SB Sources Sought - HMD Fellowship_1.pdf

National Institute of Health National Library of Medicine

Small Business Sources Sought Notice Announcement No. 75N97022Q00017

General Information

Document Type: Small Business Sources Sought Notice Title: Management of History of Medicine Fellowship Program Request for Information Post Date: Jan. 19, 2022 Request for Information Response Date: Feb 2, 2022 NAICS Code: 611710, Education Support Services Product Service Code: R499, Support-Professional: Other

Request for Information Notice

To facilitate market research, the Government is looking to identify qualified small business sources under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 611710, Educational Support Services. This Notice seeks industry comments to assist the Government in identifying if small business exist who can perform the services as indicated. If you have questions or concerns regarding this notice, please contact the Contract Specialist identified to assist with development of the proper acquisition strategy.

This Sources Sought Notice is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation or commitment by the Government. This notice is intended strictly for market research does it restrict the Government as to a final acquisition strategy. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in preparation of a response to this notice. The Government reserves the right to respond to some, all or none of the questions submitted.

Responses from small business sources are requested. Small Businesses, 8(a) small businesses, Hub-Zone small businesses, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Woman- Owned Small Businesses and Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Businesses are encouraged to respond.

All responsible sources identified in the above may submit a capability statement which will be considered by the National Library of Medicine. Capability statements must answer the questions indicated below and address the organization's qualifications and ability to perform tasks described in the attached draft Statement of Work (SOW).

Contracting Office Address

National Library of Medicine, Office of Acquisitions, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894

Background

The mission of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is to collect, preserve and disseminate biomedical information. In support of this mission the NLM has assembled one of the largest collections of biomedical literature in the world and continues to collect in biomedical and related areas. The History of Medicine Division maintains the historical collections for the NLM, including books printed before 1914, journals printed before 1871, historical audiovisual materials, manuscript materials, and historical images in various formats of prints, paintings, and photographs.

A conditional gift from The DeBakey Medical Foundation in 2016 enabled the NLM to establish The Michael E. DeBakey Fellowship in the History of Medicine. The Fellowshipwas created for the purpose of funding research in the collections of the NLM’s History of Medicine Division. Funds from the conditional gift will support onsite research by up to five individuals selected annually who would use the NLM’s DeBakey archives, associated collections, and/or historical collections and related programs of NLM. Each selected candidate ("DeBakey Fellow") would receive a stipend to support travel, lodging, and incidental expenses during the minimum four-week period when he/she is in Bethesda, Maryland, working in the NLM’s History of Medicine Division reading room.

Objective/Scope

The objective of this notice is to obtain information to identify firms capable of performing the tasks as outlined in the Statement of Work. The support provided will cover the full range of administrative and logistical support for scholars and researchers named to the Michael E.

DeBakey Fellowship in the History of Medicine (averaging five fellows per year but ranging from zero to eight in any given year). Administrative support includes developing, managing, and hosting a web-based application portal; publicizing the fellowship through social media and other outreach; receiving applications during the specified application period; compiling application packets, checking for completeness, and forwarding to NLM staff; providing NLM staff with regular financial and program status reports; and responding to questions or problems raised by interested applicants.

Logistical support includes issuing an approved stipend payment to each selected Fellow (amount specified by NLM staff in accordance with the Fellow’s submitted budget proposal); assisting each Fellow with travel coordination to conduct onsite research at NLM (travel paid by the Fellow from the approved stipend); assisting each Fellow with temporary lodging (paid by the Fellow from their stipend); and assisting each Fellow with access to the NIH campus through the NIH security office.

Place of Performance

National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894

Submission Requirements

Capability Statements

Vendors must demonstrate their ability to comply with the requirements in this Sources Sought to be considered capable of satisfying the Government’s requirement.

Firms submitting a response to this Notice should respond to the following questions. Responses for each question should include information to demonstrate how the firm’s recent past performance (last 3 years) is relevant to the technical areas listed including the dollar value, period of performance, size, and scope of the firm’s prior contracts.

Questions

Question 1: Please describe your firm’s experience with working with the National Institutes of Health on visiting scholar or fellowship programs, to include managing travel in accordance with federal travel regulations, supporting visiting scholars with lodging and other logistical requirements, paying stipends to visiting scholars, and working with scholars and researchers remotely.

Question 2: Describe your firm’s technical approach to managing the support for visiting scholars or researchers, including systems used for tracking actions, reporting status, and budget management.

Question 3: Describe the recent experience of staff who will be assigned to this project in coordinating local logistical support in the Bethesda area, to include temporary lodging, transportation, and access to the NIH campus.

Question 4: Explain how your firm would provide regular updates to NLM about coordination with visiting scholars, stipend payment status, and overall budget reconciliation, to include invoicing practices.

Question 5: Describe your process for problem-solving and addressing concerns regarding the administration of a visiting scholar or research fellowship program.

Response Format

To facilitate a timely and comprehensive review of all submitted responses, firms should respond using the format requested in this notice.

All interested small business firms having the experience, skills, and capabilities necessary to perform the stated requirements are requested to provide a capability statement between 3-5 pages – no more than 5 pages maximum- in “Times New Roman” 12-inch font on 8.5 x 11 paper answering the above questions and including the following information:

1) Company name, address, point of contact name, telephone, and email address.

2) CAGE Code and DUNS Number.

3) Business size status (business size/socio-economic category must be submitted to be used).

4) Documentation that addresses each of the five (5) questions listed above.

5) NAICS codes that your firm may hold.

No hard copy or facsimile submissions will be accepted. Cover letters and extraneous materials (brochures, etc.) will not be considered.

The following information is also requested and should be included with your capability information: Please indicate whether your firm will submit a quotation if a Request for Quote (RFQ) is issued and whether your firm’s interest is for prime contracting or as a subcontractor.

Submission of Responses Please submit your final documentation electronically no later than 12:30 p.m. on February 2, 2022, to the primary point of contact Cameron Earle Cameron.earle@nih.gov . The email subject line must be titled “Sources Sought- Management of History of Medicine Fellowship Program” and reference the announcement number 75N97022Q00017. Submissions to any person other than those listed above will not be considered. Submissions after the closing date for this announcement may not be considered.

Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. 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 response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

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