Screen candidate subjects for eligibility to participate in a spaceflight study

NASA's Shared Services Center issued a presolicitation notice on July 17, 2026, announcing its intent to award a sole source contract to the University of California, San Diego for screening candidate subjects to assess eligibility for participation in a spaceflight study; the Government will consider written capability statements from interested organizations by July 22, 2026, 1:00 p.m. Central Standard Time, to demonstrate competitiveness and justify a competitive procurement alternative.

The contracted work supports NASA's Human Research Program initiative testing thigh cuffs as a countermeasure against Optic Disc Edema during spaceflight missions. The contractor will screen no more than 15 candidate subjects using artificial intelligence prediction tools trained on spaceflight ocular coherence technology images from prior astronaut missions, analyze anonymous datasets provided by NASA Johnson Space Center's Cardiovascular and Vision Laboratory, and predict whether subjects will develop Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome in-flight and calculate total retinal thickness changes. Results will be delivered per-mission at a rate of 2–3 subjects per mission, not exceeding 5 subjects annually. The base contract period runs from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2028, with two optional renewal years extending through July 31, 2030. Performance location is the University of California, San Diego. The procurement uses commercial item procedures under FAR Part 12 with NAICS code 611310. Organizations submitting capability statements must provide written responses only; oral communications will not be considered.