Acquisition of Support Services of an MRI Physicist

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is seeking to procure MRI physicist support services through a pre-solicitation notice. The contract aims to acquire a highly specialized PhD-level scientist with extensive experience in MRI data acquisition and pulse sequence programming to support advanced medical research. The primary objective is to develop non-invasive quantitative MRI biomarkers for detecting hepatic inflammation in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)/metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The solicitation requires the contractor to perform complex technical tasks including developing novel 3D multi-parametric MR pulse sequences, supporting Phosphorous-31 NMR data analysis, assisting with MR elastography and spectroscopy, organizing research data, and contributing to scientific publications. Responses to this pre-solicitation notice are due by 9:00 am EST on 3/24/2024, with the government evaluating submissions to determine whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis.

The contract is categorized under NAICS code 541690 for Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services and PSC code Q522 for Medical Radiology services. There is no specific set-aside designation for this procurement. The proposed contract is a firm fixed-price purchase order with a base year duration from 3/30/2025 to 3/29/2026, valued under the simplified acquisition threshold of $250,000. The contract will be performed at the NIH facility in Bethesda, MD, and requires a contractor with a minimum of 15 years of relevant professional experience. The solicitation appears to be targeting MRI Physics and Engineering Consultants, suggesting a potential sole-source procurement based on unique qualifications. The scope of work indicates a highly specialized requirement that likely demands very specific technical expertise in advanced medical imaging research methodologies.