Notice_of_Intent_1.pdf

Notice of Intent to Sole Source

Solicitation Number: 75N94024Q00228 Solicitation Type: Sole Source (Non-Competitive) Title: NIMHD: Service: Statistical Analysis for Neighborhoods and

Cardiovascular Disease Risks Study NAICS / Size Standard: 611310 / 34.5 Million

Introduction

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Office of Acquisitions (OA), intends to negotiate and award a purchase order on a noncompetitive sole source basis to University of Pittsburgh to provide statistical analysis for the Neighborhoods and Cardiovascular Disease Risks Study.

Background Information

The Tamura Lab in the Population and Community Health Sciences Branch at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) focuses on the socio-spatial determinants of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors contributing to disparities in racial and ethnicity, income, geography for cardiovascular outcomes. One area of particular focus is using geospatial methods, including geographic information systems (GIS), to objectively quantify exposures to neighborhood social contexts that promote adverse cardiovascular-related outcomes and risk factors among multi-ethnic, population-based cohorts. The laboratory projects utilize data from such objectively measured population-based cohorts to elucidate the mechanisms by which certain neighborhood social factors impact CVD events and risk factors. Understanding the underlying mechanisms by which neighborhood factors impact cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, including diabetes is understudied among minoritized populations in the United States. To further investigate how certain neighborhood social environments influence CVD risk factors and outcomes, the lab needs data that has been collected systematically over time on neighborhood features and resident health.

The Tamura Lab recognizes the critical role of a consulting team of epidemiologists with specific expertise in complex analyses, a thorough understanding of the impact of the neighborhood contexts on health outcomes using neighborhood measures, and large, population-based datasets with complex sampling methods. Their expertise is essential in conducting statistical analyses for the Tamura Lab projects, notably the PHRESH Project (Pittsburgh Hill/Homewood Research Neighborhood Change and Health). The unique challenges posed by these specific cohort datasets and complex statistical analyses using neighborhood measures necessitate their involvement, as such expertise is currently unavailable within the Population and Community Health Sciences Branch at the NIMHD.

Purpose and Objectives

The lab needs statistical analysis performed to further investigate how certain neighborhood social environments influence CVD risk factors and outcomes, we need data that has been collected systematically over time on neighborhood features and resident health.

Period of Performance

The period of performance is September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2025.

Contractor Requirements

The contractor needs to provide the following:

• Conduct statistical analyses to better understand how neighborhood social contexts (i.e., safety, violence) impact CVD events and risk factors, including depressive symptoms and diabetes among African American adults from the PHRESH cohort. For this study, the contractor shall conduct statistical analyses to investigate the longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses on the associations between adverse neighborhood social environments and CVD-related outcomes.

• Perform statistical analyses for the PHRESH cohort to clarify underlying mechanisms by which specific perceived and objective neighborhood social environments impact lifestyle-related behaviors and chronic diseases. The contractor shall examine the longitudinal and cross-sectional mediation analyses on the associations between exposures to neighborhood contexts and chronic disease outcomes.

• Perform cross-sectional and longitudinal population-based large cohort data analyses with R, SAS, Stata, or similar software.

• Perform cross-sectional and longitudinal mediation modeling of CVD risk factors in relation to neighborhood environment factors and psychosocial factors with R, SAS, Stata, or similar software.

• Finalize statistical analyses using physical environmental measures to mediate the relationships between neighborhood contexts and CVD risk in the PHRESH cohort.

• Assist with manuscripts and statistical analysis plans for the articles and present the findings.

• Conduct monthly phone meetings to discuss project analysis results and the next steps for analyses.

• Provide reproducible statistical results (in R notebooks) for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Expertise Required:

• Master’s or Doctoral degree in Epidemiology or Biostatistics.

• Experience in utilizing large, population-based datasets with complex sampling methods.

• Familiarity with the PHRESH cohort data.

Sole Source Justification

Data following in-depth neighborhood features, their changes, and resident health outcomes in low-income, predominantly African American neighborhoods in the United States are limited; the Pittsburgh Hill/Homewood Research on Neighborhood Change and Health is uniquely positioned with such data.

Dr. Dubowitz is the proposed key personnel working on this statistical analysis from University of Pittsburgh; a social epidemiologist who earned her Ph.D. in public health nutrition/social epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health. Her research interests focus on the role of neighborhoods and health in shaping health behaviors among minority individuals, particularly from a policy perspective focusing on housing, urban design, and food environments. Over the past 20 years, she has built multidisciplinary research teams and led projects related to historically disinvested communities. She is the Principal Investigator of a suite of R01-funded studies that have followed two predominantly African American neighborhoods and a cohort of households over the past 13 years. She has published over more than 90 articles in high-impact factor journals such as American Journal of Epidemiology, American Journal of Public Health, and the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Her research is guided by an overarching interest in describing and understanding place and location impacting cardiovascular disease risk. Dr. Dubowitz is uniquely suited to work with a Pitt-based analyst and colleagues at the RAND Corporation to undertake the work.

Regulatory Authority

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 13.106-1(b) Soliciting from a single source. (1) For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, or industrial mobilization).

FAR Clauses

The provision at FAR clause 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

The provision at FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation – Commercial Items, is applicable. The Government will award a contract resulting from this notice to the offeror listed above. The following factors shall be used to evaluate the offer: The contractor shall demonstrate its ability to provide the detector listed that meets the specifications provided above.

FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Products and Commercial Services, is applicable. The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically in the System for Award Management (SAM) accessed through https://www.sam.gov. If the Offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically, the Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (c) through

(v) of this provision.

FAR clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Products and Commercial Services applies to this acquisition.

FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders – Commercial Products and Commercial Services applies to this acquisition.

Additional Information

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 611310 and the Small Business Size Standard is 34.5 Million. This acquisition is being conducted under FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures, therefore the requirements of FAR Part 6, Competitive Requirements, are not applicable and the resultant award will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-05 effective April 22, 2024.

This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.

All responses must be received by August 9, 2024 5:00 PM ET and must reference solicitation number 75N94024Q00228. Responses shall be submitted electronically to nicole.freid@nih.gov. Responses will only be accepted if dated and signed by an authorized company representative. All responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency.

http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:nicole.freid@nih.gov