The federal government is awarding a contract to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to investigate the association between vaccines and autism.
The Troy, N.Y.-based engineering school is receiving the no-bid contract due to what HHS said is the school’s “unique ability” to connect data on children and mothers, according to a Sept. 11 presolicitation notice from the CDC.
This ability to connect allows for advanced analysis that the CDC said is needed to complete the study on time. The contract will be awarded without competition under a rule that allows the government to bypass competitive bidding when only one organization can complete a given job.
The move comes despite a large body of scientific research refuting this claim, including 16 major population based studies across multiple countries that found no association between autism and the MMR vaccine, the vaccine preservative thimerosal or the number of vaccines administered.
Although the contract won’t be opened to full competition, other organizations can submit proposals or statements of interest by Sept. 26, the notice said.
