Chemistry Research for the Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT)

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Division of Translational Toxicology, seeks chemistry research support across eight functional areas—Logistics and Handling, Characterization, Formulation, Biosample Analysis, Special Studies, Animal Studies, Omics, and In Vitro Assays—with proposals due September 14, 2026. The procurement is cost-plus-fixed-fee with no small business set-aside.

The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is the contracting entity on behalf of NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program. Place of performance is the United States. The contract spans a base period from January 18, 2027, through January 17, 2028, followed by nine option years extending through January 17, 2037, plus an optional six-month extension through July 17, 2037.

Offerors must meet three mandatory qualification criteria: current FDA Good Laboratory Practices (21 CFR 58) compliance with laboratory certification documentation, AAALAC International accreditation plus Public Health Service Assurance approval for animal welfare, and an acceptable Data Management and Sharing Plan. The contractor must independently demonstrate minimum experience and capability across all functional areas; subcontractor experience does not satisfy the prime's experience requirements. Key personnel—Principal Investigator, Deputy Principal Investigator, seven Functional Area Discipline Leads, and a subject matter expert in ADME/TK studies—must be direct employees of the prime contractor. While functional areas may not be entirely subcontracted, offerors without animal facilities may subcontract the in-life portion of Animal Studies to AAALAC-accredited subcontractors. The contractor must maintain a Health and Safety Officer, Quality Assurance Officer, and Laboratory Animal Veterinarian and comply with FDA GLP regulations, OSHA standards, DEA licensing for controlled substances, and the Public Health Service Policy and Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

The contractor must provide between 90 and 110 percent of specified direct labor hours across four labor categories: Senior Research Professional, Research Professional, Technical Staff, and Support Staff. Cost and fixed fee are to be negotiated. Option 1 allows additional work capped at 30 percent of base contract value. Small business subcontracting participation of at least 5 percent of total contract value is required, with a $900,000 subcontracting threshold.

Evaluation criteria—Experience, Program and Project Management, Technical Approach, Personnel, Environment and Facilities, and Live Vertebrate Animals—carry equal weight to each other and collectively equal Past Performance; both combined significantly outweigh cost. The Government will evaluate using adjectival ratings (Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Marginal, Unacceptable) without discussions unless determined necessary. The NAICS code is 541715, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences; PSC is AJ11, General Science and Technology R&D Services. Questions were due August 10, 2026. The contracting officer is Sarah Bank (sarah.bank@nih.gov); secondary contact is Lisa Schaupp (lisa.schaupp@nih.gov). Proposals must be submitted electronically via the NIH eCPS website. Amendment 5, effective September 3, 2026, removed FAR 52.203-16 and directed subcontractors' cost proposals to the Business Proposal rather than Technical Proposal.