American Foundation For Biological Research

American Foundation For Biological Research, doing business as Biomedical Research Institute (BRI), is a non-profit organization registered in SAM.gov since February 25, 2002, located in Rockville, Maryland. The organization specializes in providing advanced biological research services, with a particular focus on parasitology, infectious disease research, and specimen management. BRI has established itself as a critical partner for federal research agencies, particularly the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), by offering specialized scientific services that support complex medical research initiatives.

BRI's federal contract awards primarily revolve around parasitology research, specifically related to schistosomiasis. The organization has been awarded multiple purchase orders and delivery orders from NIAID for maintenance, development, and production of Schistosoma mansoni parasites, reagents, and assays. These contracts involve highly specialized tasks such as harvesting and delivering parasite eggs and cercariae to support vaccine research and disease studies. The contracts are consistently sole-source awards, highlighting BRI's unique capabilities in providing live parasites and related biological materials. The contract values range from $429,000 to $5,196,713, with performance periods extending through 2029, and none of the contracts have been set aside for specific business categories.

The federal grant sub-awards for BRI are predominantly centered on specimen repository management for the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG). Through sub-awards from the University of California, Los Angeles, BRI serves as the primary specimen repository, responsible for receiving, storing, tracking, managing, and distributing biological specimens from clinical research sites. These grant awards involve comprehensive specimen management protocols, including coordination with Frontier Sciences & Technology Research Foundation, maintaining specimen quality, ensuring proper staff training, and adhering to specific bylaws and standard operating procedures. The sub-awards consistently emphasize BRI's role in maintaining and managing biological specimens for a duration of two years following the completion of respective protocols.

BRI holds a significant indefinite delivery contract (IDC) with NIAID valued at $146.3 million, spanning from July 15, 2024, to July 14, 2031. This single-award IDC provides NIAID with comprehensive capabilities for developing and employing animal and animal replacement models for infectious disease research. The contract covers a wide range of services, including developing small animal models, non-human primate models, and specialized research models for evaluating therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics. The IDC targets infectious agents with pandemic potential, focusing on generating and distributing specialized reagents like live parasites, vectors, tissues, and antibodies, demonstrating BRI's advanced scientific research and specimen management capabilities.