The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) intends to award a sole source contract for the development and implementation of the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program (NBBTP). The NBBTP provides post-graduate professional training in biosafety and biocontainment of emerging and re-emerging infectious disease agents and agents that may be used intentionally to cause public health or economic harm. The NBBTP was established specifically to support the United States civilian biodefense research initiative by providing highly trained and qualified biosafety professionals to oversee and manage the conduct of research with these agents. NBBTP provides two-year training fellowships to meet this critical need. The following tasks are to be included under this requirement: 1). Develop a working model of the program; 2). Develop a comprehensive curriculum organized around the central concepts of biosafety and high-level biocontainment; 3). Implement a training and education paradigm that will provide the training and education necessary for biosafety professionals to manage and operate high level biocontainment laboratories; 4). Develop and implement an administrative structure and organization; and, 5). Develop and implement a program oversight and evaluation strategy to ensure the highest levels of training and performance. Services will be procured on a sole source basis from the Frontline Healthcare Workers Safety Foundation, a not-for-profit educational foundation. The Frontline Healthcare Workers Foundation is the only not-for-profit educational and research institution in the United States administering and conducting a professional biosafety and biocontainment training program. Currently, there is no other training resource available in the US that can provide comprehensive, two-year instruction on biosafety practice and the design, operation and management of biocontainment laboratories. The Foundation is currently providing these services and has developed a curriculum that will be enhanced to meet the NIAID requirements. Their current and previous efforts have provided them with unique abilities and experience to complete this requirement. The continuance and expansion of the NBBTP is critically needed in support of the national and regional biodefense laboratory network. For these reasons, the Government believes that no other offerors have the capability to provide these services. Any questions regarding this requirement should be addressed to Michele DiNatale at (301) 402-5644 or
[email protected] before the synopsis closing date of September 12, 2005. See Numbered Note 22.