AN42--AHBPCE Veteran control group repository INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 2 has issued a Special Notice announcing their intent to award a sole source contract to Vanderbilt University for the expansion of the Post-Deployment Cardiopulmonary Evaluation Network (PDCEN) Control Group and Repository project. This research initiative, designated as solicitation 36C24225Q0931, falls under the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center and the VA Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence. The contract is classified under NAICS code 541715 for Research and Development in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences, with a Product Service Code of AN42 for Health R&D Services. The contracting office is located at the Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany, NY, with Contracting Officer Mariangie Rivera serving as the primary point of contact. The government has determined that Vanderbilt University is uniquely qualified to perform this specialized research work, justifying the sole source procurement approach under FAR 6.302-3.

The primary objective of this contract is to recruit 25 deployed or non-deployed military veterans who are completely free of symptoms and diseases to serve as control subjects for research into respiratory health effects related to airborne hazards and burn pit exposures. The contractor will be responsible for developing comprehensive study protocols, obtaining regulatory approvals, recruiting and screening participants, collecting cardiopulmonary physiological data, and implementing quality control procedures. Key personnel requirements include a Principal Investigator with PhD or MD credentials, a Clinical/Translational Research Coordinator, and a Research Assistant. The base contract period runs from September 14, 2025, through September 13, 2026, with two potential option years available. While this is designated as a sole source award, interested parties may submit Expressions of Interest via email to Mariangie.Rivera@va.gov by August 6, 2025, at 10:00 AM EST, though these submissions will not influence the contract award decision. This research addresses a significant knowledge gap identified by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine regarding deployment-related respiratory diseases.