Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Support Services Draft Performance Work Statement

This is a Sources Sought Synopsis to conduct market research supplementing that conducted previously to determine the availability of small business vendors capable of providing the services described in the attached Performance Work Statement for Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence (TBICoE) research and support services.  This notice is not a Request for Proposal (RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Quotation (RFQ) at this time.  Consequently, this notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor will the Government pay for information submitted in response to the notice.

TBICoE, formerly known as the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), is a congressionally mandated organization within the Research and Development Directorate (J-9) at DHA.  TBICoE promotes access to state-of-the-science-care for service members, veterans and their families, to prevent and mitigate the consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI).  In 1991, Congress created DVBIC through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In 2007, the NDAA authorized DVBIC’s 15-year research study, which is still in progress.  The study examines the long term effects of Traumatic Brain Injury sustained during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and other populations as identified on service members, veterans and their caregivers.  In 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Defense (DOD) and Department Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly developed the National Research Action Plan (NRAP) as a blueprint for enhancing the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), TBI and suicide.  In 2014, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs named DVBIC as the manager of the TBI Pathway of Care for clinical, research education and training activities.

DVBIC was founded in 1992, largely in response to the first Persian Gulf War, under the name Defense and Veterans Head Injury Program.  At the time, its goal was to integrate specialized TBI care, research and education across military and veteran medical care systems.  TBICoE supports a network of mutiple TBICoE Research network sites and Regional Education Coordinator network sites.  Specific activities vary at each site and can include conducting clinical research, providing clinical support and care to service members, assisting service members and veterans, and their families, locating support services, conducting education and outreach activities and assessing TBI injury data, while command and control exist with the TBICoE Headquarters (HQ) for continuity of services.

Located at the TBICoE four divisions reflect its mission essential components; research, clinical affairs, education, and mission support.  TBICoE works with the TBI Advisory Committee to define and disseminate proven practices, and to develop translation strategy and implementation guidelines.  TBICoE HQ has visibility of all TBI clinical and translational research within, or funded by, the Military Health System.

Interested parties may express their interest and provide a capabilities statement and/or outline of experience relevant to the attached draft Performance Work Statement no later than 4:00 p.m., EST, November 15, 2021.  The points of contact for this action are John A. Cowgill, Senior Contract Analyst, at john.a.cowgill4.ctr@mail.mil, Stephen (Connor) Tees, Contract Specialist, at stephen.c.tees.civ@mail.mil, Judith Meynard, judith.s.meynard.ctr@mail.mil, and Gregory Crump, Contracting Officer, at gregory.m.crump.civ@mail.mil.