Notice_of_Intent_Final.doc

Notice of Intent for Project Titled “Human Performance Test Facility” The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposes to enter into a non-competitive indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity type contract with the University of Central Florida (UCF) Board of Trustees for the project entitled, “Human Performance Test Facility”. The proposed period of performance for this contract is a five years.

The statutory authority permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition is 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1 (b)(1), which provides for limiting competition in those situations where the services are available from only one responsible source and no other type of services will satisfy NRC’s requirements.

The designated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541712, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology), with a size standard of 500 employees.

The objective of this project is to conduct research assessing the impact of new designs on human performance based on insights ascertained from an experimental baseline established under NRC contract number NRC-HQ-12-C-04-0058. Specific activities include designing and conducting human-in-the-loop experiments based on NRC input and subject to NRC review and approval, housing the government furnished simulator, carrying out the data collection including any necessary pilot testing, providing extensive data analysis as well as cleaned data files and a codebook which describes and organizes the data files. This research is expected to produce nuclear specific human performance data that evaluates the impact that new designs, technologies, and concepts of operations have on human performance.

To accomplish the above stated objectives for this project the contractor shall: (1) use the government furnished simulator and its own existing experimental infrastructure (e.g., personnel, equipment, and facilities) to conduct the experiments; and (2) provide all necessary qualified personnel to conduct this research.

The contractor shall demonstrate that its existing infrastructure meets or exceeds the following requirements:

1) Ability to ensure that the research is conducted in compliance with 45 CFR Part 46: Protection of Human Subjects also referred to as the Common Rule through the following:

a) review and approval of the research from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), as defined and described in the Common Rule (45 CFR Part 46); and

b) informed consent, as defined and described in the Common Rule, from the human research subject.

2) Facility requirements to house the simulator (as detailed in the attached facility requirements report and addendum).

3) Contractor shall have existing human-in-the-Ioop experimental testbeds that:

a) Can be easily configured to work in combination with the nuclear simulator for more complex experiments (e.g., testbed allowing chat communication between crew members; testbed configured for nuclear-relevant secondary task).

b) Have accurate data-logging systems that allow real-time monitoring and analysis of performance.

c) Have existing experimentation testbed that may be developed for use with the GSE Systems, Inc. Generic Pressurized Water Reactor (GSE GPWR) training simulator.

d) Have existing wearable physiological human performance measurement technologies including Electroencephalography (EEG), Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultra-sonography, functional Near Infra-Red (fNIR), and Electrocardiography (ECG), and eye tracking.

e) Have existing real time physiological logging capability.

f) Have existing synchronization software to collect multiple types of physiological data in real time and in synchrony with the interface interaction taking place in the GSE GPWR training simulator; and

g) Have a post-hoc data processing tool that allows large data sets to be organized and processed for efficient analysis.

The contractor shall provide personnel with the following qualifications:

1) demonstrated experience, in each of the following:

a) human factors

b) conducting human-in-the-loop experiments in the nuclear domain

c) simulation engineering to include developing simulation scenarios for the nuclear domain

d) experimental psychology or relevant discipline (cognitive/social/organizational psychology)

e) computer software engineering

f) the efficient and accurate measuring, collecting, managing, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating psychological and physiological human performance data

i) psychological data includes but is not limited to workload, teamwork, and situation awareness

ii) physiological data includes EEG, ECG, fNIR, TCD, and eye tracking

g) programming human-system interfaces capturing/reducing data utilizing the programming languages in the provided NPP simulator (C/C++ and JAVA)

2) demonstrated formal training/experience related to nuclear control room operations and nuclear engineering concepts included but not limited to:

a) nuclear power, electrical and heat generation

b) systems of a pressurized water reactor (mechanical, instrumentation and control (I&C), and protective)

c) nuclear main control room terminology

d) hands-on operation of a control room simulator including experience with use of procedures, operator actions, and evaluation and response to normal and abnormal operating conditions This is not a request for competitive proposals. Request for copies of this solicitation will not be honored unless the respondent provides evidence showing their capability to perform the required services. Detailed capability statements must be submitted to Aracelis Pérez-Ortiz, Contract Specialist, and Monique B. Williams via e-mail at aracelis.perez-ortiz@nrc.gov and Monique.williams@nrc.gov no later than March 28, 2017 (i.e. 15 calendar days from the date this announcement was posted).