RFQ-DC-15-00182_Att_1_SOW.docx

RFQ-DC-15-00182

ATTACHMENT 1

STATEMENT OF WORK

1. Project Description:

The Office of Research and Development (ORD) at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports high-quality research to improve the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues and help EPA achieve its environmental goals. Research is conducted in a broad range of environmental areas by scientists in EPA laboratories and at universities across the country.

The Mid-Continent Ecology Division (MED) is one of four ecology divisions of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL). The Mid-Continent Ecology Division is located in Duluth, MN. The MED is the focal point ORD research related to freshwater ecotoxicology and freshwater ecology. A primary objective of the ecotoxicological research at MED is to provide the scientific basis and technological means to enable the prediction of whether or not an environmental agent will produce adverse effects in aquatic organisms and minimize the uncertainty of such predictions.

2. Description of Student Services:

The student contractor will work as a member of a multi-disciplinary research team. As part of the team, the student contractor will conduct experiments aimed at characterizing the effects of chemical contaminants and/or physical stressors at multiple levels of biological organization ranging from molecular endpoints to population-level impacts. Specific duties may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following tasks:

1. Husbandry and handling animals including fish, amphibians, and invertebrates; measuring and recording assay endpoint data; sampling of tissue and biofluids from experimental animals;

2. Collection and extraction of environmental samples; analyzing samples using a range of molecular, biochemical, physiological, morphological, and analytical techniques (e.g., radioimmunoassay, enzyme-linked immunoassay, histology);

3. Setting up and maintaining laboratory test systems; operating analytical and bioanalytical instrumentation;

4. Conducting experiments in field settings in locations other than the primary duty station. This requires operating federal government vehicles (i.e., automobiles, boats and trailers) to travel to field sites in locations other than the primary duty station;

5. Preparation of dosing solutions, buffers, and other experimental reagents;

6. Maintaining laboratory equipment workspaces;

7. Collecting and analyzing experimental data;

8. Preparing graphical representations of research results;

9. Writing or contributing to research reports and publications;

10. Written or oral presentation of scientific results internally or at regional, national, or international scientific meetings, symposia, or workshops. The student may be required to travel (using a government vehicle or other forms of transportation) to attend and/or participate in meetings, training, or conferences and present papers in support of this Statement of Work.

11. Providing support for the development of data-bases, knowledge infrastructure, and computational tools in support of the research mission.

The student will maintain careful and accurate records in a Laboratory Notebook and prepare electronic reports of the data in spreadsheets. The student contractor shall follow all Quality Assurance requirements for scientific data collection at NHEERL. The notebook and all other data, results, presentations, and publications produced under this order will be the property of the Environmental Protection Agency. The student contractor shall perform duties, as requested, according to specifications and instructions provided by the mentor. All necessary training and oversight will be provided by EPA scientist serving as a student mentor.

Written or oral presentation of scientific results internally at EPA or at regional, national, or international scientific meetings, symposia, or workshops may be performed when providing a direct service to the government. In addition, the student may be required to travel (using a government vehicle or other forms of transportation) to attend and/or participate in meetings, training, or conferences and present papers in support of the Statement of Work. Student services contractors are treated as employees for the purposes of travel, with limitations (for the government to pay for a student’s travel, the student must be performing a direct service to the Agency as part of that travel or local meeting). This would include activities such as presenting a paper or giving a speech, presenting a poster, assisting with the running of a conference, collecting data, taking measurements, etc. Because students are not covered by the Government Employee Training Act, travel for the sole purpose of training cannot not be supported by the Government. The government can pay for conference registration fees when the student is providing a direct service to the Agency (presenting a paper, assisting the mentor with a presentation or demonstration). When the student’s attendance at the conference is to learn or be better educated (i.e., trained) on a subject, then the government cannot pay their attendance/registration fees and cannot pay their travel costs either.

3. Required Expertise, Skills, Education and/or Experience:

The student contractor must have completed a Master of Science degree in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, environmental science, toxicology, pharmacy, physiology, neuroscience or a related field of study. Previous research experience, as well as training or experience in biochemistry, molecular biology, and/or organic chemistry, are preferred qualifications. The student contractor will need to know basic safety requirements in the laboratory and field and will be given additional safety training at the laboratory.

4. Required Background Investigation and Suitability Determination:

Student contractors awarded a contract will have to undergo a background investigation, a check of FBI fingerprint files, and a suitability determination by the Environmental Protection Agency. Upon receipt of the contract award, go immediately to link http://cdx.epa.gov/warning.asp and register with the Central Data Exchange (CDX) and complete the iBoard application. Notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) as soon as this process is completed. The student contractor must review and complete the requirements before beginning work on-site at the EPA. If a background check reveals information to indicate the student contractor represents a risk to the interests of EPA and the national security, the contract may be terminated.

Students or recent graduates, who are EPA ORD employees, or the spouse or child of an EPA ORD employee, are not eligible to participate.

5. Description of Working Conditions:

The primary duty location is the EPA facility in Duluth, MN. The majority of work will be performed in a laboratory and office setting, but some work in field and/or laboratory settings other than the primary duty location may be required. However, monitoring and maintaining experiments and organisms used in experiments may require the student contractor to work some weekends and government holidays as approved by the COR. Work in locations other than the primary duty station may require overnight travel for up to three consecutive weeks in duration before returning to the duty station. The student contractor may enter the building only during business hours or when specifically instructed by the mentor to perform duties outside of normal business hours. The student contractor will be required to wear safety apparel and to strictly obey all safety and facility security requirements.

6. Duration and Compensation:

The contract is projected to begin approximately July/August 2015. The initial contract will be for 12 months, not to exceed 1,928 hours, with an option to extend the period of performance for an additional year. The option period will be for 12 months, not to exceed 1,928 hours. The option period is dependent on the availability of funds and performance of the student contractor. It is anticipated that the student contractor will work an average of 40 hours per week. The majority of the work will be Monday through Friday between the hours of 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; some evening, week-end and holiday work is expected. Work will be performed under a variety of settings including office, library, laboratory, and field. The work is not particularly hazardous or physically strenuous. Field and laboratory health and safety training will be provided. The rate of compensation for this position includes the cost of self-employment taxes for social security and Medicare.

7. Taxes:

The student is responsible for paying all Federal, State or local income taxes required as a result of income received under this order.

8. Quality Assurance Requirements:

The student contractor will be governed by the US EPA quality system, as described in the approved quality management plan for the organization where the student contractor is working. Approved quality management plans are in full compliance with the US EPA’s quality system requirements as expressed in these two documents:

Policy and Program Requirements for the Mandatory Agency-wide Quality System, EPA Order 5360.1 A2, May 2000

EPA Quality Manual for Environmental Programs, EPA Order 5360 A1, May 2000

Work performed by the student contractor in a laboratory setting must be in compliance with the above referenced quality management plan. The Mentor is responsible for ensuring this compliance.

Additionally, the student contractor must be taught the basic principles of ORD Policies and Procedures Manual, Chapter 13--Quality Assurance, policies 13.2 (PAPER LABORATORY RECORDS) and 13.4 (MINIMUM QUALITY ASSURANCE [QA]/QUALITY CONTROL [QC] PRACTICES FOR ORD LABORATORIES CONDUCTING RESEARCH), and other ORD and EPA QA policies as they are approved.