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The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition.

Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice.

This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition.  It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.  Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes.  No award will be made as a result of this notice.  The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.  This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only.

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias have no effective treatments to halt or reverse disease progression. The complexity of these diseases, driven by genetic, molecular, and environmental factors, requires an innovative, data-driven approach to accelerate scientific discovery. Bioinformatics, at the intersection of biology, computer science, and statistics, is a critical tool that empowers researchers to address this challenge. Together, the scientific staff at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (CARD) will work directly with the contractor’s bioinformatics team on the integration and analysis of large, multidimensional datasets—imaging, genomic, proteomic and transcriptomic data integrated with clinical measurements— to enable the identification of novel drivers of disease pathogenesis, the discovery of biomarkers for stratification and early diagnosis, as well as new therapeutic targets. 

The necessity of advanced analytics in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research is underscored by the increasing volume and complexity of data generated by new platforms such as spatial transcriptomics and single cell proteomic, epigenetic and transcriptomics. CARD needs a partner in advanced analytics that can keep pace with these new platforms and analytical tools, to uncover insights needed to fully understand the molecular underpinnings of disease. Bioinformatics, analytics and statistics will provide computational tools to integrate diverse data types, identify patterns and associations that are not readily apparent, and predict disease mechanisms. The contractor must work with the scientific staff to visualize and interpret data. The team will also help foster and lead collaborations across groups within and outside the NIH.

Moreover, the contractor is an essential resource driving group. The team analyzes diverse publicly available datasets and provides insightful interpretations. Advanced analytics also aligns with CARD’s structural priorities, including data democratization, transparency, and reliability, ensuring that Alzheimer’s and related dementias research is inclusive, reproducible, and impactful across the global scientific community. The advanced analytic teams should be capable of designing and implementing solutions that improve data accessibility, quality, and interoperability across the scientific community, ensuring that CARD data adheres to the FAIR principles and integrates seamlessly with FHIR-based standards, enabling more effective data exchange and utilization in operational contexts.

This support is currently provided via Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract 75N95020D00014. The current contractor is DATACONSULT-IO and the current ordering period is August 24, 2020 – August 23, 2025.

Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this requirement is to procure scientific data consulting services related to neurodegenerative diseases in support of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (CARD).

Project requirements: The Contractor shall provide scientific data consulting support services in relation to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as follows:

Task Categories /Tasks:

General analytics