The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute intends to negotiate on a non-competitive basis with Boston University for a seven-year continuation of Contract N01-HC-25195 for the Framingham Heart Study. Authority: 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), as set for in FAR 6.302-1. The Framingham Heart Study began in 1948. Since the late 1960s, this contractor has been involved in recruitment, examination, and follow-up of participants in an epidemiological study of 14,531 persons from three generations residing in Framingham, Massachusetts. The purpose of this study is to identify new risk factors for cardiovascular and lung diseases, to describe the trends and progression of these diseases, and to identify the contribution of genetic and genetic-environmental factors in the development of these diseases. The contract will require full comparability with the ongoing study, covering examination and follow- up of the original Framingham Cohort (aged 28-62 at study entry in 1948), the Offspring Cohort (aged 5-70 at study entry starting in 1971), and the Third Generation Cohort (aged 19-70 at study entry starting in 2002). This will entail conduct of a 30th, 31st, and 32nd clinical examination of the surviving members of the original Framingham participants; a 9th examination of the Offspring participants; and a 2nd examination of the Third Generation participants; performance of follow-up for morbidity and mortality in all three generations; and performance of comprehensive genetic laboratory and statistical activities, data analysis, and scientific publications efforts utilizing the collected Framingham data. We do anticipate several subcontracting opportunities during the course of this contract award. As an example, the operation of a pulmonary function reading center could be subcontracted to another organization. Any interested parties in this or other subcontracting opportunities should contact the Contracting Officer for further details. The incumbent contractor has the unique capability to provide these required services to the NHLBI for continuation of this study. Inherent duplication of cost to the Government and unacceptable delays in completing the project make competition unfeasible for this study. Interested respondents must submit, within 45 days of this announcement, written capability statements demonstrating their ability to perform this research effort on the same study participants. Responses providing insufficient information for evaluation will not be considered. This is not a request for proposals. See Numbered Note 22.

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