Contracts

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) uses the contract mechanism to acquire cancer research and developmental efforts and other resources or services it requires. In contrast to grants and cooperative agreements, which are used to support and stimulate research, contracts (procurement) are used when the principal purpose of the transaction is to acquire a specific service or end product for the direct benefits of, or use by, NCI. When work is done under a contract, the contractor has a direct and continuing relationship with NCI for the duration of the contract.

Broad Agency Announcements (BAA) is a special category of contracts. BAAs describe an area of research in general terms and provide criteria for the selection of project teams to provide research to NCI. The investigator presents the details of accomplishing the research. These details provide the basis for negotiating a research contract between the applicant and the Government.

The steps that lead to the awarding of a contract are outlined below:

1. The Government issues a Request for Proposals (RFP) or BAA. NCI provides both RFPs and BAAs online.
2. Interested organizations respond to an RFP or BAA by submitting proposals that describe why they are qualified to do the work in question, how they would approach the job, and how much it would likely cost.
3. The Government evaluates the proposals using technical and business criteria; this stage may involve negotiations.
4. The proposal that best satisfies the Government's technical and financial requirements wins a contract.

In certain circumstances, master agreement announcements (MAA) solicit contract proposals. MAAs invite potentially qualified sources to submit their approaches, qualifications, and experience to perform research and development studies, support, or evaluation studies in a particular scientific/technical area. Click here for published MAAs.

Sources responding to an MAA are judged to be qualified to compete for future contracts issued under the general project area or areas defined in the MAA are issued a master agreement (MA). The contract award process under the MA mechanism is identical to the solicitation and selection process for a standard contract with the exception of the technical review, which occurs in-house.

NIH research RFPs are also listed in the Guide to Grants and Contracts, which is searchable by keyword or publication date. Information concerning contracts is available from the NCI Office of Acquisitions website.