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. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Station Support/Simplified Acquisition (SS/SA) Branch, on behalf of the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) intends to negotiate and award a sole source purchase order to Laureate Brain Research (LBR), in order to examine the neural contributions to obesity. The contractor will be responsible for designing and developing imaging tasks related to the studies’ goal, determining optimal fMRI scan sequences and parameters, analysis of fMRI and behavioral data, traveling to Maryland for meetings with study collaborators, and disseminating scientific findings both through publications and conference presentations. The goals of these studies are to better understand which brain regions underlie both homeostatic and nonhomeostatic contributions to human feeding behavior, both in healthy lean individuals, as well as individuals who are obese. This project employ cutting edge functional neuroimaging technologies and analyses and thus require a doctoral-level project manager with significant experience in cognitive neuroscience, functional neuroimaging data collection and analysis and knowledge of the neural systems underlying appetitive responses to food. There is a current NIMH protocol for this study. The LBR has staff that assisted in the start up and design of the study. This study is being conducted in conjunction with NIDDK and NICHD. Any other source would delay the study. The level of effort is 12 hours per week over a 2-year period. The acquisition is being conducted under simplified acquisition using FAR 13 procedures and is exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6, Competition Requirement. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities in response to this synopsis. The determination by the Government not to compete the proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely with the discretion of the Government. Comments to this announcement, referencing synopsis number 1166453 may be submitted to the NIDA, Station Support/Simplified Acquisition Branch, 31 Center Drive, Bldg. 31, Room 1B59, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2080 and Attention: Jasmine Snoddy, Contract Specialist.

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