NICHD: ADMINISTRATIVE TASK ORDER: (BIOREPOSITORY SERVICES)

Fisher Bioservices, Inc., Rockville MD

Investigators

Abstract

NICHD's (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) role in infectious diseases is targeted and developmental-focused, primarily concerned with preventing and managing infections during pregnancy and reducing maternal mortality and morbidity due to infectious diseases. NICHD conducts studies focusing on child health and human development and as such has generated and will continue to generate a collection of human biospecimens pertaining to these research activities. Currently, the NICHD has approximately 6,000,000 samples from multiple NICHD Divisions and Branches. This collection of biospecimens ranges from those actively collected in on-going studies to biospecimens that are more than 50 years old. Thus, there are many services required to maintain such a diverse collection. Required repository services include an inventory system to manage all biospecimens, receipt of biospecimens from a variety of sources, storage of biospecimens at required temperatures, quality assurance to monitor proper storage, and shipment of biospecimens upon request. All of these activities require coordination overseen by a competent and flexible Project Management Team. Typically, an NICHD project leader conceives of the general scientific goals of a project. Initiating the project results in the collection of human biospecimens from multiple sites. Procedures governing collection and routing of these specimens are overseen by a data coordinator, while assurance of proper storage requirements and provenance of the specimens is the purview of the repository. Therefore, communication between all three parties (the NICHD project leader, the data coordinating center, and repository personnel) is paramount. Administration of the work of the repository also requires ensuring that the overall management of the contract runs smoothly, including monitoring timelines, budgets, and invoices, and includes supplementation of activities of individual Task Orders on an as needed basis. This Task Order shall provide an administrative infrastructure to ensure efficient planning, initiation, implementation, and management of all NICHD repository activities.