This proposed contract action is for a service in which the Government intends to negotiate with only one source, the University of Rochester Medical Center, Dr. Eric Caine, MD, under the authority Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 6.302-1 (a)(2) only one responsible source, 10U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) or 41 U.S.C. 253 (c)(1). The requirement is for a Scientific Co-Leader to VA Clinical Program Evaluation: Meditation for PTSD in Veterans in collaboration with the VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention Dr. Eric Caine will serve as the scientific co-leader for this program and will provide relevant expertise to the clinical study evaluation, including reviews of heterogeneity of subjects within and across studies, approaches to measures of study implementation and fidelity, and overall study conduct and data interpretation. The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Mental Health Services is providing funding for multiple pilot demonstration projects in the field that will explore the feasibility and effectiveness of the provision of meditation-based approaches for the treatment of PTSD. The Department of Psychiatry and The Rochester Center for Mind-Body Research (RCMBR) at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) will assess meditation as an intervention for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Veterans and will conduct an evaluation given their expertise in meditation, traumatic stress, PTSD, and psychosocial stressors and their impact on physical and mental health. Using an evaluation framework, information concerning specific aspects of meditation programs will be assessed (for example, study design; meditation protocol; sample recruitment and subject identification; data collection, management, and analysis) by members of the evaluation team through teleconferencing and site visits. Once initial information is gathered, the evaluation framework will be further refined and used to guide subsequent assessments of programs. This Sources Sought Notice is not a request for competitive proposals, however, all information received by 10:00 a.m. EST on September 23, 2011 will be considered by the Government. Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities to the requirement via email. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract action based on responses received as a result of this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No solicitation document is available. Interested parties may email information to
[email protected] as no phone inquiries will be taken. NAICS code is 622210 Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospital with a size standard $34.5 million. The proposed contract type will be Firm Fixed Price.