Mark,
Thanks for your e-mail. I had to send your questions to the contracting officer for Topic 8, Ronnie Williams, and am awaiting a response. Steve Lester is the contracting officer named in the solicitation for Topic 8 but Ronnie is your new
point of contact (xxxxxx@cdc.gov).
As for Attachment 5, I have an answer:
Attachment 5 is to be completed by references on the offeror’s behalf. They should send the past performance questionnaires to your references and have them submit them to
xxxxxx@cdc.gov on or before 3:00PM EST on March 1, 2021. There is no exception to this requirement. The purpose of the past performance questionnaires is for the Government
to access offeror’s capabilities of performing the work that they are proposing based on previous experiences. If an offeror does not have anyone that can complete these questionnaires, it will be reflected in their evaluation rating considering “Similar Experience”
is an evaluation factor. *For clarity, a reference is considered to be any business/entity that an offeror has performed services for or collaborated with in the recent past (3-5 years).
Universities are not exempt from this. You can get a previous funder (project officer from a government or foundation that has funded you) to send a reference on your behalf. Deadline is the same as the proposal and goes to
xxxxxx@cdc.gov (copied on this e-mail). It would be really helpful if those references mention the name of the proposal’s Topic # (#8), PI (Brian J. O’Roak) And the project title. We’re receiving over 100
references to that address and it’s the best way to make sure that your references get matched to your proposal.
Diana
***********************************************
Diana Bartlett, MPH,MPP
Health Scientist
Innovation Lab (I-Lab)
Office of Technology and Innovation
Office of Science
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
404-639-4938
xxxxxx@cdc.gov
From: Mark Derby <xxxxxx@ohsu.edu>
Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2021 11:17 AM
To: Bartlett, Diana (CDC/DDPHSS/OS/OTI) <xxxxxx@cdc.gov>
Cc: Melissa Brewer <xxxxxx@ohsu.edu>
Subject: RE: CDC BAA 75D301-21-R-71738
Good morning, Diana,
As we are closing in on the due date for applications to this BAA, I’m following up to my email below to make sure you received it. In addition to those questions, I have another one that also came up. The
BAA states that permanent equipment are defined as durable items costing $500 or more. Can you confirm that this is correct? I ask because the general CDC budget guidelines, along with other federal agencies I am familiar with, say that equipment items are
identified as costing $5,000 or more. So I just want to make sure it wasn’t a typo in the BAA.
Thank you,
Mark
From: Mark Derby
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 8:42 AM
To: 'xxxxxx@cdc.gov' <xxxxxx@cdc.gov>
Cc: Melissa Brewer <xxxxxx@ohsu.edu>
Subject: CDC BAA 75D301-21-R-71738
Hello, Diana,
I’m reviewing a draft application for BAA 75D301-21-R-71738, and I am writing to seek clarification on the following two requirements. The BAA says these are needed for the proposal (screenshot below from Page 31).
Regarding Attachment 4, the instructions beginning on Page 61 seem to indicate that there is some sort of form we need to fill out, but that’s not included in BAA, and I don’t see anything after logging into our institution’s CPARS account
that sheds any light on this either (I am not familiar with CPARS, so that might account for my inability to navigate its website). From what I can tell, this seems wholly related to reporting after an award is made. Can you confirm that this is also something
we need to include with the proposal? If it is, can you direct me to where I can find the appropriate form to complete?
As for Attachment 5 (Page 66), the BAA is asking for three “customers”/”business references” to complete a questionnaire on our institution’s past and present performance. We are a state university, and this is an unfamiliar request for
us. Can you confirm whether or not this requirement applies to us? If so, do you have suggestions about what the CDC is looking for in this when it comes from a university applicant?
Thanks in advance for any guidance on this you can provide.
Kind regards,
Mark
Mark Derby
Grants and Contracts Administrator
Oregon Health & Science University
Office of Proposal and Award Management
503-494-8893