Regional Procurement Office (RPO) - East intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with the University of California, Los Angeles/UCLA Staglin Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, 760 Westwood Plaza, Ste. C7-439, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, to obtain functional MRI services for the Greater LA Healthcare System. Services will be used in support of VA funded research study, Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless Veterans (THRIVe) . Services will be purchased for a five (5)-year period.
STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)
1.0 Title: Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless Veterans (THRIVe)
2.0 Purpose: UCLA Staglin Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN) will provide MRI services
3.0 Background: UCLA CCN is the only commercially available MRI scanner to offer several state-of-the-art capabilities required for highly demanding brain imaging studies. Current researchers in THRIVe use the CCN MRI, awarded under Contract 36C24E22D0002. A new contract with the same vendor is needed for continued services and consistency of data collection.
4.0 Scope: CCN operates an advanced MRI laboratory equipped for anatomical, functional (BOLD and arterial spin labeling), diffusion-weighted, and spectroscopic imaging, and is equipped with an integrated electroencephalography (EEG) system, as well as an analysis core specializing in algorithms for modeling functional imaging and EEG datasets. The equipment and technology are unique.
4.1 Tasks:
CCN provide access to their scanner where we will obtain MRI scans using a 3.0 Tesla Siemens MEGNETOM Prisma Magnetic Resonance Imaging system for THRIVe related projects.
4.1.1.1 Task 1:
CCN will provide a 3.0 Tesla Siemens MEGNETOM Prisma Magnetic Resonance Imaging system to obtain MRI images on research subjects. This will include using special protocols developed for research by study investigators, not used in clinical settings, to acquire images. Scans are completed by VA research staff who are MRI safety certified, and a certification provided by CCN. Should there be any issues with the scanner, CCN staff are available during every scan to assist.
4.1.1.2 Task 2:
CCN will obtain MRI images on research subjects which will include
Anatomical (T1 and T2) images
Functional scans including resting state or tasked based
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)
MRS (Magnetic Resonance (MR) spectroscopy)
Additional variables as time allows
Each scan varies in the number of images obtained. Study team have a two-hour timeslot to review MRI safety with participants, set up scanner, scan, and rescan should there be a need (e.g., participant using squeezeball to speak with team resulting in restarting scan).
A typical cross-sectional study has a duration of four years with a sample size of 100 subjects. In a cross-sectional study, a single set of image files is collected from each participant. A typical set of files would include two structural/anatomical image-files and three to four functional scan (fMRI) files. Some studies would also include one to two DTI scans and one MRS scan. Thus, a typical scan session would generate between 5 and 9 images. A typical study would conduct approximately 25 scans per year, generating between 125 and 225 complete (nifiti-format) image-files per year and 500 to 900 image-files over the life of the project. Thus, this agreement will support the collection of at least 500 complete image-files per year
The VA will own the scans when complete.
4.1.1.3 CCN staff will perform a daily long-term stability test on the scanner to ensure that the scanner is within manufacturer specifications. Vendor supplied stability long-term check , which is under the quality assurance scanning protocol, is specifically utilized. This is comprised of a fifteen minute long 5 slice echo-planar sequence with a TR of 1second. A 45° flip angle is used instead of siemens specified default flip angle as this increases sensitivity to fluctuations in the RF power amplifier.
4.1.2 Deliverables/Reporting Requirements
The contractor shall perform the Services in Tasks 1 and 2 will be
CCN will provide access to MRI scanner and scans will be completed by MRI at a time decided by VA study team and participants as outlined in section 13.
5.0 Period of Performance: Period of performance is one, five (5)-year period with five (5) ordering years (no option periods).
Anticipated start date with estimated order years:
Order Year 1: 9/21/2026 - 9/20/2027
Order Year 2: 9/21/2027 - 9/20/2028
Order Year 3: 9/21/2028 - 9/20/2029
Order Year 4: 9/21/2029 - 9/20/2030
Order Year 5: 9/21/2030 - 9/20/2031
6.0 Place of Performance: The contractor shall support this effort at
UCLA Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN)
760 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90024
7.0 Type of Contract: Firm-fixed price, Indefinite Requirements
8.0 Task Orders and Estimates.
8.1 This agreement will support the collection of at least 500 complete image-files per year
8.2 All Work performed under this contract shall only be performed by the contractor via Government issued funded task orders against the base contract.
8.2.1 All Task Orders must contain the following
8.2.1.1 Contract Number
8.2.1.2 Period of Performance
8.2.1.3 Funded 2237 Purchase Order
9.0 Certification/Minimum Requirements:
All MRI procedures are performed by CCN s MRI-certified staff
10.0 Work hours, Frequency of Imaging, and Required Timeframes:
There is no required contractor response time; all imaging appointments are scheduled by the VA research coordinator as appointment slots are made available by the CCN. A complete series of images are obtained on the day of the scheduled appointment.
The scheduling system provided by CCN offers a wide range of appointment availability. The VA research team typically identifies multiple scanning time slots across different dates and provides study participants with two or three options to choose from. When the VA project coordinator and participant meet directly, they can easily determine the most suitable option.
11.0 Federal Holidays:
The eleven holidays observed by the Federal Government are:
11.1 New Year's Day (January 1)
11.2 Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January)
Washington's Birthday (Third Monday in February)
Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
Juneteenth (June 19)
Independence Day (July 4)
Labor Day (First Monday in September)
Columbus Day (Second Monday in October)
Veterans Day (November 11)
Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November)
Christmas Day (December 25)
Also, any other day declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday.
NOTE: Because not all holidays are shared by the University and since all PET or MR staff are employed by the University, it is possible that a scan may occur on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President s Day, Juneteenth, Columbus Day, or Veterans Day.
12.0 Security and Other Information
12.1 The contractor, their personnel, and their subcontractors shall be subject to the Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks regarding information and information system security as delineated in this contract.
12.2 The Certification & Accreditation (C&A) requirements do not apply, and therefore a Security Accreditation Package is not required.
12.3 No contractor employees shall have access to the Department of Veterans Affairs computer systems. No access to government facilities will be granted to the contractor.
Records Management
13.1 The contractor and their personnel shall be subject to the same laws, codes, and regulations such as 44 U.S.C Chapter 21 , 29, 31 and 33.
Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.].
This procurement is being conducted in accordance with FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) (only one responsible source) because UCLA CCN, academic affiliate of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, is the only facility with a commercially available MRI scanner to offer state-of-the-art capabilities required for the study s highly demanding brain imaging studies and them uniquely qualified as the only contractor capable of providing this support.
This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. Any responsible sources who wish to identify their interest and capability to provide these services must notify this Contract Officer at millicent.covert@va.gov, no later than 11:59 AM Eastern Time, Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Telephone responses shall not be accepted. Upon receipt of the interested parties' notification, the Contract Officer will determine whether to conduct competitive procurement or proceed with sole source negotiations.
