RFP STATEMENT OF WORK
The intent of the RFP is twofold, to:
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Develop and document a detailed methodology for retrospectively characterizing the exposure of Vietnam veterans to the major herbicides used by the military in Vietnam: 2,4-D; 2,4,5-T; cacodylic acid; picloram; and the trace contaminants TCDD and its congeners. The proposal should address how exposure to this array of chemicals will be evaluated. However, the ability to separately identify or quantify exposures to each of these substances is not necessarily a requirement for a successful proposal. The exposure methodology proposed must be applicable to specific types of epidemiologic investigations that could be conducted at a future date under a separate contract or subcontract.
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Demonstrate the feasibility and appropriateness of the proposed methodology in sufficient detail to permit the assessment of its potential for use in the conduct of epidemiologic studies.
The final product of the research funded under the RFP should include a written, detailed description of the exposure assessment method proposed, the level of exposure discrimination that can be produced, and the results of the validation studies for that method.
The RFP is not intended as a solicitation for an epidemiologic study of health effects or other outcomes potentially associated with herbicide exposure. Such studies may be solicited in the future, but the current request for proposals is restricted to development and testing of an exposure assessment approach for Vietnam veterans that is appropriate for use in such future epidemiologic studies.
A more detailed description of the activities to be conducted by the successful respondent(s) is provided below.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
The focus of the RFP is on exposure assessment approaches for use in studies of Vietnam veterans. Previous IOM reports have cataloged and summarized the available information on the health outcomes associated with exposure to herbicides or the contaminant dioxin. The conclusions in these reports are based largely on studies of nonveteran populations (i.e., occupational cohorts or communities exposed after industrial accidents). A full understanding of the specific risks for Vietnam veterans requires studies of the veterans themselves, which in turn require a better understanding of the herbicide exposures encountered by various military groups during the Vietnam War. The RFP does not preclude the use of exposure assessment models or data developed or validated on non-Vietnam veteran populations, provided they are