National Cancer Institute seeks tools for electronic data management

The National Cancer Institute is looking for a contractor who can expand collection and use of electronic pathology records in support of its Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) and Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid programs.

The institute’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences intends to award a contract for a program called Tools for Electronic Data. The goal is to expand collection of population-based cancer surveillance data, according to the notice published Jan. 19 on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site.

The contractor must identity and characterize data that is not currently collected electronically by SEER, and show how that data may be captured.

Once captured, the data must be processed and transmitted to the SEER database. The contractor also must develop applications for the data that are compatible with the cancer informatics grid.

Vendors who are interested must obtain a letter of commitment from a participant in the SEER registry. This is to ensure testing and capability of the software applications involved in the data element acquisition, processing, use, and maintenance.

The institute intends to hold a full and open competition for the contract, with a request for proposals expected to be issued on or about Feb. 3. The contract will be a cost-reimbursement type with a period of performance of four years.

In November, the institute advertised for an expert to harmonize the data elements on the bioinformatics grid for the purpose of improved information sharing.