.

In this event, proposals based upon the offeror's best alternative schedule, involving no overtime, extra shift or other premium, will be accepted for consideration.

2. Personnel

Describe the experience and qualifications of personnel who will be assigned for direct work on this program. Information is required which will show the composition of the task or work group, its general qualifications, and recent experience with similar equipment or programs. Special mention shall be made of direct technical supervisors and key technical personnel, and the approximate percentage of the total time each will be available for this program.

OFFERORS SHOULD ASSURE THAT THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, AND

ALL OTHER PERSONNEL PROPOSED, SHALL NOT BE COMMITTED ON

FEDERAL GRANTS AND CONTRACTS FOR MORE THAN A TOTAL OF

100% OF THEIR TIME. IF THE SITUATION ARISES WHERE IT IS

DETERMINED THAT A PROPOSED EMPLOYEE IS COMMITTED FOR MORE

THAN 100% OF HIS OR HER TIME, THE GOVERNMENT WILL REQUIRE

ACTION ON THE PART OF THE OFFEROR TO CORRECT THE TIME

COMMITMENT.

a. Single Principal Investigator/Project Director - List the name of the Principal Investigator/Project Director responsible for overall implementation of the contract and key contact for technical aspects of the project. Even though there may be co-investigators, identify the Principal Investigator/Project Director who will be responsible for the overall implementation of any awarded contract. Discuss the qualifications, experience, and accomplishments of the Principal Investigator/Project Director. State the estimated time to be spent on the project, his/her proposed duties, and the areas or phases for which he/she will be responsible.

b. Other Investigators - List all other investigators/professional personnel who will be participating in the project. Discuss the qualifications, experience, and accomplishments. State the estimated time each will spend on the project, proposed duties on the project, and the areas or phases for which each will be responsible.

c. Additional Personnel - List names, titles, and proposed duties of additional personnel, if any, who will be required for full-time employment, or on a subcontract or consultant basis. The technical areas, character, and extent of subcontract or consultant activity will be indicated and the anticipated sources will be specified and qualified. For all proposed personnel who are not currently members of the offeror's staff, a letter of commitment or other evidence of availability is required. A resume does not meet this requirement. Commitment letters for use of consultants and other personnel to be hired must include:

i. The specific items or expertise they will provide.

ii. Their availability to the project and the amount of time anticipated.

iii. Willingness to act as a consultant.

iv. How rights to publications and patents will be handled.

d. Resumes - Resumes of all key personnel are required. Each must indicate educational background, recent experience, specific or technical accomplishments, and a listing of relevant publications.

ARTICLE 10 - Quote Packaging and Delivery Instructions The quote must be submitted in accordance with Part I - "Instructions.”

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CAREFULLY:

Responses to the Request for Quote are due on the specified closing date at local prevailing time. The response must be submitted in a “read-only” electronic format via e-mail to the Contract Specialist citing the RFQ number and the name of firm in the subject line. In the event that an electronic copy cannot be submitted, a print copy must be received by the due date and addressed in accordance with the instructions below.

The external package marking of the print copies, shall be marked with the RFQ Number cited in block 1 on the SF18 Request for Quotation.

RFQ packages shall be delivered only via electronic format to Ms. Ndidi Okeagu, Contract Specialist, at ejinwaemeonu.okeagu@nih.gov.

PART II

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

1. Contact Points

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) / Project Officer (PO):

A COR shall be appointed at time of award.

Contract Specialist:

Ndidi Okeagu, Contract Specialist 6001 Executive Blvd Room 4221 Rockville, MD 20852 Telephone Number: 301-827-5870 Email Address: ejinwaemeonu.okeagu@nih.gov

Contracting Officer:

Andrew Hotaling, Contracting Officer 6001 Executive Blvd Room 4221 Rockville, MD 20852 Telephone Number: 301-827-5862 Email Address: andrew.hotaling@nih.gov

The Vendor’s primary contact after award will be with the COR/PO, who will provide information, clarifications to the requirement, and answer questions. All correspondence, letters, reports, and other deliverables will be submitted to the COR/PO for acceptance.

The Contracting Officer (CO) is the only person with authority to act as agent of the Government. Only the CO has authority to: (1) direct or negotiate any changes; (2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule; (4) authorize reimbursement to the Contractor any costs incurred during the performance; or

(5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of the award.

2. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

A COR shall be appointed at time of award.

The COR is responsible for: (1) monitoring the Contractor's technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the Contracting Officer changes in requirements; (2) interpreting the statement of work and any other technical performance requirements; (3) performing technical evaluation as required; (4) performing technical inspections and acceptances required by this contract; and (5) assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance.

The Contracting Officer is the only person with authority to act as agent of the Government under this contract. Only the Contracting Officer has authority to: (1) direct or negotiate any changes in the statement of work; (2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule; (4) authorize reimbursement to the mailto:andrew.hotaling@nih.gov

Contractor for any costs incurred during the performance of this contract; or (5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract.

The Government may unilaterally change the COR designation.

3. Invoice and Payment Provisions (2/2014)

The following clause is applicable to all Purchase Orders, Task or Delivery Orders, and Blanket

Purchase Agreement (BPA) Calls: Prompt Payment (Jul 2013) FAR 52.232-25. Highlights of this clause and NIH implementation requirements follow:

I Invoice Requirements

A. An invoice is the Contractor's bill or written request for payment under the contract for supplies delivered or services performed. A proper invoice is an "Original" which must include the items listed in subdivisions 1 through 12, below, in addition to the requirements of FAR 32.9. If the invoice does not comply with these requirements, the

Contractor will be notified of the defect within 7 days after the date the designated billing office received the invoice (3 days for meat, meat food products, or fish, and 5 days for perishable agricultural commodities, dairy products, edible fats or oils) with a statement of the reasons why it is not a proper invoice. (See exceptions under II. below.) Untimely notification will be taken into account in the computation of any interest penalty owed the

Contractor.

1. Vendor/Contractor: Name, Address, Point of Contact for the invoice (Name, title, telephone number, e-mail and mailing address of point of contact).

2. Remit-to address (Name and complete mailing address to send payment).

3. Remittance name must match exactly with name on original order/contract. If the

Remittance name differs from the Legal Business Name, then both names must appear on the invoice.

4. Invoice date.

5. Unique invoice #s for all invoices per vendor regardless of site.

6. NBS document number formats must be included for awards created in the NBS:

Contract Number; Purchase Order Number; Task or Delivery Order Number and

Source Award Number (e.g., Indefinite Delivery Contract number; General

Services Administration number); or, BPA Call Number and BPA Parent Award

Number.

7. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) or DUNS + 4 as registered in the

SAM.gov.

8. Federal Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). In those exceptional cases where a contractor does not have a DUNS number or TIN, a Vendor Identification

Number (VIN) must be referenced on the invoice. The VIN is the number that appears after the contractor’s name on the face page of the award document.

9. Identify that payment is to be made using a three-way match.

10. Description of supplies/services that match the description on the award, by line billed.*

11. Freight or delivery charge must be billed as shown on the award. If it is included in the item price do not bill it separately. If identified in the award as a separate line item, it must be billed separately.

12. Quantity, Unit of Measure, Unit Price, Extended Price of supplies delivered or services performed, as applicable, and that match the line items specified in the award.*

* NOTE: If your invoice must differ from the line items on the award, please contact the

Contracting Officer before submitting the invoice. A modification to the order or contract may be needed before the invoice can be submitted and paid.

B. Shipping costs will be reimbursed only if authorized by the Contract/Purchase Order. If authorized, shipping costs must be itemized. Where shipping costs exceed $100, the invoice must be supported by a bill of lading or a paid carrier's receipt.

C. Mail an original and 1 copy of the itemized invoice to:

National Institutes of Health

Office of Financial Management, Commercial Accounts

2115 East Jefferson Street, Room 4B-432, MSC 8500

Bethesda, MD 20892-8500

For inquiries regarding payment call: (301) 496-6088

D. In order to facilitate the prompt payment of invoices, the vendor must submit an electronic copy of the invoice to the “Consignee” designated for the acquisition in blocks 6A – 6E of the face page of the Order/Award document at

NIDASSSAPurchaseRequ@mail.nih.gov

II. Invoice Payment

A. Except as indicated in paragraph B., below, the due date for making invoice payments by the designated payment office shall be the later of the following two events:

1. The 30th day after the designated billing office has received a proper invoice.

2. The 30th day after Government acceptance of supplies delivered or services performed.

B. The due date for making invoice payments for meat and meat food products, perishable agricultural commodities, dairy products, and edible fats or oils, shall be in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act, as amended.

III. Interest Penalties mailto:NIDASSSAPurchaseRequ@mail.nih.gov

A. An interest penalty shall be paid automatically, if payment is not made by the due date and the conditions listed below are met, if applicable.

1. A proper invoice was received by the designated billing office.

2. A receiving report or other Government documentation authorizing payment was processed and there was no disagreement over quantity, quality, or contractor compliance with an term or condition.

3. In the case of a final invoice for any balance of funds due the contractor for supplies delivered or services performed, the amount was not subject to further settlement actions between the Government and the Contractor.

B. Determination of interest and penalties due will be made in accordance with the provisions of the Prompt Payment Act, as amended, the Contract Disputes Act, and regulations issued by the Office of Management and Budget.

IV. PROVIDING ACCELERATED PAYMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS

SUBCONTRACTORS, FAR 52.232-40 (December 2013)

a. Upon receipt of accelerated payments from the Government, the Contractor shall make accelerated payments to its small business subcontractors under this contract, to the maximum extent practicable and prior to when such payment is otherwise required under the applicable contract or subcontract, after receipt of a proper invoice and all other required documentation from the small business subcontractor.

b. The acceleration of payments under this clause does not provide any new rights under the prompt Payment Act.

c. Include the substance of this clause, include this paragraph c, in all subcontracts with small business concerns, including subcontracts with small business concerns for the acquisition of commercial items. (End of Clause)

In order to facilitate the prompt payment of invoices, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Station Support Contracts and Simplified Acquisition Branch request the Contractor / Vendor to submit an electronic copy of the invoice to the “Consignee” designated for the acquisition in blocks 6A – 6E of the face page of the Order/Award document to:

NIDASSSAPurchaseRequ@mail.nih.gov.

4. HHS Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) Provision incorporated by reference:

352.231-70 Salary Rate Limitation (December 18, 2015)

5. FAR Clauses incorporated by reference:

52.213-4, Terms and Conditions--Simplified Acquisitions (Other Than Commercial Items). (NOV 2016) mailto:NIDASSSAPurchaseRequ@mail.nih.gov

6. THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE GENERAL CLAUSE LISTING WILL BE APPLICABLE

TO MOST CONTRACTS RESULTING FROM THIS RFQ. HOWEVER, THE

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE SUCCESSFUL OFFEROR(S) WILL

DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC GENERAL CLAUSE LISTING TO BE CONTAINED IN

THE CONTRACT(S) AWARDED FROM THIS RFP:

The complete listing of these clauses may be accessed at:

https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/reference-material-prospective-offerors-and-contractors

GENERAL CLAUSES FOR A NEGOTIATED FIXED-PRICE RESEARCH AND

DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT

PART III –STATEMENT OF WORK

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall be required to furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the Statement of Work.

The applicable Privacy Act System of Records Number will be specified and shall be used in any design, development, or operation work to be performed under the resultant contract.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Title of Project:

State-of-the-Art Functional MRI Approaches combined with MVPA

Project Purpose or Objectives:

The NIDA IRP CNRB has a requirement to conduct experiments to assess neural representations of stimulus-stimulus associations in the orbitofrontal cortex and related areas, how they are deployed to control behavior, and the importance of changes in these processes to addiction. Current work in the lab has successfully modeled this in rodents. Currently we need to contract services to understand if these models apply to human orbitofrontal cortex.

Background Information:

The NIDA IRP BNNS laboratory is interested in the neural circuits mediating associative learning and decision making and how alternations in those circuits contribute to maladaptive behaviors in neuropsychiatric disorders such as addiction. The BNNS uses rats as a model system to study behaviors and neural circuits that are believed to have direct relevance to understanding the human brain. Areas of particular interest include the orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, striatum, and midbrain dopamine system. The laboratory uses behavioral tasks based on principles derived from learning theory, combined with single unit recording, lesions, pharmacological and genetic manipulations to test hypotheses. The BNNS hypotheses are lifted from the rich traditions of animal learning theory, computational neuroscience, and economics.

The NIDA IRP CNRB has a requirement to conduct experiments to assess neural representations of stimulus- stimulus associations in the orbitofrontal cortex and related areas, how they are deployed to control behavior, and the importance of changes in these processes to addiction. Current work in the lab has successfully modeled this in rodents. Currently we need to contract services to understand if these models apply to human orbitofrontal cortex.

SCOPE OF WORK

General Requirements:

The contractor will employ state-of-the-art functional MRI approaches to extract neurobiological correlates of stimulus-stimulus associative learning and the deployment of these representations to control behavior in awake, behaving humans. The experiments will require

MVPA analyses combined with custom olfactory testing capabilities, which together will parallel single-unit recording work done in the CNRB at the IRP.

Specific Requirements:

Extract neurobiological correlates of stimulus-stimulus associative learning

1) Conduct functional MRI to examine neural correlates of sensory-sensory learning in

OFC and related areas and relate them to associative representations of outcomes in an olfactory based, sensory preconditioning task parallel to that used in the Schoenbaum lab in rats.

2) Analyze resultant behavioral and fMRI data and interpret and publish in concert with the

Schoenbaum lab personnel. Conventional and MVPA techniques will be used in an attempt to parallel single unit analyses from the Schoenbaum lab.

GOVERNMENT FACILITIES

Work will be performed outside of government facilities and contractor will not require access to government facilities.

SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

1. Reporting of Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI)

All reports and documentation required by 45 CFR Part 94, Responsible Prospective

Contractors including, but not limited to, the New FCOI Report, Annual FCOI Report, Revised FCOI Report, and the Mitigation Report, shall be submitted to the Contracting

Officer in Electronic format. Thereafter, reports shall be due in accordance with the regulatory compliance requirements in 45 CFR Part 94.

45 CFR Part 94 is available at: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=0af84ca649a74846f102aaf664da1623&rgn=div5&view=text&node=45:1

.0.1.1.51&idno=45 . See Part 94.5, Management and reporting of financial conflicts of interest for complete information on reporting requirements.

2. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

The following Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will represent the Government for the purpose of this contract: TBD

The COR is responsible for: (1) monitoring the Contractor's technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the Contracting

Officer changes in requirements; (2) interpreting the statement of work and any other technical performance requirements; (3) performing technical evaluation as required; (4) performing technical inspections and acceptances required by this contract; and (5) assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance.

The alternate COR is responsible for carrying out the duties of the COR only in the event that the COR can no longer perform his/her duties as assigned. The Contracting Officer is the only person with authority to act as agent of the Government under this contract.

Only the Contracting Officer has authority to: (1) direct or negotiate any changes in the statement of work; (2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule; (4) authorize reimbursement to the Contractor for any costs incurred during the performance of this contract; (5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract; or (6) sign written licensing agreements. Any signed agreement shall be incorporated by reference in Section K of the contract. The Government may unilaterally change its COR designation.

3. KEY PERSONNEL, HHSAR 352.237-75 (December 2015) The key personnel specified in this contract are considered to be essential to work performance. At least

30 days prior to the contractor voluntarily diverting any of the specified individuals to other programs or contracts the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer and shall submit a justification for the diversion or replacement and a request to replace the individual. The request must identify the proposed replacement and provide an explanation of how the replacement's skills, experience, and credentials meet or exceed the requirements of the contract (including, when applicable, Human

Subjects Testing requirements). If the employee of the contractor is terminated for cause or separates from the contractor voluntarily with less than thirty days notice, the Contractor shall provide the maximum notice practicable under the circumstances. The Contractor shall not divert, replace, or announce any such change to key personnel without the written consent of the Contracting Officer. The contract will be modified to add or delete key personnel as necessary to reflect the agreement of the parties.

The following individual(s) is/are considered to be essential to the work being performed hereunder: TBD

4. NIH POLICY ON ENHANCING REPRODUCIBILITY THROUGH RIGOR AND

TRANSPARENCY

Contractors shall adhere to the NIH policy of enhancing reproducibility through rigor and transparency by addressing each of the four areas of the policy in performance of the Statement of Work and in publications, as applicable: 1) Scientific Premise; 2)

Scientific Rigor; 3) Consideration of Relevant Biological Variables, including Sex; and

4) Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources. This policy applies to all NIH funded research and development, from basic through advanced clinical studies. See NIH Guide Notice, NOT-OD-15-103 , "Enhancing Reproducibility through Rigor and Transparency" and NOT-OD-15-102 , "Consideration of Sex as a

Biological Variable in NIH-funded Research" for more information. In addition, publications are expected to follow the guidance at http://www.nih.gov/research-training/rigor-reproducibility/principles-guidelines-reporting-preclinical-research , whether preclinical or otherwise, as appropriate. More information is available at http://grants.nih.gov/reproducibility/index.htm , including FAQs and a General Policy

Overview.

5. ARTICLE H.28. NIH POLICY ON ENHANCING PUBLIC ACCESS TO

ARCHIVED PUBLICATIONS RESULTING FROM NIH-FUNDED RESEARCH

NIH-funded investigators shall submit to the NIH National Library of Medicine's (NLM)

PubMed Central (PMC) an electronic version of the author's final manuscript, upon acceptance for publication, resulting from research supported in whole or in part with direct costs from NIH. NIH defines the author's final manuscript as the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all modifications from the publishing peer review process. The PMC archive will preserve permanently these manuscripts for use by the public, health care providers, educators, scientists, and NIH. The Policy directs electronic submissions to the NIH/NLM/PMC: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov.

Additional information is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-

OD-09-071.html and http://publicaccess.nih.gov .

6. NEEDLE EXCHANGE, HHSAR 352.270-12 (December 2015)

The Contractor shall not use any funds obligated under this contract to carry out any program of distributing sterile needles or syringes for the hypodermic injection of any illegal drug. (End of clause)

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING

The Contractor shall clearly state, when issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal money: (1) the percentage of the total costs of the program or project which will be financed with Federal money; (2) the dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program; and (3) the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by nongovernmental sources.

8. CONTINUED BAN ON FUNDING ABORTION AND CONTINUED BAN ON

FUNDING OF HUMAN EMBRYO RESEARCH, HHSAR 352.270-13 (December

2015)

The Contractor shall not use any funds obligated under this contract for any abortion.

The Contractor shall not use any funds obligated under this contract for the following:

The creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or

Research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury of death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under 45 CFR part 46 and Section 498(b) of the Public Health

Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g(b)). The term ``human embryo or embryos'' includes any organism,not protected as a human subject under 45 CFR part 46 as of the date of the enactment of this Act, that is derived by fertilization, parthenogenesis, cloning, or any other means from one or more human gametes of human diploid cells. The

Contractor shall not use any Federal funds for the cloning of human beings.(End of http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/ clause)

9. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR PROMOTION OF LEGALIZATION OF

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES

The Contractor shall not use contract funds to support activities that promote the legalization of any drug or other substance included in schedule I of the schedules of controlled substances established under section 202 of the Controlled Substances

Act, except for normal and recognized executive-congressional communications.

This limitation shall not apply when the Government determines that there is significant medical evidence of a therapeutic advantage to the use of such drug or other substance or that federally sponsored clinical trials are being conducted to determine therapeutic advantage.

10. DISSEMINATION OF FALSE OR DELIBERATELY MISLEADING

INFORMATION- The Contractor shall not use contract funds to disseminate information that is deliberately false or misleading.

11. RESTRICTION ON PORNOGRAPHY ON COMPUTER NETWORKS

The Contractor shall not use contract funds to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography.

12. GUN CONTROL- The Contractor shall not use contract funds in whole or in part, to advocate or promote gun control.

13. INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY REGARDING INVESTIGATOR FINANCIAL

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The Institution (includes any contractor, public or private, excluding a Federal agency) shall comply with the requirements of 45 CFR Part 94, Responsible Prospective Contractors, which promotes objectivity in research by establishing standards to ensure that Investigators (defined as the project director or principal Investigator and any other person, regardless of title or position, who is responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research funded under NIH contracts, or proposed for such funding, which may include, for example, collaborators or consultants) will not be biased by any Investigator financial conflicts of interest. 45 CFR Part 94 is available at the following Web site: : http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=0af84ca649a74846f102aaf664da1623&rgn=div5&view=text&node=45:1 .0.1.1.51&idno=45 As required by 45 CFR Part 94, the Institution shall, at a minimum:

a. Maintain an up-to-date, written, enforceable policy on financial conflicts of interest that complies with 45 CFR Part 94, inform each Investigator of the policy, the Investigator's reporting responsibilities regarding disclosure of significant financial interests, and the applicable regulation, and make such policy available via a publicly accessible Web site, or if none currently exist, available to any requestor within five business days of a request. A significant financial interest means a financial interest consisting of one or more of the following interests of the Investigator (and those of the Investigator's spouse and dependent children) that reasonably appears to be related to the Investigator's http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=0af84ca649a74846f102aaf664da1623&rgn=div5&view=text&node=45:1.0.1.1.51&idno=45 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=0af84ca649a74846f102aaf664da1623&rgn=div5&view=text&node=45:1.0.1.1.51&idno=45 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=0af84ca649a74846f102aaf664da1623&rgn=div5&view=text&node=45:1.0.1.1.51&idno=45 institutional responsibilities:

1. With regard to any publicly traded entity, a significant financial interest exists if the value of any remuneration received from the entity in the twelve months preceding the disclosure and the value of any equity interest in the entity as of the date of disclosure, when aggregated, exceeds $5,000. Included are payments and equity interests;

2. With regard to any non-publicly traded entity, a significant financial interest exists if the value of any remuneration received from the entity in the twelve months preceding the disclosure, when aggregated, exceeds $5,000, or when the Investigator (or the Investigator's spouse or dependent children) holds any equity interest; or

3. Intellectual property rights and interests, upon receipt of income related to such rights and interest.

Significant financial interests do not include the following:

1. Income from seminars, lectures, or teaching, and service on advisory or review panels for government agencies, Institutions of higher education, academic teaching hospitals, medical centers, or research institutes with an Institution of higher learning; and

2. Income from investment vehicles, such as mutual funds and retirement accounts, as long as the Investigator does not directly control the investment decisions made in these vehicles.

b. Require each Investigator to complete training regarding the Institution's financial conflicts of interest policy prior to engaging in research related to any NIH-funded contract and at least every four years. The Institution must take reasonable steps [see Part 94.4(c)] to ensure that investigators working as collaborators, consultants or subcontractors comply with the regulations.

c. Designate an official(s) to solicit and review disclosures of significant financial interests from each Investigator who is planning to participate in, or is participating in, the NIH-funded research.

d. Require that each Investigator who is planning to participate in the NIH-funded research disclose to the Institution's designated official(s) the Investigator's significant financial interest (and those of the Investigator's spouse and dependent children) no later than the date of submission of the Institution's proposal for NIH-funded research. Require that each Investigator who is participating in the NIH-funded research to submit an updated disclosure of significant financial interests at least annually, in accordance with the specific time period prescribed by the Institution during the period of the award as well as within thirty days of discovering or acquiring a new significant financial interest.

e. Provide guidelines consistent with the regulations for the designated official(s) to determine whether an Investigator's significant financial interest is related to NIH-funded research and, if so related, whether the significant financial interest is a financial conflict of interest. An Investigator's significant financial interest is related to NIH-funded research when the Institution, thorough its designated official(s), reasonably determines that the significant financial interest: Could be affected by the NIH-funded research; or is in an entity whose financial interest could be affected by the research. A financial conflict of interest exists when the Institution, through its designated official(s), reasonably determines that the significant financial interest could directly and significantly affect the design, conduct, or reporting of the NIH-funded research.

f. Take such actions as necessary to manage financial conflicts of interest, including any financial conflicts of a subcontractor Investigator. Management of an identified financial conflict of interest requires development and implementation of a management plan and, if necessary, a retrospective review and mitigation report pursuant to Part 94.5(a).

g. Provide initial and ongoing FCOI reports to the Contracting Officer pursuant to Part 94.5(b).

h. Maintain records relating to all Investigator disclosures of financial interests and the Institution's review of, and response to, such disclosures, and all actions under the Institution's policy or retrospective review, if applicable, for at least 3 years from the date of final payment or, where applicable, for the other time periods specified in 48 CFR Part 4, subpart 4.7, Contract Records Retention.

i. Establish adequate enforcement mechanisms and provide for employee sanctions or other administrative actions to ensure Investigator compliance as appropriate.

j. Complete the certification in Section K - Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors titled "Certification of Institutional Policy on Financial Conflicts of Interest".

If the failure of an Institution to comply with an Institution's financial conflicts of interest policy or a financial conflict of interest management plan appears to have biased the design, conduct, or reporting of the NIH-funded research, the Institution must promptly notify the Contracting Officer of the corrective action taken or to be taken. The Contracting Officer will consider the situation and, as necessary, take appropriate action or refer the matter to the Institution for further action, which may include directions to the Institution on how to maintain appropriate objectivity in the NIH-funded research project.

The Contracting Officer and/or HHS may inquire at any time before, during, or after award into any Investigator disclosure of financial interests, and the Institution's review of, and response to, such disclosure, regardless of whether the disclosure resulted in the Institution's determination of a financial conflict of interests.. The Contracting Officer may require submission of the records or review them on site. On the basis of this review of records or other information that may be available, the Contracting Officer may decide that a particular financial conflict of interest will bias the objectivity of the NIH-funded research to such an extent that further corrective action is needed or that the Institution has not managed the financial conflict of interest in accordance with Part 94.6(b). The issuance of a Stop Work Order by the Contracting Officer may be necessary until the matter is resolved.

If the Contracting Officer determines that NIH-funded clinical research, whose purpose is to evaluate the safety or effectiveness of a drug, medical device, or treatment, has been designed, conducted, or reported by an Investigator with a financial conflict of interest that was not managed or reported by the Institution, the Institution shall require the Investigator involved to disclose the financial conflict of interest in each public presentation of the results of the research and to request an addendum to previously published presentations.

14. OBTAINING AND DISSEMINATING BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH RESOURCES

Unique research resources arising from NIH-funded research are to be shared with the scientific research community. NIH provides guidance, entitled, "Principles and Guidelines for Recipients of NIH Research Grants and Contracts on Obtaining and Disseminating Biomedical Research Resources: Final Notice," (Federal Register Notice, December 23, 1999 [64 FR 72090]), concerning the appropriate terms for disseminating and acquiring these research resources. This guidance, found at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1999- 12-23/pdf/99-33292.pdf is intended to help contractors ensure that the conditions they impose and accept on the transfer of research tools will facilitate further biomedical research, consistent with the requirements of the Bayh-Dole Act and NIH funding policy.

Note: For the purposes of this Article, the terms, "research tools", "research materials", and "research resources" are used interchangeably and have the same meaning.

15. CONSTITUTION DAY- Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students serviced by the educational institution in accordance with Public Law 108-447.

16. USE OF FUNDS FOR CONFERENCES, MEETINGS AND FOOD

The Contractor shall not use contract funds (direct or indirect) to conduct meetings or conferences…