SPECIAL NOTICE
B -- MRI Scans for Research
- Notice Date
- 9/8/2009
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 621512
— Diagnostic Imaging Centers
- Contracting Office
- Department of Veterans Affairs;VA Boston Healthcare System;Contracting Officer (90C);940 Belmont Street;Brockton MA 02301
- ZIP Code
- 02301
- Archive Date
- 9/18/2009
- Point of Contact
- Cheri WicksEmail only; no phone calls accepted.
- E-Mail Address
-
Contracting Officer's email
(cheri.wicks@va.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION 1. Identification of the service/department and the transaction/requisition #: Research Program Transaction 523-09-4-9184-0686 2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved:MRI imaging and analysis; estimated cost of these services is approximately $50,000.00 3. Description of the supplies/services required to meet the agency's needs (including the estimated value): The Martinos Center at Mass General Hospital will scan participants, provide multimodal functional neuroimaging, volumetric analysis, and measurements of white matter pathways. 4. Identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition: FAR Part 6.302-5, Authorized or Required by Statute 38 U.S.C. 8153(a)(3)(A) provides: "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." 48 CFR 873.104(a) provides: "Without regard to FAR Part 6, 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 title 38 U.S.C., including medical practice groups and other approved entities associated with affiliated institutions (entities will be approved if determined legally to be associated with affiliated institutions), or from blood banks, organ banks, or research centers, the resource may be acquired on a sole source basis." *5. Demonstration that the proposed contractor's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited:The Martinos center has an expanding inventory of state-of-the-art imaging facilities, a world class team of investigators and collaborators. The Martinos Center is at the forefront of new advances and applications in biomedical imaging. In collaboration with the Principle Investigators, the Martinos Center has developed techniques and customized routines to analyze a wide range of patient populations. In particular, of the Martinos Center, has utilized Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to measure damage to white matter tracts in patients with cerebrovascular disease and alcoholics. This has researchers to look not only at the structural components affected by these disease processes but also at the damage to connecting pathways and the functional impact of that damage. 6. Describe the efforts that have been made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, including whether a Federal Business Opportunities notice was or will be publicized as required by Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies: The cost of these services is expected to exceed $25,000 and a notice will be posted. 7. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable: Price analysis will be done prior to award. Comparison of proposed prices against previous awards for the same or similar services will be done, or any other method of price analysis deemed appropriate by the CO. 8. Description of the market survey that was conducted (i.e. names of firms and the date(s) the firms were contacted) and the results or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted: Research requirements are frequently sole source in nature due to the collaborative efforts of existing grants, studies, or projects, etc. Additionally, MGH is the teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Harvard is an affiliate of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition, such as - an explanation as to why technical data packages, specifications, engineering descriptions, statement of work, or purchase descriptions suitable for competition have not been developed or are not available. The close relationship between the Martinos Center and the principal investigators at the Geriatric Neuropsychology Laboratory (GNL) has provided the foundation for groundbreaking research in the areas of cognition, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and alcoholism. The Martinos Center has also developed software that allow for all resources, including the entire range of analysis routines to be performed remotely. Several post-docs in the GNL are currently assisting in brain image normalization and analysis through this remote facility. The research proposed in both the Merit Reviews of the researches, correlating volumetrics, and white matter analysis with the cognitive sequelae of the disorders of alcoholism, stroke and cerebrovascular risk, could not continue without the unique services provided by the Martinos Center. 10. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed an interest in the acquisition: None to date. 11. A statement of the actions, if any, that the department/service may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies/services is required in the future: Competition will be sought to the maximum possible extent whenever possible.
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