Introduction

The CBIAC responds to questions from U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), other U.S. Government Agencies, DoD and Federal contractors, and state and local government agencies that fall within the technical scope of the CBIAC. In responding to an inquiry, the CBIAC staff has access to analytical support, equipment and facilities, technical area experts, and extensive research resources. Inquiries handled by the CBIAC fall into four basic categories:

• Technical Inquiries: Requests that require a review and analysis of technical information obtained through standard search efforts fall into this category. Qualified technical personnel analyze the technical information, consult with subject area experts and provide a summary of the results with references and search information.

• Referral Inquiries: If the CBIAC does not have direct access to the requested information, we will provide a point of contact, address, and/or phone number and fax number of an alternative information source. The CBIAC maintains a database that contains listings of agencies, subject area experts, other IAC resources, and other pertinent referral information.

• Bibliographic Inquiries: Clients requesting literature searches and summaries receive a list of bibliographic citations to documents, including abstracts (if available), a summary of the search results and identification of the most relevant information. Comments and excerpts from pertinent documents may also be included.

• General Information Inquiries: Users needing information about the various products and services offered by the CBIAC may contact us for one of our free information packages.

Cost

Inquiry responses requiring less than four technical labor-hours will be provided free of charge. Responses requiring more than four technical labor-hours or repeated closely related responses to individual users that total more than four technical hours will be handled on a cost-recovery basis through a subscription to CBIAC services. Cost estimates will be provided at the time the inquiry is placed. Any efforts sponsored by a Federal agency requiring over 80 hours of technical labor may be better handled as a Technical Area Task (TAT). See our web site pages on Technical Area Tasks for additional information.

Eligibility

Requests are accepted from U.S. Government agencies, their contractors, and local government agencies. The general public is encouraged to browse our web site for information and to take advantage of the links provided to related sites. However, due to the large volume of inquiries we receive from government agencies and their contractors, we regret that we will be unable to process requests for information from the general public.

Requesters are encouraged to include their full organization name, organization address, Federal Express address (if different), telephone number, fax number and email address. Providing complete information will prevent a delay in the response.

Contractor requests for information are linked to specific contractual efforts. Contractors and subcontractors must provide the prime contract number, the name of the government agency sponsoring the contract, and a Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS) U.S./Canada Joint Certification number (required to receive export-controlled technical data). A separate certification number is required for each mailing address of a contractor organization. Information on obtaining this certification can be found at the following web site: http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/faq.htm.

For DoD reporting purposes, requesters are encouraged to provide the CBIAC information regarding any major DoD programs, Defense Technical Objective/Defense Technical Area Programs, or ACAT categories that are supported by each request.

Payment Methods

Military Interdepartmental Purchase Requests (MIPRs), credit cards (VISA, Master Card, American Express), purchase orders (U.S. Government agencies only), cash or checks/money orders are accepted for payment.

Response Time

Generally, responses will be prepared within 10 working days of receiving the inquiry. Inquiries will be handled on a first come-first served basis. If your need is urgent, please let us know, and we will make every effort to meet your requirements. Responses will be provided by electronic mail, express mail, or facsimile for time sensitive requests. We handle an inquiry as efficiently as possible.

Placing an Inquiry

The CBIAC staff is available to answer questions from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., ET. The CBIAC is located in Room 150, Building E3330, Aberdeen Proving Ground-Edgewood Area, Maryland 21010.

Inquiries are accepted via facsimile, telephone, electronic mail, regular mail, or walk-in visit to the CBIAC. For your ease and convenience, an inquiry can be submitted using the interactive Inquiry Request Form on our web site.

For additional information, contact: Dr. James King, Deputy Director, or Ms. Jeanne Rosser, Inquiry and Referral Services Manager, at cbiac@battelle.org.