FHWA Highway Driving Simulator (HDS) Technical Support Services   3

Update 7/24/2023: Questions & Answers ("Questions_20230724.xlsx") and a revised Attachment J.1 have been attached for this requirement.

Update 6/27/2023: Site Visit instructions have been posted in this listing and are detailed in the attachment titled "SITE VISIT.pdf."

This Request For Proposals (RFP) is a full and open competition, utilizing FAR Part 15 procedures, resulting in a single-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. A site visit will be held on July 18, 2023 at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Additional information regarding the site visit will be posted in an upcoming RFP amendment.

These requirements are for non-personal technical and professional engineering services to support the FHWA Office of Safety and Operations Research and Development (HRSO)'s Highway Driving Simulator (HDS) Laboratory. The primary functions of the HDS laboratory are scenario development, maintenance, and upgrades of the simulator system in support of the human factors program research activities and to provide critical human factors support on special projects. This lab supports data collection that is conducted by research psychologists under another contract award. The HDS is a fully interactive human factors research simulator. The human factors research program includes two major areas of research: 1) highway safety and 2) operations. Resulting research will provide knowledge, recommendations, assessment, assistance and coordination for overall highway safety and operations design, planning, projects, policies, programs, and technology for Federal, State, and local governments. In addition, the team provides expert technical assistance to other FHWA offices, other Federal agencies, State and local transportation organizations, industry and academia.

These services require that the Contractor perform activities to include conducting human factors research and provide critical human factors support on special projects by operating, maintaining, and as required, enhancing the HDS at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) in McLean, Virginia. Throughout the conduct of these services, the Contractor shall implement a Systems Engineering approach to guide the technical and scheduling aspects of the work.

Specific technical capabilities will be required of the Contractor. In particular, detailed knowledge of and practical experience in (1) driving simulation; (2) driving simulator experiments; and (3) Intelligent Transportation Systems/Connected and Automated Vehicles. It is recommended the Contractor have knowledge of human factors and behavioral research concerning highway safety and operations.