A--Estimate the cost of injuries occurring during Basic Combat Training (BCT) to the U.S. Army.

Under the authority of FAR 6.302-3, the U.S. Army RDECOM Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division, Natick, MA intends to award a Firm Fixed Price Purchase Order to University of Massachusetts, Amherst of Amherst, MA, to estimate the cost of injuries occurring during Basic Combat Training (BCT) to the U.S. Army and to further understand the factors associated with increased risk for BCT-related injury and high costs. The Army has identified reduction of musculoskeletal injuries as a priority for current and future research efforts. Under the Army Technical Objective (ATO), Prediction and Reduction of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Training and Operational Environments, and the additional ATO Interventions to Enhance Warfighter Psychological Resilience the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) Injury Epidemiology Research Section has developed a comprehensive research program to accurately and extensively study BCT Injuries in the U.S. Army. The research program will use the Total Army Injury and Health Outcomes Database (TAIHOD), which is a high resolution epidemiologic research data repository that offers significant potential for identifying risk factors, adverse health outcomes, and evaluating intervention strategies, among deployed and non-deployed active-duty (AD) personnel. Funding and support of this multi-year study was dependent upon the Primary Investigator, MAJ Hill, identifying scientific experts who will augment his epidemiologic and military expertise, particularly in the areas of health policy, injury prevention, economic evaluation studies, and biostatistics. The identified scientists from UMASS and Environ have acquired a significant amount of knowledge concerning the intricacies of the TAIHOD database from successfully completing 5 previous scientific projects for the Army using TAIHOD data. These previous efforts resulted in multiple peer-reviewed manuscripts and Army Technical Reports. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement in the future. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement to the U.S. Army RDECOM Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division, via e-mail at [email protected] no later than 25 May 2010, 12:00 pm EST.