The federal agency which studies “unconventional” medicine is taking proposals for a gamut of health communications and PR work with an RFP process open through mid-August.

alternative med
Herbalist weighs dried herbs.
Photo: NCCAM
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, is looking for PR agency support for strategic health communications, research, promotion of NCCAM, media relations, and rapid response PR, among several other tasks outlined in a statement of work document.

Graves Fowler, Gaithersburg, Md., is the incumbent.

The RFP says the federal agency expects to award a contract to a single firm for the entire scope of work.

NCCAM’s purview ranges from research on treatments like acupuncture and meditation to medicine like probiotics and herbal/botanical remedies with a goal of presenting safety and utility reviews of such alternatives to the public. Its 2010 fiscal year budget was $128.8M.

The resulting year-long contract contains five option years.

Proposals are due Aug. 10. RFP documents can be downloaded here.