May 2007 DAIDS Council-Approved Concepts

NB: Concepts represent early planning stages for PAs, RFAs, or RFPs for Council 's input. Council approval does not guarantee that a concept will become an initiative.

If NIAID publishes an initiative from one of these concepts, we link to it below. For a full list of initiatives, go to NIAID Funding Opportunities.

Table of Contents

• NIAID HIV/AIDS Scientific and Operations Support

NIAID HIV/AIDS Scientific and Operations Support

For the published initiative, see the April 20, 2007, solicitation.

Request for Proposals

Contact: Eileen Webster-Cissel
Phone: 301/496-0612
Internet: webstere@niaid.nih.gov

Objective: The purpose of the initiative is to advance the research mission of NIAID and Division of AIDS by providing flexible operational and management support at multiple levels that will facilitate the oversight and implementation of a complex and rapidly evolving global research agenda.

Description: With this initiative NIAID is seeking to establish broad-based capabilities to insure that NIAID and DAIDS have the operational, management and professional workforce necessary to implement their vast basic and clinical research agenda, including the operation of an immune assay assessment laboratory. Support will be provided to the various components of NIAID, both domestically and internationally to include DAIDS, the Vaccine Research Center, the NIAID Office of the Director, and other NIAID components. This contract will provide technical, scientific, analytical, logistical, communications, and evaluative support, and provide a flexible mechanism for NIAID to respond to both broad and specific research management needs that result from emerging research opportunities. Four major tasks will be targeted:

1) Research program management
2) NIAID Vaccine Immune T-cell Antibody Laboratory (N-VITAL)
3) Analysis, evaluation, and communications support
4) Operations and logistical support

The contract will provide a spectrum of services in each of these categories. Some examples are: (1) research management to provide assistance in developing infrastructure, training, workshops, and reports in support of implementing the DAIDS research agenda; (2) support of the NIAID Vaccine Immune T-cell Antibody Laboratory (N-VITAL), a laboratory that performs state-of-the-art immunogenicity testing for NIAID-sponsored vaccine trials; (3) operations and logistical support of the staff hired under this contract and their required resources, including travel, facilities, information technology, etc., as appropriate; and (4) the establishment of a “Liaison” office responsible for the day-to-day management of the contract that would interact with DAIDS senior leadership.