Supplement to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI)

1.0 DESCRIPTION

The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), Healthcare Delivery Research Program (HDRP) plans to procure, on a sole source basis, services for a supplement to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute from The University of Oxford at 198 Madison Ave, New York, New York 10016-4308.

The response close date of the notice for this requirement is in accordance with FAR 5.203(b). This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 12 - Acquisition for Commercial Items and will be made pursuant to the authority in FAR Part 13.106-1(b)(1); and is exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6. The North American Industry Classification System code is 519190 and the small business size standard is $27.5 million.

The period of performance shall be12 months from the date of award.

The anticipated award shall be a firm fixed price purchase order for non-severable services.

It has been determined there are no opportunities to acquire green products or services for this procurement.

2.0 BACKGROUND

The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), Healthcare Delivery Research Program (HDRP) manages the creation of data resources that are made available to the research community via application processes. Two of these resources entail linkage of cancer registry data from the NCI's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program to data obtained from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The linkage between the SEER and Medicare enrollment and claims data to create the SEER-Medicare database was first completed almost 30 years ago and has been updated most recently on biennial basis.
Over the years, additional data files (e.g., additional claim file types, clinical assessments, and ancillary files) have been incorporated into the database. Ever mindful that, although the SEER-Medicare database has provided great insights into the care of elderly (65 years and older) cancer patients in the US, as demonstrated by the over 1,800 peer-review publications, there is less known about the care of younger, particularly disadvantaged, cancer patients. As a result, the NCI has recently completed an inaugural linkage between the SEER data and Medicaid enrollment data obtained from CMS from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia to create the SEER-Medicaid database.

The NCI/DCCPS/HDRP requires a peer-reviewed supplement to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), entitled "SEER-Medicare and SEER-Medicaid: Data Sources, Analytic Methods, and Limitations," which will inform the research community about the data included in these data linkages and, thus, how the databases may be used for research purposes.
In preparation for this supplement, NCI staff and content-area experts have drafted a supplement preface and 12 relevant manuscripts, all of which have received NCI clearance approval for publication. In addition to an introductory manuscript offering an updated overview of SEER-Medicare database and how it has changed over the decades (e.g., summarizing when new registries were added, and when new data file types were added) and an introductory manuscript on the SEER-Medicaid database, the remaining manuscripts examine best practices for utilizing these databases. Each manuscript was written collaboratively by experts in the analysis of registry and/or administrative claims data, including epidemiologists, health statisticians, mathematical statisticians, public health analysts, cancer tumor registrars, and data users.

3.0 SCOPE

This acquisition shall include services to publish a peer-reviewed supplement to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), entitled "SEER-Medicare and SEER-Medicaid: Data Sources, Analytic Methods, and Limitations."

The JNCI supplement shall include a preface and 12 manuscripts, which will be provided by NCI post award. NCI shall also provide post award contact information for at least two peer-reviewers per manuscript. The Contractor shall coordinate the post-award peer-review process for the manuscripts (e.g. facilitate communication with peer-reviewers, provide peer-reviewers with relevant manuscript documents, and obtain peer-reviewers comments and approval). NCI shall provide the final peer-reviewer approved version of the manuscripts to the Contractor. The Contractor shall not provide content writing services for the supplement; the Contractor shall provide final document formatting (page proofs) to NCI for approval prior to publishing the supplement. The Contractor shall make the supplement accessible to JNCI subscribers as a hardcopy journal and to all requestors electronically on the JNCI website via the free-to-view option.
4.0 PURCHASE ORDER REQUIREMENTS
The Contractor shall:
4.1. Coordinate peer-review of NCI-approved manuscripts
4.1.1 Distribute the individual manuscripts to designated peer-reviewers. The NCI shall provide the Contractor with manuscripts and peer-reviewer information within 7 days after award.
4.1.2 Collate peer-reviewer comments for each manuscript and send them to the NCI Technical Point of Contact (POC) for response and assessment.
4.1.3 Distribute author updated manuscripts back to the designated peer-reviewers for subsequent review, as necessary. In order to resolve all peer-reviewer comments, tasks 4.1.2 - 4.1.3 may need to be repeated.
4.1.4 Obtain final peer-reviewer approval for each manuscript and forward to the NCI POC.
4.2 Format manuscript content for publication
4.2.1 Review each manuscript to ensure that the format is consistent and compliant with JNCI standard formatting, that tables and references are complete and correctly formatted; that language, syntax, and grammar are clear and correct; and that the tables and figures are explained.
4.2.2 Create draft page proofs for each manuscript and send to the NCI POC.
4.2.3 Make changes to the page proofs per the NCI POC comments. In order to resolve all issues, tasks 4.2.1 - 4.2.3 may need to be repeated.
4.2.4 Create final page proofs for each manuscript and send to the NCI POC.
4.3 Publish the supplement. Distribute one printed supplement to each JNCI subscriber at their mailing address, per routine JNCI distribution procedures, and make the on-line version of the supplement available to all (subscribers and non- subscribers) at https://academic.oup.com/jnci/.
4.4 Participate in monthly calls with the NCI POC to provide updates on the progress of the above activities.

5.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

All services shall be performed at the Contractor's facility.
6.0 REPORT(S)/DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE

All written draft and final deliverable products shall be submitted in electronic copy for review and comment. All deliverables shall be sent electronically in Microsoft Word or Excel format, unless approved by the NCI Technical POC, per the following deliverable schedule:

Deliverable Description and Estimated completion date:
#1 (Task 4.1.2) Initial peer-reviewer comments for each manuscript, due October 31, 2019
#2 (Task 4.1.4) Final peer-reviewer approvals for each manuscript, due November 30, 2019
#3 (Task 4.2.2) Draft page proofs for each manuscript, due December 15, 2019
#4 (Task 4.2.4) Final page proofs for each manuscript, due December 31, 2019
#5 (Task 4.3) Hardcopy supplement (available one per JNCI subscriber mailed to the subscribers addresses); and, Electronic supplement available to all (subscribers and non-subscribers) via the JNCI website, due March 1, 2020
#6 (Task 4.4) Monthly progress-report calls with the NCI POC, due monthly after award

7.0 PAYMENT

Payment authorization requires monthly submission and approval of invoices to the NCI Technical POC and NIH OFM.

Published since 1940, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) is one of the oldest peer-reviewed journals in oncology. JNCI seeks to impart highly relevant and timely information to a broad audience of oncology and related specialists in the field. The journal is targeted toward oncologists and oncology specialists, hematologists, radiologists, basic science researchers, epidemiologists, pathologists, cancer prevention researchers, urologists, gynecologists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, pulmonologists, and otolaryngologists. The JNCI accomplishes the goal of imparting highly relevant information by publishing original and review articles that facilitate the transfer of knowledge from the laboratory to the bedside; contribute to cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, cure, and rehabilitation; and diminish suffering from cancer.

The usefulness of the SEER-Medicare and SEER-Medicaid databases hinges on NCI's ability to effectively communicate to the research community the details of these data resources and their potential uses. Publishing a supplement via the JNCI is required because it reaches the NCI's intended audience of cancer researchers that would use cancer registry data linked to administrative health care data. The JNCI is indexed in Medline, PubMed, and Science Citation Index and other databases which will facilitate reaching a large international audience.

The University of Oxford is currently the sole publisher for the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI). Therefore, no other source is capable of providing the requested services.

This notice is not a request for competitive quotation. However, if any interested party, especially a small business, believes it can meet the above requirement, it may submit a proposal or quote for the Government to consider. The response and any other information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NCI to determine if the party can perform the requirement. All responses and questions must be sent via email to Contracting Officer, Megan Kisamore, at megan.kisamore@nih.gov by no later than 3:00 PM EST, on August 9, 2019 (8/9/19). A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. In order to receive an award, Contractors must be registered and have valid certification through SAM.GOV.
Reference: 75N91019Q00131 on all correspondence.

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