R--Research Development Services

The Veteran's Administration Office of Research and Development, Program Contracting Office - East in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, intends to negotiate a Sole Source basis with Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, to award a Firm Fixed Price Contract. Specifically, the contract would be for the VA Center of Excellence on Wheelchairs and Associated Rehabilitation Engineering, for research and development services. The sole source is pursuant to FAR 6.302-3 (a) (2) (ii) - Full and Open Competition need not be provided for when it is necessary to award the contract to a particular source or sources in order to establish or maintain an essential engineering, research, or development capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution or a federally funded research and development center. The anticipated contract will be a firm fixed service contract for a period of one (1) base year and two option years. The period of performance will be October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2017.Estimated Contract Price; $26,591 This Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive proposals, however; any responsible source, who believes it is capable of meeting the requirement, may submit a capability statement to the Contracting Office no later than 4:00PM on 08/25/2014. Interest/capability statements may be sent to [email protected]. No telephone responses will be accepted. Information received will be for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct a competitive procurement. The determination to conduct a competitive procurement based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The NAICS Code for this procurement is 541720 and the Small Business Size Standard is 500 employees. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Justification and Approval For Other Than Full and Open Competition Identification Number: Purchase Request 646-15-1-5472-0011 1. Contracting Activity: VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Contracting Office (90C-A) 1010 Delafield Road Pittsburgh, Pa. 15215 2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed: The VA Center of Excellence on Wheelchairs and Associated Rehabilitation Engineering is requesting approval to establish a sole source contract with the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System's Affiliate - Carnegie Mellon University, for research and development services. This request is pursuant to FAR Subpart 6.302-5 Authorized or required by statute. The statute which authorizes this request is 38 U.S.C. 8153(research with affiliates). The anticipated contract will be a firm fixed service contract for a period of one (1) base year and two option years. The period of performance will be October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2017. Base year: $12,291 Option 1: $12,660 Option 2: $13,039 Estimated Total Value - $26,591 3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency's Needs: The anticipated contract is to acquire specialized research and development medical services through Carnegie Mellon University that will include the named individual (Dr. Tim Verstynen) with experience in research fields related to brain computer interface, and cognitive and computational neuroscience. The individual must have a doctoral level degree in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. The individual will need to have substantial expertise related to functional neuroimaging in particular related to sensorimotor mapping, sensorimotor integration, fMRI paradigm design, and data analysis including statistics, and participation in the somatosensory cortex mapping protocol. Additionally, the individual will have teaching experience in cognitive neuroscience and brain connectivity, and provide critical review of publications resulting from this work. 4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other than Full and Open Competition: In accordance to FAR Subpart 6.302-5, the proposed acquisition strategy is consistent with legal precedence for sole sourcing research related affiliate contracts in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 8153. 38 U.S.C. 8153(a)(3)(a) states, if the health-care resource required is a commercial service, the use of medical equipment or space, or research, and is to be acquired from an institution affiliated with the Department in accordance with section 7302 of this title, including medical practice groups and other entities associated with affiliated institutions, blood banks, organ banks, or research centers, the Secretary may make arrangements for acquisition of the resource without regard to any law or regulation (including any Executive order, circular, or other administrative policy) that would otherwise require the use of competitive procedures for acquiring the resource. 5. Demonstration that the Contractor's Unique Qualifications or Nature of the Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited Above (applicability of authority: The VA Center of Excellence on Wheelchairs and Associated Rehabilitation Engineering (WARE) is the only center of its kind in the United States. Carnegie Mellon University has collaborated on research projects with noted VA Center for over a decade. Minimum Requirements would be specific education, training, and teaching experience in the fields of psychology and neuroscience. The individual will have a background and/or experience in research fields related to brain computer interface, and cognitive and computational neuroscience. The individual must have a doctoral level degree in cognitive psychology and neuroscience and have substantial expertise related to functional neuroimaging in particular related to sensorimotor mapping, sensorimotor integration, fMRI paradigm design, and data analysis including statistics, and participation in the somatosensory cortex mapping protocol. Additionally, the individual will have teaching experience in cognitive neuroscience and brain connectivity, participate in regular meetings to discuss the project status and research plan, and provide critical reviews of publications resulting from this work. The proprietary data is part of a collaborative research effort between the WARE VA Center of Excellence and Carnegie Mellon University. Any developments must be reported according to VA's Office of Technology Transfer and Carnegie Mellon University's Office of Computing Services. The material/service must be compatible in all aspects (form, fit and function) with existing systems presently installed/performing. Describe the equipment/function you have now and how the new item/service must coordinate, connect, or interface with the existing system. The crucial expertise for this contract is a result of the award of VA RR&D grant #B1464-R which is an extension of work being concluded on VA RR&D grant #B7143R. The services for this Co-Investigator contract is in the budget of VA RR&D grant #B1464-R. The Scientific Program review of grant #B1464-R have approved all personnel credentials for executing the project, and have reviewed and approved the budget for the project which makes this contract necessary for the success of the noted project. 6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable: Our Research lab is a collaborative effort and Carnegie Mellon University's, Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, is the only neuroscience research department of its kind in the United States which can provide the background, training, and experience related to the work conducted by the VA WARE Center of Excellence. FAR 6.302(a)(2)(i) Full and open competition need not be provided for when a statute expressly authorizes or requires that the acquisition that the acquisition be made through another agency or from a specified source. 7. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable: The Government is paying for the Vendor's actual costs plus an indirect cost that has already been deemed fair and reasonable by the Division of Cost Allocation (DCA). DCA is a division under Health and Human Services which processes universities' proposals and negotiates an indirect rate through the guidance in OMB Circular A-21. Historical data gathered from VA Contract VA244-P-1694 for the same/similar services shows the previous FTE rate for a Co-Investigator at $117,000/year based upon education and experience. This rate has already been deemed fair and reasonable. This new requirement is at a rate within 2% of that rate. At VAPHS, this individuals would classify no lower than a GS-14 which is $129,407 (including fringes at 25%) full time, significantly more than the contract price for this support. 8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons Market Research Was Not Conducted: Market research has been conducted by knowledgeable individuals in the Government. These knowledgeable individuals include the PI assigned to the grant, VAPHS research program office, and the contract officer. Market research has shown that the supplies/services are of a type customarily available in the commercial marketplace, but not for varying periods of time. These varying periods of time can be for one month or continue for several years. This can become especially difficult with a time limited grant. The University affiliate allows the VA to hire exceptionally qualified individuals without term limits who can be WOC approved and work within HERL/WARE for the required length of time without breaks due to ending term limits or delays in VA grant funds. This VA contracts allows the VA to maintain this individual who is invaluable to the successful completion of the VA research due to his/her extensive expertise and experience related to cognitive neuroscience research. 9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition: There is an urgent and compelling need with respect to the Institutional Board Review (IRB) approval. Once approval has been granted, the funding for the project will be released and the project will start. The project is pending IRB approval which can be released anytime. 10. Listing of Sources that Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition: No sources have expressed an interest. 11. A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers to Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required: Given the unique nature of this requirement and the collaborative nature of the research work being conducted, services must continue to be met through the sole source provisions of 38 U.S.C. 8153 and FAR Subpart 6.302-5. 12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a Bona Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. _____________________________ _7/10/2014_______________ Dana Sinciline Date Administrative Officer HERL/VAPHS ? 13. Approvals in accordance with FAR 6.304 a. Contracting Officer's Certification (required): I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. _____________________________ ________________________ Elaine DiBucci Date Contract Officer NCO 4 b. NCM/PCM (Required $3K and above): I certify the justification meets requirements for other than full and open competition. _____________________________ ________________________ Herb Byrns Date Deputy Director of Contracting VISN 4 ? STATEMENT OF WORK (VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and Carnegie Mellon University) The Center of Excellence in Wheelchairs and associated Rehabilitation Engineering (WaRE), an RR&D Center of Excellence at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, requires contract services of one Co-Investigator from the academic affiliate, Carnegie Mellon University. The mission of the Center is to continuously improve the mobility and function of people with disabilities through advanced engineering in clinical research and medical rehabilitation. The WaRE Center's primary academic affiliate for Brain Computer Interface research is Carnegie Mellon University. The WaRE Center's application, which is peer-reviewed, is judged partially on the strength of its academic affiliations and the availability of expertise of the affiliates. Because of the high level of specialized research involved, the WaRE Center requires contracted services with their educational affiliate, Carnegie Mellon University, which has faculty with substantive knowledge of Wheelchairs and Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Engineering Research. The Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Psychology, conducts research in cognitive and computational neuroscience which is the crucial area of expertise relevant for this contract. This contract for crucial expertise and support in the conduct of wheelchair and associated rehabilitation engineering research requires a doctoral level degree and experience as a post-doctoral researcher in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. The candidate will also have a proven record of funding and publications related to neuroscience, brain plasticity and the motor and somatosensory cortex. Teaching experience in cognitive neuroscience and brain connectivity is also required. Specifically, this contract for crucial expertise and support in the conduct of wheelchair and associated rehabilitation engineering research; functional imaging, data analysis consulting, participation in the somatosensory cortex mapping protocol, fMRI paradigm design, monitoring the project status and research plan, and critical reviews of publications resulting from this research project that cannot be provided by the medical center is established under the authority of VHA Handbook 1200.2 (Research Business Operations) and contains all essential elements as outlined in VHA Handbook 1200.2 Appendix A (Contract Essential Elements). Principal investigator(s) will provide guidance to the Co-Investigator in his/her efforts aiding research focused on wheelchairs and associated rehabilitation technology, and bring his/her research findings and approaches developed in the course of study to projects in VA.