80HQTR27R0006_NPP-3 Attachment A_PWS.pdf

This is a Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the NASA Postdoctoral Program-3 (NPP-3) under Contract No. 80HQTR27R0006, effective August 2026.

The contractor shall provide comprehensive management and administrative services for the NPP, including materials, supplies, programmatic support, and expertise to promote and administer both the NASA Postdoctoral Research Program (NPRP) and NASA Postdoctoral Management Program (NPMP). Core services include: (1) Website and Knowledge Management Services—developing and maintaining web-based applications with multiple portals (Public, Applicant, Fellow, Advisor, Host-Organization Representative, Contracting Officer, Reviewer, and Administrator) to support program operations, ensure Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA 2024) compliance, maintain Authority to Operate (ATO), and enable paperless administration; (2) Soliciting Applicants—distributing promotional materials, participating in major science conferences, and posting research opportunities to recruit qualified candidates; (3) Receiving and Reviewing Applications—maintaining minimum one application cycle annually with up to three cycles per year, processing applications for completeness, conducting external peer reviews with at least three independent subject matter experts per application, and providing results within 60 days of submission; (4) Enrolling New Fellows—sponsoring J-1 and other visa types, facilitating relocation, administering compensation, providing tax information, and performing Ph.D. verification; (5) Supporting Fellows During Tenure—providing orientation, payroll and tax services, travel support services (booking, expense processing, cash advances, monitoring), professional development opportunities, and compliance with CHIPS and NSPM-33 requirements; (6) Financial Reporting and Program Effectiveness—delivering monthly financial reports by host organization and fellow, tracking funding sources by mission directorate, conducting annual program assessments, and managing ongoing NPP effectiveness studies; (7) Operational Performance Metrics—designing logic models and metrics-based performance plans for tracking applicant submissions, reviews, selections, fellow travel, professional development, and tenure renewal notifications; (8) Phase-Out Activities—supporting minimum 90-day transition to follow-on contractors with transfer of all fellow data, applicant materials, website content, reviewer pool information, visa procedures, and research opportunities; (9) Contractor Facilities—appointing a Facility Security Officer for Personal Identify Verification (PIV) requirements; and (10) Super Intelligence (SI) Acquisitions—ensuring contractor and subcontractor compliance with SI data rights, usage, and ownership provisions, with disclosure of SI system usage and Government approval requirements prior to SI deployment. The contract also mandates J-1 visa processing, standard government financial accounting, expert reviewer pool management, compliance with NASA privacy and security policies (NPD 1382.17, NPR 1382.1, NPR 1438.1), records management per Federal Records Act and NASA records policies, Section 508 accessibility standards, and IT purchase authorization through the OCIO Commercial IT Request (CITR) Application.