This is a notice of intent, not a request for a proposal. A solicitation document will not be issued and proposals will not be requested.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Office of Acquisitions - Neurosciences, Station Support/Simplified Acquisitions, on behalf of the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) intends to negotiate and award a purchase order on a noncompetitive basis to Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, for conducting a research project on the neural mechanisms of chimpanzees, as well as providing access and daily care to three (3) chimpanzees involved in the study. This order will continue collaboration between researchers at Emory and NIMH pertaining to this research project that examines the neural pathways and auditory mechanisms of chimpanzees.

The Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University is the research center at Emory which will supply the researchers and the three (3) chimpanzees to study and receive daily care. The research center houses approximately 5400 non-human primates and is one of the largest research centers with primate access in the country. The Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University has been conducting essential basic science and translational research, advancing scientific understanding and improving the health and well-being of humans and nonhuman primates, for the past 80 years. Two researchers at this center will work in collaboration with NIMH researchers and are experts in primate memory systems and chimpanzee cognition.

This project will perform auditory delayed matching tests on chimpanzees and identify neural substrates and mechanisms of different types of auditory memory within the chimpanzees. The project will also determine whether or not they fit schemes previously hypothesized by NIMH researchers. Testing will be done in the Yerkes Cognition Room using a touch-screen computer setup. Period of performance will be one year.

The Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University is the only known responsible source able to provide access to these services, which includes a combination of access to testing chimpanzees and highly specialized knowledge and experience possessed by researchers at Yerkes. No other known source can satisfy agency requirements.

This acquisition is being conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures using FAR 12 procedures, and is exempt from competition requirements in FAR Part 6. The determination by the Government not to compete the proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Comments to this announcement, referencing the solicitation number, may be submitted prior to the closing date of this announcement to the NIDA SS/SA Branch electronically to the attention of Hunter A. Tjugum at [email protected].