National Science Foundation, CPO - Contracts Branch, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 475, Arlington, VA 22230

R -- SURVEYS OF EARNED DOCTORATES AND DOCTORATE RECIPIENTS POC Jeff S. Leithead, Contract Specialist, 703/306-1242. 17. For the two currently separate but technically linked contract actions described below, the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all capability statements/proposals received within 45 days after publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement for these two NSF surveys: Survey I. The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) is an annual universe survey of all persons earning research doctorate degrees from the approximately 350 U.S. universities that confer such degrees. This survey has been conducted by the Federal Government since 1958, the resulting Doctorate Records File contains data on over one million individuals. Data from this survey are used extensively by the Federal government, universities, associations, industry, and the news media. The next contract for the SED is expected to be awarded in late fall 1996. Survey forms are mailed from the contractor to graduate schools in these universities. The graduate schools ask eligible individuals (41,000 persons in academic year July 1993 through June 1994) to complete the survey forms and then the schools collect the forms and mail them back to the contractor, who does mail follow-up on nonrespondents (usually only about 10% of the total because most graduate schools require the completion of the SED so that they can use the data internally). The contractor also ascertains the accuracy of: (1) the list of research doctorate-granting schools each year, and (2) the list of research doctorate recipients each academic year, by comparing commencement programs and other lists supplied by the graduate schools. A survey documentation/evaluation report is prepared which describes/evaluates the data collection process and analyzes one selected issue (e.g., an analysis of the accuracy of the universe of institutions that confer research doctorates.) The contractor is required to obtain a 95% response rate (by January following the end of the academic year), ensure the accuracy of the data, and prepare a SAS data file by March. The five Federal agencies which sponsor the SED all require tables or electronic data products annually. Table production in SAS/TPL or EXCEL is required, usually within a tight schedule. A draft report is prepared by the contractor to describe research doctorate award trends in all fields of study. A validation study of the SED in 1993-94 indicated several areas of needed revisions to the questionnaire, therefore the questionnaire will be undergoing advisory group reviews, revision and pretest. In addition, corresponding systems (e.g., coding manuals and entry screens, editing specifications, computer programs) will be redesigned. Survey II. The Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) is a biennial, stratified longitudinal mail and CATI survey of individuals aged 75 or younger who possess a research doctorate degree in a science and engineering field from a U.S. university. The sample size in 1993 was about 50,000 recipients, or roughly one in eleven of the population, and the response rate was near 80%. The sample is made up of eligible participants in the previous survey, plus a sampling of new PhDs from the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). The contract for the 1997 SDR will be awarded in the late fall of 1996. Work on questionnaire modification and sample design will begin immediately, and the survey will be fielded in April 1997. Data collection will be completed by the late fall. Data reduction (editing, imputation, weighting, and the like) will be completed by the spring of 1998, at which time a draft data tape will be supplied to NSF. A final data tape will be delivered by the summer of 1998, together with a volume of specified detailed statistical tables and a draft methodological appendix for publication by NSF. The SDR constitutes a major element of NSF's SESTAT data system about scientists and engineers. This fact requires that the SDR be closely coordinated with the other two major SESTAT surveys. Meetings on the SESTAT surveys are held monthly in Washington, D.C. All relevant survey instruments, reports, evaluations, etc. are available to be examined in the Division of Science Resourses Studies (Room 965) at the NSF. The capabilities required by the contractor or contractor(s) to carry - out these surveys are: I. Ability to conduct surveys, ensuring: A. Quality of data/ survey methodology, B. Timeliness of data preparation, C. Cost control, D. Business relations with sponsors, E. Statistical sampling/weighting expertise/ data imputation (Applicable to SDR only), II. Capability to provide database and software support, III. Capability to provide statistical table production, including trend tables, according to federal specifications, IV. Ability to maintain confidential data bases, V. Ability to convene technical advisory panels and working groups as needed (Applicable to SED only), VI. Skill in development/pretest of revised questionnaire, associated procedures and computer support programs (Applicable to SED only), VII. Capacity to provide data users at the Federal sponsoring agencies and the larger user community with data and special tabulations, often on short notice, VIII. Ability to engender cooperation with academic community (graduate deans and students) to ensure 95% response rate (Applicable to SED only), IX. Ability to identify and convene experts concerning issues of science and engineering employment and academic research/education in order to provide advice on survey content, X. Understanding of and ability to interact with the science and engineering communities in order to: identify and understand issues the data are to illuminate, formulate questions for the surveys, address unique problems in collecting data from institutions and individual respondents, and meet the needs of policymakers and researchers for the data. WRITTEN RESPONSES SHOULD INCLUDE PRICES AND TECHNICAL DATA SUFFICIENT TO DETERMINE CAPABILITY. No award will be based on any offer or proposal received in response to this notice. NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENT EXISTS. See Note 22. (0039)

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