The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) plans to establish four (4) Field Centers as part of the Hispanic Community Health Study-Study of Latinos (HCHS-SOL) renewal. The HCHS-SOL involves a clinical examination (Visit 2) of the cohort that includes repeat and new measures to be performed from June 01, 2013 to May 31, 2019; as well as continued follow-up contact and clinical events surveillance of the cohort through May 31, 2019. The Field Center’s effort is expected to begin on June 01, 2013 and to end on May 31, 2019.



The HCHS-SOL began in 2006 in four U.S. communities (San Diego, CA; Chicago, IL; Bronx, NY; and Miami, FL). Approximately 16,000 Hispanic/Latino men and women between 18 and 74 years of age were recruited between 2008 and 2011 across communities. A baseline examination (Visit 1) was performed during that period of time. The objectives of the renewal of the HCHS-SOL program are to 1) further investigate the apparent paradox of high socioeconomic adversity, substantial cardiovascular and pulmonary disease (CVPD) risk factor burden, and low CVPD prevalence and mortality in Hispanics; 2) identify putative causes for diseases and conditions highly prevalent in Hispanics (e.g. diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), left ventricular hypertrophy, and gestational diabetes mellitus); 3) describe the transformation of health-related risk and protective factors related to migration, acculturation, and length of time living in the U.S.; 4) assess the impact of socioeconomic factors, cultural values, risk behaviors, and medical care access on health in Hispanics; and 5) investigate genetic effects, gene-gene interactions, and gene-environment interactions in relation to measured phenotypes in this uniquely admixed population. These objectives will be accomplished through annual follow-up and a second examination (Visit 2) of the existing cohort.



The HCHS-SOL Field Center contractor shall be responsible for the tasks including but not limited to the following:



1. Ensure that the protocol specifies comparability of repeat measures with those previously collected where trend analysis is planned.



2. Collaborate with other Field Centers and the Coordinating Center in the development of an informed consent template with common language for all Field Centers.



3. Recruit (call-back), obtain signed informed consent from and conduct the Visit 2 examination on all available cohort survivors.



4. Provide for handling of collected blood and urine specimens including shipping to Central Laboratory and long-term storage and future measurements of additional biomarkers at the Central Laboratory.



5. Provide participants with referrals for follow-up of medically relevant abnormal findings within a local network of health care providers or institutions to which participants can be referred if indicated.

6. Contact all surviving HCHS-SOL cohort members annually and develop a local plan to maintain an annual cohort retention rate as high as possible but over 80% at a minimum.



7. Design and execute a plan for mentorship of a minimum of 3-4 early career investigators (ECI).



8. Design and execute a plan to continue community relations to enhance communication of study progress and findings to study participants, their communities and the U.S. Hispanic/Latino population at large.



9. Use the system recommended or provided and maintained by the Coordinating Center for participant data entry and transfer from Field Centers to the Coordinating Center or Reading Centers.



10. Provide a plan for transition of responsibilities, data and materials from the existing Coordinating Center to the new Offeror.



11. Formulate hypotheses/research questions, and propose and write manuscripts to achieve the scientific goals of the study.



This announcement is not a Request for Proposal (RFP), although up to four awards are anticipated, the Government is not committed to award a contract pursuant to this announcement. The RFP, NHLBI-HV-13-06, detailing the specifics of the project as well as information pertinent to the development of an offeror’s proposal will be available electronically on or about March 09, 2012 and may be access through the Internet at the following URL location: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/inits/index.htm#NHLBI-HV-13-06 and will be posted to Federal Business Opportunities website at: http://www.fedbizopps.gov under the NHLBI posting section. No paper copies will be available. Proposals will be due on or about May 28, 2012. It is anticipated that four (4) cost-reimbursement contract awards with options will be made for a period of six years beginning on or about June 01, 2013. Offerors are responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments and for routinely checking the Internet site for any possible solicitation amendments that may be issued by the Government. The advertisement does not commit the Government to award a contract.



Original Point of Contact:

National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Office of Acquisitions, Rockledge II – Room 6100, 6701 Rockledge Drive – MSC 7902, Bethesda, MD 20892-7902 (use 20817 for express mail)



Primary Contact:

Michael White, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-435-0335, Fax 301-480-3432, E-mail michael.white2@nih.gov



Secondary Contact:

Tara Knox, Contracting Officer, Phone 301- 402-0834, Fax 301-480-3432, E-mail knoxt@mail.nih.gov

See Attached Solicitation Notice NHLBI-HV-13-06

Amendment No.: 1

Date of Issuance: July 13, 2012

The above numbered Request For Proposal (RFP) is amended as set forth below. The hour and date specified for receipt of proposals remains unchanged.

Offerors must acknowledge receipt of the amendment prior to the hour and the date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by (1) acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the proposal submitted (please note that this is the preferred method); or (2) separate letter or Electronic Mail which includes a reference to the RFP and Amendment number(s). For your convenience, the Proposal Intent Response Form is provided in SECTION J - List of Attachments of this RFP, for this purpose.

FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERORS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR PROPOSAL.

The purpose of this amendment is to provide Attachments, 1 - 4 and 14, in SECTION J - List of Attachments.