Education and Training Services / Oxford-Cambridge University Partnership Program

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT AND NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS

This notice is published in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.101(a)(1) requiring the dissemination of information regarding proposed contract actions.  This is a Notice of Intent to award a sole source, firm-fixed price purchase order under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 1901, as implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(2) and 13.501(a) - Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Service Will Satisfy Agency Requirements, and is not a request for competitive quotes. 

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with the University of Oxford, University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 2JD, United Kingdom on an other that full and open competition basis for the payment of tuition and fees for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Fellows new incoming and continuing to participate in a doctorate program as a part of the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Training Program of the NIH-Wide Global Doctoral Partnership (NGDP).  The NIH Fellows roster consist of seven (7) new incoming and thirty-four (34) continuing students. 

The NIH, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is one of the premier Federal agencies responsible for conducting and supporting global health research initiatives and helping to lead the way toward medical discoveries and advancements that save lives and promote improved healthier standards of living from a global perspective.  In order to obtain basic and applied research and highly skilled medical and scientific researchers, the NIH has developed the NIH-wide NGDP consisting of a set of affiliated doctoral programs for highly accomplished biomedical researchers students devoted to careers in basic, translational, or clinical biomedical research by allowing outstanding American and European Union college graduates to engage in accelerated PhD research through collaborative projects between an NIH intramural laboratory and laboratories at the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, or other EU Universities.  In collaboration with the NIAID Division of Intramural Research, the foundation programs of the NGDP are the NIH Oxford- Cambridge Scholars program, the NIH MD/Ph.D. Partnership Training Program, and the NIH Wellcome Trust Program.  The NIH will provide, through its offices and investigators, graduate-level training and research for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year for new incoming and continuing students in the 2023-2024 academic year under coordinated mentors at the NIH and University of Oxford.   To disrupt a student in their field of study would mean starting the educational processes from the beginning, which would be costly to the Government.  The Government has invested in the new and continuing students to complete their program in four (4) years, which would lead to more time and funding for completion if they were to start the process over. 

Only one award will be made as a result of this notice.  This will be awarded as a firm-fixed price purchase order.

The Period of Performance for full performance is September 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024.

The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 611310 – Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, which has a size standard of $30.5M.

This will be the only notice of the Government's intent to solicit, negotiate, and award to one source to satisfy this requirement.  The Government plans to award a contract for this requirement within 10 days of this notice.

The statutory authority for this sole source requirement is 41 U.S.C. 1901 as implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(2) and 13.501(a) only one source available, no substitutions possible.  THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTATIONS.  All responsible sources that can provide the service of Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Training Program of the NIH-Wide Global Doctoral Partnership should submit a capability statement via email to Tonia Alexander at  talexander@niaid.nih.gov by 3:00pm EST on August 11, 2023.  A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.  Any responses received by NIAID after this date and exact time specified are late and will not be considered. 

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for any information provided in response.  The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.  Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work.  Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

For additional information or to submit responses, please contact Tonia Alexander, Contract Specialist at talexander@niaid.nih.gov.