Statement of Work.pdf

Version 11-30-2016-1 FAR Part 11—Describing Agency Needs

STATEMENT OF WORK (SERVICES)

(SOW)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Title of Project:

NINDS Scientific Research Preparatory Summer Course

Statement of Need and Purpose:

The purpose of the Scientific Research Preparatory Summer Course is to prepare students from populations traditionally underrepresented in science, such as the American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN), to be competitive applicants for the NIH Summer Intern Program (SIP). NIH seeks colleges, universities and medical schools uniquely situated near AIAN communities and suited to provide a scholarly scientific curriculum and administer the AIAN SIP Prep Program. The Traditional Knowledge component of course cannot be presented by anyone outside the Native community.

Background Information and Objective:

Brief History: The 2021 Scientific Research Preparatory Summer Course is a two-year program to prepare students from traditionally underserved populations to be competitive applicants for the NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP). As recent NIH policy dictates that students under 18 years old are no longer eligible for the program unless accompanied by a legal guardian, many students, especially those from underserved areas, are no longer able to make arrangements to attend the program. NINDS is taking this opportunity to approach this very important part of the NIH mission from a different tact.

NINDS in collaboration with the NIH Tribal Health Research Office, will provide a program that will not only continue to provide an opportunity for underserved students to have a science research experience, but will prepare theses students so that once able to attend the students will be competitive with their peers.

Moreover, the mission of the NIH is to develop, maintain, and renew scientific human resources that will ensure the Nation's capability to prevent disease. Therefore, encouraging enrollment of new trainees in NIH Program would be in line with the mission.

Objective of this program is to expose diverse students to basic laboratory procedures, including planning experiments, evaluating data, keeping a laboratory notebook, reading and evaluating journal articles, and understanding basic laboratory techniques. Each program will also include a medical or clinical component exposing the students to opportunities and research in the medical field as well as a Traditional Knowledge component and internship and college application preparation. The objective of this contract is to provide comprehensive summer training to AIAN students in support and preparation of attending the NIH in the next few years.

This is to include strategic planning and program development to support Scientific Research Preparatory Summer Course.

Period of Performance:

The estimated period of performance is on or about:

Base Period: 5/13/2021– 1/18/2022 Option Period 1: 1/19/2022 – 9/16/2022

The Base Period includes a seven (7) week summer program provided with the attached schedule and curriculum. The base period will also include a one-day activity to be held during Fall of 2020 for the same students who participated in the summer program.

The Option Period 1 will include a one-day activity to be held during the Spring of 2021 and an eight (8) week summer program.

SCOPE OF WORK

General Requirements:

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall 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 below:

Specific Requirements:

The contractor will be expected to conduct a summer internship program. The base period summer program will be based on the attached curriculum and schedule. The internship participants will number between 10-15 rising junior AIAN high school students for an introductory to research session (base period summer program) and a one day fall activity that will build off of the summer program for the students. Option Period One will have a one-day spring of 2021 activity building off of the prior summer curriculum and fall activity for the same group of students. The contractor is expected to develop their own curriculum for option period one summer program which is more advanced and builds off of the lessons learned in the base period summer program. In Option Period One, the contractor will utilize best efforts to retain the same group of students who participated in the Base Period. In the event a student who participated in the base period summer program elects to not participate in the option period one summer program, the contractor shall recruit and replace the departing student with a rising senior student capable of meeting the requirements of the more advanced curriculum in the option period summer program. This requirement is specific to AIAN students, therefore any recruitment of students who are not specifically AIAN are subject to approval from the Contracting Officer's Representative.

The Contractor shall:

Furnish services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government under the terms of this contract. The Contractor must have demonstrated extensive experience providing program support services, working with underserved populations, specifically AIAN populations, and coordinating programs to increase scientific experience. The contractor must have evidence of an ongoing relationship with the tribal community for whom they will provide training.

The contractor shall recruit 10-15 rising high school junior AIAN students to participate in the base period summer program curriculum and fall activity. Students shall be capable of returning for option period 1 spring activity and summer program. The contractor shall replace any students who participated in the Base Period activities but have subsequently not returned for Option Period One activities with capable rising senior students to participate in the Option Period 1 summer program. Option Period 1 is a Government option and is not guaranteed.

The contractor shall oversee a developing summer science curriculum for underrepresented individuals living on an AIAN reservation or living near the tribal community. The base period summer curriculum is

Version 11-30-2016-1 provided by NINDS and is attached. The contractor will develop their own option period one summer program curriculum.

The contractor shall develop a one day fall activity in the base period building off of the student lessons learned in the base period summer curriculum. The contractor shall coordinate with student participants for scheduling that works best to maximize participation for the fall activity.

The contractor shall develop a one-day spring activity within option period one building off of the student lessons learned in the base period summer curriculum and fall activity. The contractor shall coordinate with student participants for scheduling that works best to maximize participation for the spring activity.

The contractor shall develop and oversee an eight (8) week summer science curriculum in Option Period 1 that is more advanced and builds off of the seven (7) week base period curriculum and contract activities. Contractor will utilize best efforts to maximize retention of student participation. The goal is the same students who participated in the base period will participate in Option period 1 (should the Government elect to exercise Option Period 1), In the event that a participating student elects to not participate in the Option Period 1 summer curriculum, the contractor will utilize best efforts in identifying and recruiting a replacement student (a rising senior) capable of meeting the more advanced science curriculum of Option Period 1.

The contractor shall:

Coordinate with local high schools to recruit 10-15 rising junior students capable of participating in the base period summer program and fall activity. Students who are recruited shall be capable of returning for the option period 1 spring activity and summer program.

In the event that a student participant from the base period does not return for the summer program in Option Period 1, the contractor shall coordinate with local high schools on a rising senior student capable of meeting the more advanced summer curriculum of Option Period 1.

Coordinate with local universities and/or medical schools in region to provide a laboratory environment to host the summer program.

Provide personnel to staff the summer program.

Coordinate local travel for students to summer program.

Coordinate with local universities to provide oversight for a Traditional Knowledge activity.

Task: Find personnel; travel personnel as needed; procure transportation for students in program; provide for supplies for students to include handouts, name tags, etc.

Task: Coordinate with universities, colleges, medical schools in the region to locate qualified personnel to coordinate the program.

Task: Coordinate with local Tribal High Schools in the region to locate qualified personnel to coordinate the program, and to identify the appropriate students.

Task: Coordinate with identified personnel to define list of supplies, both office and scientific and confirm other curriculum needs.

Task: Provide certificates for students for closeout ceremony.

Final training materials, schedule, and curriculum will be provided to the COR for review and approval prior to the start of the course.

Students are expected to record their weekly thoughts on what worked and what didn’t work for them during the applicable week in the program and provide that to the contractor.

LEVEL OF EFFORT:

Two Co-Coordinators – Must have either MD or PHD and experience working with underrepresented populations, especially helpful would-be individuals that have worked with the AIAN populations.

Coordinator with experience with/knowledge of Traditional Knowledge. Must have experience working with underrepresented populations, especially helpful would-be individuals that have worked with the AIAN populations. Can be a consultant and must conduct Traditional Ecological Knowledge activity as part of the provided curriculum. Must be involved throughout the Program.

For clinical experience:

Two Classroom Presenters: Presenters must be medical students or medical personnel and have experience working with underrepresented populations, especially helpful would-be individuals that have worked with the AIAN populations.

For basic science experience:

Two Classroom Presenters: Presenters must be versed in basic research skills and have experience working with underrepresented populations, especially helpful would be individuals that have worked with the AIAN populations.

Two Classroom Peer Mentors/ Presenters: Presenters must be pre-med students associated with a local university.

One high school counselor from a local tribal-run high school

All personnel must be available from 8am to 5:30 pm, local time during the summer program. All personnel must be accustomed to laboratory training and techniques. The contractor shall provide an appropriate labor mix to conduct the one day fall activity and one day spring activity.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

No access to government facility required. Government will not provide any space or equipment to contract personnel.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Final training materials, schedule, and curriculum will be provided to the COR for review prior to the start of the course.

Base Period Final Report – summary of student’s weekly comments/thoughts on what worked and did not work with the program. Students are to submit their comments to the contractor weekly. This information/data will be collected on a weekly basis for quality control. In the event data is to be published prior Tribal and IRB approval is required.

Option Period One Final Report - summary of student’s weekly comments/thoughts on what worked and did not work with the program. Students are to submit their comments to the contractor weekly. This information/data will be collected on a weekly basis for quality control. In the event data is to be published prior Tribal and IRB approval is required.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Travel:

Program coordinators are required to be onsite during the entire program.

Some coordinators may have to be traveled to the site. Contractor shall arrange transportation for students and counselors, as needed. This is a day program and thus, any contractor that provides overnight accommodations is at their own cost/expense and assumes the risk.

Food and Beverage:

No Government obligated funding is to be used for food and beverage. Anything the contractor provides is at their own cost/expense.

Key Personnel:

• For clinical experience: Two Classroom Presenters: Presenters must be medical students or medical personnel and have experience working with underrepresented populations, especially helpful would be individuals that have worked with the AIAN populations.

• For basic science experience: Two Classroom Presenters: Presenters must be versed in basic research skills and have experience working with underrepresented populations, especially helpful would be individuals that have worked with the AIAN populations.

• Two lead Co-coordinators - must have either an MD or PHD degree and have experience working with underrepresented populations, especially helpful would be individuals that have worked with the AIAN populations.

• Coordinator/Consultant - with knowledge of Traditional Knowledge. Must have experience working with underrepresented populations, especially helpful would be individuals that have worked with the AIAN populations. Can be a consultant and must conduct a culturally relevant Environmental Science Week as part of the provided curriculum.

Information System Security Plan:

N/A

Data Rights:

N/A

Section 508—Electronic and Information Technology Standards:

Section 508 of the rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that the Federal agencies’ electronic and information technology (EIT) is accessible to people with disabilities. The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Final Rule for section 508 (EIT Accessibility) can be found at www.section508.gov and at the Access Board’s Web site at https://www.access-board.gov/508.htm. The contractor must state that it will comply with the requirements of Section 508.

Publications and Publicity:

Contractor will not publish any info obtained from performance of this statement of work without prior written approval from the Contracting Officer.

Confidentiality of Information:

The Contractor will treat all NIH research data and information as confidential.

ATTACHMENTS

1) Base Period Schedule and Curriculum http://www.section508.gov/ http://www.section508.gov/ https://www.access-board.gov/508.htm https://www.access-board.gov/508.htm https://www.access-board.gov/508.htm https://www.access-board.gov/508.htm