MRIGlobal Awarded $63 Million Contract For National Toxicology Program

KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MRIGlobal has been awarded a new $63 million, 10-year contract from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to provide analytical chemistry services for the National Toxicology Program.

The initial eight-month award is for $2.4 million and is a continuation of services MRIGlobal has provided since 1972 to the National Toxicology Program. If all option years and tasks are exercised, the contract award is $63 million over 10 years.

Under the contract, MRIGlobal will provide chemical procurement, handling, and analytical services in toxicology studies as assigned by the National Toxicology Program. The program examines chemicals that are found in consumer products like ingredients in foods, personal care products, prescription drugs, nutritional supplements, household cleaners, and lawn care products.

In the program, MRIGlobal researchers examine chemicals for characteristics that could cause cancer, genetic defects, or immune system responses.

"Every year, an estimated 2,000 new chemicals are introduced into the consumer products we use daily. The National Toxicology Program provides a critical public health function in understanding the effects of these chemicals," said Thomas M. Sack, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of MRIGlobal. "MRIGlobal is honored to serve a role in safeguarding public health with the National Toxicology Program."

MRIGlobal has provided continuous support through nine contracts, seven directly with the National Toxicology Program and the Environmental Toxicology Program. Before the establishment of the National Toxicology Program in 1978, MRIGlobal provided these same services through contracts with the National Cancer Institute. Since 1972, MRIGlobal has issued nearly 6,500 technical reports on more than 2,000 study chemicals for the program.

Late in 2013, the program was downsized due to the impact of sequestration. This spring, the NIH issued a new request for proposal and led a re-competition for a new 10-year program. MRIGlobal is one of three firms supplying services to the program.

MRIGlobal will have a dedicated team of multi-disciplinary technical leaders, facilities, and state-of-the-art analytical equipment in Kansas City serving the program.

"We are excited to continue our chemistry support for the National Toxicology Program," said Roger K. Harris, Ph.D., Associate Vice President and Director of Product Development and Repository Management. "We are proud to have won a re-competition for this important work for the National Toxicology Program, one of our longest-running programs."

This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN273201400020C.

About MRIGlobal
MRIGlobal, a not-for-profit research and development organization, delivers solutions in global health, national security and defense, and energy and the environment. The organization performs scientific research, advanced engineering, and program integration and management for clients in government, industry, and academia. Established in 1944 as Midwest Research Institute, MRIGlobal is based in Kansas City, Mo., operates in nine states and Washington, D.C. MRIGlobal employs more than 500 and manages 2,600-plus workers through management and operations programs with government clients.

MRIGlobal is one of two partners in the Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC, which manages and operates the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo., for the U.S. Department of Energy.

For more information, visit www.mriglobal.org.

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SOURCE MRIGlobal