conduct optical measurements and analysis on semiconductor samples provide by NASA.

NASA's Shared Services Center has published a Special Notice announcing its intent to issue a sole source contract to the University of Maryland Baltimore County for conducting optical measurements and analysis on semiconductor samples provided by NASA. The procurement falls under NAICS code 541715 for Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences, with performance to occur at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. NASA has determined that the University of Maryland Baltimore County is the sole provider capable of performing this specialized work under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i). The government intends to acquire these services as commercial items using FAR Part 12 and Part 13 procedures. This represents a research and development services acquisition in the applied research category.

The primary objective of this procurement is to support a comprehensive research project studying transition metal doped ZnSe semiconductor samples, scheduled to run from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The work encompasses six specific tasks including fabricating high-quality optical samples, developing characterization methods, determining bandgap and impurities using advanced techniques, conducting emission testing across various temperature ranges, training students, and delivering final reports with presentations and publications. Interested organizations must submit their capabilities and qualifications in writing by 12 p.m. Central Standard Time on July 30, 2025, with oral communications not accepted. The government will evaluate these submissions solely to determine whether to conduct the procurement on a competitive basis, though the decision to maintain sole source procurement remains at the government's discretion. The research will utilize specialized equipment including scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and fluorescence characterization techniques to analyze semiconductor defects and properties.