PRESOL | 70 | Grant Redundant Application Search Program (GRASP System)

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF JULY 03, 2009 FBO #2776
SOLICITATION NOTICE

70 -- Grant Redundant Application Search Program (GRASP System)

Notice Date: 7/1/2009
Notice Type: Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
NAICS: 541519 — Other Computer Related Services
Contracting Office: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Rockledge Dr. Bethesda, MD, Office of Acquisitions, 6701 Rockledge Dr RKL2/6100 MSC 7902, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-7902
ZIP Code: 20892-7902
Solicitation Number: NHLBI-PB(RG)-2009-217-GMV
Archive Date: 7/28/2009
Point of Contact: Gina M. Varan, Phone: 3014350358
E-Mail Address: varang@nhlbi.nih.gov
(varang@nhlbi.nih.gov)
Small Business Set-Aside: Total Small Business
Description: This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation and a separate written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation number is NHLBI-PB(RG)-2009-217/GMV and is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP). The solicitation/contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-33. The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) Code is 541519 and the business size standard is $25M. This acquisition is being conducted using Simplified Acquisition Procedures in accordance with FAR Part 13 and is set aside for small business. It is the intent of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to procure the services from HelioText, 4100 Post Oak Rd., Flower Mound, TX 75022-6614 for the following Grant Redundant Application Search Program or (GRASP) system in accordance with the Statement of Work. Introduction / Background / Mission The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Center for Scientific Review (CSR) seeks to provide effective, efficient, and economically responsible information technology using proven process improvement procedures, methods, techniques, tools, and commercial services for the Institutes and Centers (IC) of NIH in the area of grant application receipt, referral, and review. The expectation of this effort is to have a system in place to compare new grant application submissions to a database of previous application submissions (and potentially other sources) for the purpose of minimizing resources and time used to identify inequality amongst grant submitters. These inequalities include the unethical use of original material from others, the submission of multiple applications, renamed applications, and requesting funding for already completed work. CSR is in need of a new system to be referred to as the Grant Redundant Application Search Program or (GRASP) system. The system goals are to enable the user to detect multiple overlapping applications that ensure that applicants adhere to NIH submission and award guidelines. The GRASP system should be a turnkey hardware and software solution that seamlessly gathers data from the NIH grants management database system (IMPAC II) to build an automated analysis and access system that: • Calculates text similarity between a submitted document and a user prescribed set of comparison documents • Displays an output summarizing findings Functional Requirements / Task Description / Statement of Work The purpose of the Task is to plan, design, develop and deploy a fully functional GRASP core production system. 1 Components to be developed 1.1 A database loaded with text parsed from previous NIH grant applications, specifically the project summary, specific aims and research design and methods sections 1.2 A system for the transfer, parsing and loading of text-based documents into the GRASP database, dbGRASP 1.3 The text similarity engine 1.4 The output system 2 User Requirements 2.1 Each year, thousands of individual grant applications are submitted to the CSR for potential funding. CSR desires to screen these documents to find instances of high text similarity that would potentially flag it for further review. 2.2 Initial system users will require the ability to compare application documents, one at a time, to a user defined set of documents which may include one specific document or a group of documents based on a common identifier (e.g. PI name or eCOMMONS ID) 3 Functional Requirements 3.1 Initially, all historical applications desired to be part of the comparison effort will be transferred to the data warehouse (dbGRASP) in the GRASP system. This data will be parsed, formatted and indexed for use by the GRASP system. The source for all comparison work conducted in this phase will be historical information from IMPAC II. 3.2 Periodically, a data extract representing new entries to IMPAC will be created and transferred to the GRASP data warehouse. 3.3 This new data will be parsed, formatted and indexed for use in the GRASP system. 3.4 When a user wants to make a query to the system, this will be done via web-based user interface into GRASP. Reporting of findings will occur through the same interface mechanism. 3.5 When a query is executed, the application is analyzed at an appropriate granularity, approximately one paragraph at a time (Typical paragraphs are 100 to 500 words long, to maximize similarity detection) against each paragraph in all documents designated for comparison. 3.6 As data similarity is discovered, this data is written to tables in dbGRASP, and eventually displayed in summary format when the final output is presented. 3.7 Various dbGRASP fields will be searchable and sortable via keywords 3.8 A standard output template will be created that features the following elements: • An identification number • The name of the author (Principle Investigator, or “PI”) of the application and other text based fields that are descriptive of the application available from IMPAC (institution, state, eCOMMONS name, submission dates, etc.) • Where text similarity has been indicated, the name(s) of any authors (and other text field data) that may have submitted earlier applications • The amount of time that has elapsed between the dates on the two documents • The raw similarity score, self similarity score (of a paragraph against itself) and ratio of similarity between each of the paragraphs in the two documents • Whether or not the documents share any authors 3.9 Users will be able to store their findings in a ‘comments’ field in dbGRASP and set flags (such as PI contacted, withdrawn, under investigation, etc.) 3.10 This is a closed system; no user may add/alter data without direction or authorization from the system sponsor(s). 3.11 User access can be limited via password; the password convention may be specified by the CSR. 4 Additional Requirements 4.1 Analysis of these applications should be easily done through a user interface providing automated document selection, analysis and output. 4.2 The system should automatically search the project summary, specific aims and research and methods sections of the application against the selected documents. 4.3 Output should provide a numerical number, i.e. a “score” as well as a color coded document illustrating the areas, if any, of high text similarity. 5 Other Requirements 5.1 Interface Requirements 5.1.1 Hardware Interfaces The delivered system will be housed within the NIH firewall and have a high speed internet connection, such that it can readily access the server on which the IMPACII system is housed (or can be transmitted documents and other data from the IMPACII server to the GRASP server via, for example ftp. Server). Access outside the NIH firewall will be via VPN. 5.1.2 Software Interfaces The GRASP system is stand-alone. It will access documents from the IMPACII system or those documents will be provided (pushed) to the GRASP system. All other access is via web browser based on user interface. System will be made able to support future Applications Programming Interface (API) access. 5.1.3 Communications Interfaces Communications will be via internet, specifically VPN via certain open ports required for external control, software and database updates, systems monitoring. 5.1.4 Data Conversion Requirements Data provided will be text parseable documents, specifically grant applications in one or more ‘pdf’ files and other files that communicate other grant application information as extracted from the IMPAC system (eCOMMONS name, PI name, etc.) Only text will be uploaded to GRASP system; that text will be readily parseable, and not image format requiring optical character recognition. 5.2 Hardware/Software Requirements The system will utilize: • a 2850 PowerEdge or equivalent Dell server compatible with the CSR server environment • server operating system will be Linux • software written in python, Perl, and other languages/tools • MySQL or SQL Server database 5.3 Operational Requirements All data, data manipulation and data output will occur within the NIH/CSR firewall. • Security and Privacy o The server and system will be kept up to date on security patches and use accepted state of the art systems to minimize the potential for unauthorized intrusion. It is further assumed that the NIH firewall is in working order and provides reasonable and customary protection. Failure of such systems could result in system unavailability, loss or corruption of data, disclosure of secrets or sensitive information, disclosure of privileged/privacy information about individuals, corruption of software or introduction of malware, such as viruses. The Contractor shall coordinate with the CSR ISSO to ensure that NIH security best practices are in place. o The contractor will work with the CSR ISSO to provide information regarding datacenter specific requirements to house the server (example, power requirements, network ports, etc.,). o The Contractor shall provide assistance for the completion of the following government mandated documents as necessary for C&A Security Risk Assessment 1.Systems Security Plan 2.eAuthentication Report 3.Risk Assessment 4.Disaster Recovery Plan 5.Privacy Impact Assessment 6.ST&E (System Test & Evaluation) • Physical Security o The Vendor, LLC personnel will have root access to the server with the assistance of the CSR ISSO. NIH personnel shall have user access at levels necessary to ensure security and functionality. The Vendor, LLC personnel will have access to the server from outside the NIH firewall via VPN. • System Reliability o System uptime is dependent upon NIH provided power environment and internet connectivity. System shall have an uptime of at least 98% when adequate power and environment are provided. User access, IMPAC and dbGRASP synchronization, and The Vendor, LLC access for maintenance and upgrades may be lower if there is network failure, inside or outside the NIH firewall, or failure of the server on which the IMPAC database resides. o Complete server hardware replacement, as called out on the annual maintenance, shall not exceed 7 days. Minor hardware replacements (failed disk drives) will be handled via NIH personnel exchanging front panel snap in drives, including 2 spare drives to be on site at the NIH for replacement within 1 day. The Vendor, LLC will not be responsible for replacement if server is damaged by improper power, environment or handling by the Vendor, LLC personnel. • System Backup o CSR will provide full backups of the GRASP server following their standard protocols and schedules. The Vendor, LLC shall maintain a full system backup and software backups (following any software upgrades), but will not back up any user data. • General Performance o Response time: in general, this will be less than 1 minute per query, but typically will be approximately 1 second. o Database updates: dependent on volume of new documents, and will be conducted at off-hours (between 6:00 pm to 6:00am, Eastern Time) o General performance: expectations are estimated based on an expected rate of user activity of up to 2,000 queries or database accesses per day. Higher levels of performance may require hardware upgrades at additional expense. o Data retention: most recent backups following agreement termination will be held for 1 year. User data will be retained for one year. o Error handling: will be addressed following user submission via email and will involve direct contact with user, and reasonable effort to resolve issue. o Validation rules: the similarity system shall be validated on user and test data, via analysis by The Vendor, LLC personnel, with reports as to performance provided to CSR. Text similarity system calibration and validation shall be performed with each weekly data update. o Conventions/Standards: the GRASP system interface will be via web browser, and will support at least Windows Internet Explorer (most recent version). 5.4 Compliancy The Contractor shall ensure that the technology infrastructure and support services provided are fully accessible by individuals with disabilities as required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. All Electronic and Information Technology systems provided under this contract must meet the applicable accessibility standards established in 36 CFR 1194, unless an agency exception to this requirement exists. 36CFR 1194 implements Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and is viewable at http://www.section508.gov – E & IT Requirements. C. Deliverables All deliverables shall be delivered to the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) no later than the date specified in the SOW. Deliverables are to be transmitted with a cover letter, on the contractor’s letterhead, describing the contents. Concurrently, a copy of the cover letter is to be furnished to the Contracting Officer. All deliverables must meet professional standards and meet the requirements set forth in contractual documentation. The contractor will be responsible for delivering all items. D. Delivery Schedule Report Title Description and Delivery Schedule 1. Turnkey software and hardware solution in production, fully operating and functional in CSR facility. 08/31/09 2. Installation of server(s) in Sterling facility08/31/09 3. A database loaded with text parsed from previous NIH grant applications, specifically the project summary, specific aims and research design and methods sections 08/31/09 4. A system for the transfer, parsing and loading of text-based documents into the GRASP database, dbGRASP. The text similarity engine08/31/09 5. The output system08/31/09 6. Technical Requirements document inclusive of details on how servers were securely hardened. 2 weeks post implementation 7. Operations and Maintenance Manual 08/31/09 8. Weekly Progress Report inclusive of risks documentation5th workday of every week Other Options and Additional work: This system can be expanded to identify expert reviewers and comparison of grant applications with the study section definition. Please see the detailed requirements in the Appendix section of this document. F. Inspection and Acceptance Criteria. In the absence of other agreements negotiated with respect to time provided for government review, deliverables will be inspected and the contractor notified of the COTR’s findings within five (5) workdays of normally scheduled review. Representatives of the Project Office and the Contracts Officer will meet with the Contractor telephonically at a time mutually agreed time on a weekly basis after receipt of the progress report to review performance, to inspect work for compliance with the SOW, the associated contractor proposal, and to accept or reject deliverables completed since the previous review. In the event that the Contractor is excused from attending the final review, formal acceptance or rejection of deliverables will be accomplished by mail. The contractor shall present the specific deliverable to the COTR. The COTR will formally accept or reject the product by a written statement to that effect. In the case of a rejected product, the COTR will document the deficiency and the terms and conditions of the remedy. G. Contractor Furnished Resources. Materials are to be provided by the contractor when essential to the task performance and noted in the SOW and specifically approved by the Contracting Officer Representative, not to exceed the ceiling price identified. All materials purchased by the contractor for the use or ownership of the Federal Government become the property of the Federal Government. The contractor in the weekly progress report shall document the transfer of materials. The contractor must furnish the Contracting Officer and the Project Officer copies of such documents monthly, through E-mail, Express mail, Fax or at the Task Review Meeting. H. Government Furnished Resources. General. The contractor must specifically identify in the task proposal the type, amount, and time frames for any government resources, excluding those listed below. The Government will provide the following resources: Facilities, Supplies and Services. Office space, office supplies, computer equipment and time, telephone, and reproduction facilities as required. Information. • Manuals, texts, briefs and other materials associated with the hardware/software noted in this SOW. • Initial familiarization/orientation will be provided by the User Agency. Standard Operational Procedures will be available to the contractor at the place of performance. The offeror must include a completed copy of the following provisions: 1) FAR Clause 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors Commercial; 2) FAR Clause 52.212-2, Evaluation Commercial Items. As stated in FAR Clause 52.212-2 (a), The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Technical Evaluation and Price. 3) FAR Clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items; 4) FAR Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statues or Executive Orders Commercial Items, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items; and 5) FAR Clause 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Items Deviation for Simplified Acquisitions. The following clauses are also incorporated by reference, with the same force and effect, as if they were given in full text. FAR Clause 52,217-5, Evaluation of Options, FAR Clause 52-217-7, Option for Increased Quantity—Separately Priced Line Item, FAR Clause 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, FAR Clause 52.227-14, Rights in Data—General; FAR Clause 52-227-17, Rights in data—existing works, FAR Clause 52.227-19, Commercial computer software—restricted rights. FAR Clause 52.245-1, Government Property. The clauses are available in full text at http://www.arnet.gov/far This action is under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), as set forth in FAR 6.302-1 and HHSAR 306-302-1. Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirement. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations however; all responses received within (thirteen) 13 calendar days from the date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed acquisition is based upon responses to this notice and is solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive acquisition. The offeror must include in their quotation, the unit price, the list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. Note: In order to receive an award from the NHLBI contractors must have a valid registration in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) www.ccr.gov. The clauses are available in full text at http://www.arnet.gov/far. Interested vendors capable of furnishing the government with the item specified in this synopsis should submit their quotation to the below address. Quotations will be due thirteen (13) calendar days from the publication date of this synopsis or by July 13, 2009, 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time. The quotation must reference Solicitation number NHLBI-PB(RG)-2009-217-GMV. All responsible sources may submit a quotation, which if timely received, shall be considered by the agency. Quotations must be submitted in writing to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute 6701 Rockledge Blvd., Room Suite 6146, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, Attention: Gina M. Varan. Faxed copies will not be accepted. Emails will not be accepted. Contracting Office Address: National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 6701 Rockledge Blvd. Suite 6100, Bethesda, MD 20892, Point of Contact: Gina M. Varan, Contract Specialist; 301-435-0358. APPENDIX Other Options and Additional work • Enhanced interactive user interface permitting batch submission and reporting • Automated batch search system based on solicitation RFA, standard NIH dates or other available groupings • Ability to create unique rules and the ability to control similarity threshold sensitivity calibration for individual application sections • Daily output summary of applications which contain components above a numerical cut-off • Novelty search of application abstract against Medline • Weekly rebuild with new applications • Other potential options for systems additions include, but are not limited to: • Expert reviewer identification (requires Package II and access to eCOMMONS) • Comparison of application abstract against study section definitions to suggest matches to appropriate study sections • Added grant or text databases and tables (against other grant providers, requires NIH obtain access to those databases, e.g. NSF, Komen, DoD/US Army) • Custom API that allows other NIH system to directly access and execute GRASP services within other software • Added search functionality against the world wide web • Procurement and installation of redundant server (recommended) • Vendor supplied backup solution
Web Link: FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NHLBI/NHLBI-PB(RG)-2009-217-GMV/listing.html)
Place of Performance: Address: Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States; Zip Code: 20892
Record: SN01862736-W 20090703/090702001403-e0cb4c7caf2a115460b68e1ffd36d1d9 (fbodaily.com)
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70 -- Grant Redundant Application Search Program (GRASP System)