Attachment A - SOW.pdf
PDF 383 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Final RFP NASA Postdoctoral Program-2 (NPP-2) Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 80HQTR20R0013
About this file
This statement of work outlines required services for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Postdoctoral Program-2. Key services include administering the application and selection process, providing stipends and benefits to selected Fellows, managing travel and expenses, conducting program evaluations, and transitioning the program to a successor contractor. The solicitation seeks proposals due by October 22, 2020 to provide program administration, visa sponsorship, financial management, online tools, recruitment support, application processing and reviews, Fellow enrollment and support for a base period of one year with four one-year options. Offerors should have experience operating peer-reviewed fellowship programs, financial accounting and reporting for government programs, and developing and maintaining relevant online systems and databases.
View the file
Other files for this federal contract opportunity
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| NPP-2 Source Selection Statement.pdf | ||
| 80HQTR20R0013_A1_Final_EXE.pdf | ||
| 80HQTR20R0013-NPP2 FRFP QA1.pdf | ||
| Attachment J - IAGP.pdf | ||
| FRFP_80HQTR20R0013.pdf | ||
| Attachment F - OCI Avoidance Plan Cover.pdf | ||
| Enclosure AA -IT Security Management Plan Template.pdf | ||
| Attachment J - IAGP Cover.pdf | ||
| Attachment E - SB Subcontracting Plan Cover.pdf | ||
| Attachment I - GFP.pdf | ||
| Exhs_1-15_Cost Exhibits.pdf | ||
| Attachment D - Safety and Health Plan Cover.pdf | ||
| Attachment H - IT Security Management Plan.pdf | ||
| Attachment G -IT Security Applicable Documents List.pdf | ||
| Attachment B - Financial Management Reporting.pdf | ||
| FRFP_80HQTR20R0013_Cover Ltr.pdf | ||
| Attachment C - Personal Identity Verification (PIV).pdf | ||
| SF33_80HQTR20R0013_FRFP.pdf | ||
| Enclosure BB - QASP.pdf |
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Text version
RFP# 80HQTR20R0013
ATTACHMENT A: STATEMENT OF WORK
FOR THE NASA POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAM-2 (NPP-2)
(9/15/20) Page 1 of 13
ATTACHMENT A
Statement of Work
RFP 80HQTR20R0013
CONTRACT TBD
(9/15/20) Page 2 of 13
I. Scope of Services
Contractor shall provide the following services:
A. Program-Level Services
1. The contractor shall provide the materials, facilities, supplies, administrative support, programmatic support, and expertise necessary to promote and administer the NPRP and
NPMP.
2. The contractor shall process J-1 Research Scholar and other appropriate visas to implement all relevant immigration and naturalization laws and otherwise assist applicants from the international research community, for whom, as sponsor, the contractor will be responsible. The contractor shall be approved by the Department of
State as a sponsor of a research scholar program as described at https://j1visa.state.gov/programs/research-scholar/.
3. For financial accountability, the contractor shall have expertise in standard government financial accounting and provide specialized reporting at the individual Fellow level that tracks a Fellow's funding and costs based on the individual’s start date in NPP.
4. For efficient operation of application proposal reviews, the contractor shall have expertise in the organization and implementation of peer reviews and provide evidence of access to a broad expert Reviewer Pool to serve on Primary and/or Secondary External Peer
Review. Secondary External Peer Review Panels may be face-to-face, virtual or both.
5. Representatives at the Host Organization prepare summary annual reports that provide an accounting of the scientific productivity of individual NPP Fellows at the Host
Organizations during the previous 12 months. The report contains information such as publications in peer reviewed journals or conference proceedings, presentations/posters at professional meetings, patent applications, awards and other honors. Representatives at the Host Organizations may request assistance from the contractor with the preparation, fact-checking, review, etc. of an annual report tracking past activities and incoming
Fellows.
B. Website and Knowledge Management Services
The contactor shall provide, manage, and incrementally improve NPP on-line and/or cloud services to enable reliable, efficient, and effective program operation. To insure an effective implementation of NPP, the contractor shall provide expertise in the development and maintenance of on-line applications with a web-based, front-end interface and an information management or database system back-end. These services shall provide ready, accurate, efficient, and reliable access to NPP applications and funded Fellows’ administrative records in a manner consistent with NASA and Federal policies on privacy, security, and accessibility, i.e., Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, “Compliance with Appendix A to Part 1194 –
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act: Application and Scoping Requirements. Specifically, but not limited to, E201, E203, E204, E205, E207, and E208.” The website shall enable all https://j1visa.state.gov/programs/research-scholar/
(9/15/20) Page 3 of 13 aspects of the program and operate as a paperless administrative system for NPP Fellows, except where paper is required by statute (e.g., J-1 visa documents). Users of this system include, but are not limited to, the contractor, external reviewers, NPP Fellows, applicants, Host Organization Representatives, NASA HQ Personnel, the Contracting Officer, etc.
The contractor’s NPP website support shall provide appropriate access controls and at a minimum the functionality described below. The system shall be accessible to NASA users and other end users authorized by NASA, and the data it contains may only be used for purposes authorized by NASA. Significant changes must be approved by NASA. All active and archived content, the system architecture, and data design including data relationships must be made available to NASA for inspection, use, dissemination, and transfer to follow-on contractors at the discretion of NASA. In addition, all commercial software licenses purchased specifically for use with the NPP shall be transferred to government ownership during the contract transition phase at the end of the contract. (see Section II.I.2).
1. Public Portal – Containing general information about the NPP program including but not limited to: the distinction between the NPRP and NPMP; research opportunities;
application information; FAQs and policies and procedures descriptions covering all aspects of the NPRP and NPMP needed by potential candidates and selected participants.
The FAQ and NPP policies and procedures information include, but are not limited to, definitions, procedures for accepting an award and beginning tenure, visas, taxes, travel, reporting, renewing award, resignation and early departure, publications, copyrights, patents, government shutdowns, teleworking policies and a description of the Total
Compensation Plan, such as leave of absence, stipend, health insurance, if provided, and family leave. Information about publications, copyrights, patents, and other related topics shall be consistent with NASA policies.
2. Applicant Portal - Facilitating the submission of an NPP application and supported by off-line assistance to address questions and technical difficulties. This portal must accept applications from applicants who attended universities that do not provide transcripts.
There will be approximately 500 unique submissions annually.
3. Fellow Portal – Containing information regarding all submissions, actions and required information provided by each Fellow or provided by the contractor to the Fellow. This information is to include but is not limited to a) enrollment of a Fellow by the contractor
(stipend, taxes, insurance, visa information, etc.); b) travel (accounts, submission and resubmission (after rejection) of travel requests/reimbursements, information about
Federal travel regulations, travel manual) c) submission of a self-evaluation in order to request a renewal; d) long-term absence, e.g., maternity/paternity/ medical/etc.
information and monitoring, etc. There will be approximately 300 unique users in a calendar year.
4. Advisor Portal – Containing all information of interest to Advisors, such as Host
Organization-specific information for local Advisors (e.g., roles and responsibilities of
Advisors) and actions required of NPP Advisors. NPP Advisor actions include, but are not limited to: a) creating or updating Research Opportunities that the contractor disseminates to the NPP applicants, b) reviewing of applications to their Research
Opportunities, travel requests, the self-evaluation that is submitted by a Fellow for a
(9/15/20) Page 4 of 13 renewal of the appointment, etc. and c) completion and submission of a funding request to the Host Organization Representatives for research/lab-funded NPP Fellows. There will be approximately 300 unique users in a calendar year.
5. Host-Organization Representative Portal- Providing representatives access to information and services that support their role in:
a) processing applications and research opportunities (e.g., processing advisor reviews of applications to their posted Research Opportunities, communicating offer recommendations to the contractor, etc.)
b) processing of Fellows’ requests (e.g., reviewing and making tenure renewals, foreign travel reports, other travel and Other Direct Cost (ODC) requests and status, etc.)
c) providing and using information relevant to the NPP (e.g., policies and procedures, recruitment materials, manuals, financial statements.
e) supplying Mission Directorates with requested reports, documents, etc.
There will be approximately 20 Host-Organization Representatives using this portal.
6. Contracting Officer Portal- Required for foreign travel approval and travel reporting.
7. Reviewer Portal – Providing reviewer access and information including, but not limited to: a) assignment of and access to proposals to be reviewed, b) information about the evaluation criteria and scoring, and c) input of reviews and scores. The Reviewer Portal also provides the information and records the actions required to evaluate these external peer reviews to assess outliers and reconsider/revise scores. NASA requires a minimum of three external reviewers for each NPP application, so the number of external reviewers may exceed 3000 unique users.
8. Mission Directorate Portal – Enabling the posting of all submissions to NASA HQ, including annual reports, budget documents and, in particular, funding forms for research/lab-funded Fellows. This portal would handle the communications between those at Host Organizations (Advisors, Host Organization Representatives) and Mission
Directorates at NASA HQ to facilitate all aspects of approving research/lab-funded
Fellows, including notification, processing status, and dates of submission/approval by
Advisor, Host Organization Representative, NASA HQ program manager, NPP Mission
Directorate points-of-contact and the hand-off to finance for funds application to the NPP contract. Data from completed approval/funding processes for research/lab-funded
Fellows must remain accessible. There will be approximately 20 unique users of this portal.
9. Administrator Portal – The Contractor controls all portals (1-8) through this portal and will determine the number of users necessary for efficient operation. This Administrator
Portal will allow access to all the information provided by the other portals.
Finally, the system must integrate information provided and actions performed by prospective
Advisors, External Reviewers, Fellows, etc. from the various portals.
C. Soliciting Applicants
(9/15/20) Page 5 of 13
To announce the opportunities and solicit applications to the NPP, the contractor shall perform the following tasks:
1. Prepare and distribute informational material through the NPP web site Public Portal, various other media, and participation at select major science meetings such as the
American Geophysical Union (AGU), American Astronomical Society (AAS), and the
Institute on Teaching and Mentoring https://instituteonteachingandmentoring.org/about.
etc., in order to announce the NPP to the widest possible community for the relevant fields of research and to attract a diverse representation of prospective participants.
2. Post the NASA-provided Research Opportunities that include a brief summary of the research topics of interest and the NASA researcher(s) who would serve as Advisor(s) for that opportunity, as well as the primary point-of-contact if there are multiple Advisors, and general information that can be used to organize and search the opportunities. These research opportunities may be added, deleted, or updated at any time during the year.
Each applicant applies to a particular research opportunity posted by a NPP Host
Organization and specifies an Advisor associated with that opportunity.
3. Devise and implement a recruitment plan and associated activities to attract and recruit well-qualified applicants from the U.S.
D. Receiving and Reviewing Applications
In support of receiving and reviewing applications, the contractor shall:
1. Maintain a minimum of one application cycle, with up to three total per year. Would be application deadlines are March 1, July 1, and November 1 of a given year. The
Contracting Officer will notify the contractor when to cancel an application deadline.
2. Receive and process applications and supporting documents for completeness and compliance, including institution-specific cases that impact an applicant’s ability to provide a complete application (e.g., some academic institutions do not have or do not distribute transcripts, or transcripts from institutions outside of the United States are not available in English, etc.)
3. Monitor and collect the Research Advisor's review of applicant proposals.
4. Decide whether to send a proposal to external review, typically within two weeks of application submission.
5. Conduct an External Peer Review of all applications in a manner consistent with the
NASA-provided guidelines, e.g., avoiding conflict-of-interest and appearance of bias consistent with SMD Policy Directive-01A. The Primary External Peer Review and, if needed, the Secondary External Peer Review Panel (see 7. below) shall evaluate the applications based on the following criteria: a) the scientific merit of the proposed research (as defined in Appendix D of the most recent NASA Guidebook for proposers including the qualifications and capabilities of the prospective Fellow), and b) the academic and research record, letters of recommendation, and c) Research Advisor’s
Review of the application. NASA may choose to change these criteria following award of https://instituteonteachingandmentoring.org/about https://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/srba/propsers_guidebooks.html
(9/15/20) Page 6 of 13 the contract and the contractor will implement any NASA directed criteria changes communicated by the COR. The primary and secondary external peer review members will provide written reviews to the contractor (e.g., via a Reviewers portal) who will manage their confidentially and the subsequent appropriate distribution to the representative(s) of the Host Organization(s). If a conflict of interest (COI) occurs and the contractor’s COI avoidance plan is not applicable, the contractor may consult NASA regarding mitigation strategies.
6. Convene a Primary External Peer Review that shall consist of at least three (3) independent subject matter experts for each application. The reviewers must be experts in the NASA-related research or technology development topics proposed. Reviewers are not required to be experts in every subtopic or discipline within the NPP’s proposed research field, the reviewers will be experts in the broader research. The contractor’s pool of peer reviewers must have the discipline diversity sufficient to address the full scope of topics covered in the NPP opportunities. The contractor will provide the reviewers with the complete Review Package, i.e., the applications and instructions for review and scoring to encourage consistent evaluation. The reviewers of a Primary External Peer
Review typically perform their work independent of each other and do not collaborate.
7. When necessary, convene a Secondary External Peer Review Panel of subject matter experts who were not part of the primary review described in D.6. A secondary review is required in each discipline area where there are proposals having significant disparity among the primary reviews. These Secondary External Peer Review Panels will review the proposals and the primary reviewer scores as a team to examine outlier scores and provide to the contractor adjusted scores where outliers exist in each evaluation area in an attempt to resolve the difference of opinion.
8. Provide the results of the complete review of each proposal to the representative of the appropriate Host Organization within 60 days of application submission. These results shall include the final review scores (total score by reviewer, and weighted average scores by review areas before and after any Secondary External Peer Review Panel adjustments) as well as the application package and other required information from the application submission and review process. Application Package: proposal; 3 letters of reference; transcripts; CV with publications, awards and honors; advisor review. Other
Information: Application cycle, research area, applicant name, PhD discipline, PhD institution, PhD date, Senior or regular postdoc, demographic information (e.g., race, gender, ethnicity), citizenship, birth country, current visa, research opportunity identifier, Research Opportunity Title, Proposal Title, Advisor name, advisor institution, phone, email, Host Organization, Review scores (e.g. Scientific merit, References, Academic/Research Record, Center score, Overall score), advisor division, advisor branch.
9. Using the Host Organization Representative’s Portal, provide a mechanism for Host
Organization Representatives to specify the Host Organization's guidance (e.g., Offer, etc.) and the funding codes for each selectee.
(9/15/20) Page 7 of 13
10. After receipt of guidance from the Host Organizations, prepare Offer, Waitlist, or No
Offer letters to notify NPP applicants electronically of their selection decision through a formal letter delivered digitally.
E. Enrolling New Fellows
In support of new Fellow enrollment, after an offer has been made, accepted by the applicant, and a start date established with the Advisor and Host Organization Representative, the contractor shall inform the incoming Fellow of the steps in the enrollment process and begin that process promptly. The Fellow is to be enrolled and ready for on boarding at the Host
Organization on their start date. The enrollment information shall include the policies, processes, requirements, and schedule associated with the enrollment of both US citizens/persons and foreign nationals. At a minimum the contractor will:
1. Provide a mechanism for the Host Organizations Representatives to set and revise start dates
2. Sponsor J-1 and other visa types appropriate for the NPP, if applicable, for foreign nationals and their families in a timely manner, including assistance to expedite in-country arrival, access to Social Security Numbers
3. Administer and support a Fellow’s relocation or work-from-anywhere, non-relocation expenses, e.g. short-term visits to a NASA Center instead of full tenure relocation, short-term visas, etc. when NASA-directs via the COR.
4. Provide compensation (see F.2. below for details)
5. Provide tax information
6. Provide access to travel system, processes and requirements
7. Perform Ph.D. verification
F. Supporting Fellows During Their Tenure
The contractor shall administer the NPP to include, but not be limited to, the following tasks in support of the Fellows:
1. Provide an orientation and on-going support to the Fellows to communicate regulations and audit requirements related to travel, etc.
2. Provide a payroll system for the Fellows’ monthly compensation and ODC reimbursements compliant with the U.S. Tax Code and relevant tax treaties for non-U.S.
Fellows. The contractor shall provide all Fellows with a monthly statement that includes the information that Fellows need to meet quarterly and/or yearly tax obligations. The contractor shall provide all Fellows with their required annual tax forms no later than 60 days before Tax Day. Fellows are responsible for filing their taxes and meeting their U.S.
tax obligations. The contractor shall offer J-1 visa holders international tax software based on the tax treaties to help these Fellows determine their US tax obligations.
3. Maintain a record of insurance status for each Fellow and any dependents as necessary to comply with U.S. law (whether U.S. citizens or J-1 or other visa holders).
(9/15/20) Page 8 of 13
4. As with other comparable Fellowship programs, provide a Total Compensation Plan.
5. Provide travel support services including:
a) Access to travel services:
i. Contractor shall directly provide travel agency services or referrals to an outside service that Fellows can choose to use. Contractor-provided services should include domestic and international booking capability for all forms of lodging and transportation and expert knowledge of federal travel regulations including the Fly
America Act and related regulations.
ii. Contractor shall provide access to travel services for full tenure or short-term relocation.
iii. Contractor shall provide the submission and processing of expense payments and reimbursements for travel, relocation (from within and outside the U.S.) and ODC’s as authorized for the NPP.
iv. Contractor shall provide travel cash advance services for each trip that a Fellow requests.
v. Contractor shall be prepared to provide in-transit travel assistance for a Fellow should issues arise.
b) Monitoring of travel both for situational awareness and tracking when necessary for
NASA and NASA reporting requests. The following are the minimum tracking information requirements:
i. A record, before departure, of a Fellow’s travel plans for Advisors and Host Organization, so the whereabouts of Fellows are known in case of emergencies.
ii. Preapproval of foreign travel by the Contracting Officer.
iii. Up-to-date individual balance estimates for a Fellow’s Travel and
ODC allowance.
iv. Because conditions can change rapidly in any country at any time for a variety of reasons and can disrupt a NPP Fellow’s arrival in the U.S., research, or travel planned outside the U.S. must at a minimum, demonstrate periodic consultation of the State
Department Travel Advisories and visa services websites.
6. Develop in advance and keep current the relevant NASA policies regarding compensation, travel, and ODC reimbursement, outside income, etc.
7. Develop and execute a plan for communication of the information in paragraph 5.b.i above in the event of a furlough or other federal government shutdown during which
NASA email accounts are inaccessible.
(9/15/20) Page 9 of 13
8. Provide services for Fellows to request support and reimbursement for personal professional development and ODC items such as conference and abstract registration fees, publication charges, etc. and documentation of these processes.
9. Promulgate NPP policies and procedures, and provide guidance to the Fellows on (i) the submission of research proposals to fund their research after the NPP Fellowship tenure expires, (ii) engaging in work outside of the NPP Fellowship, and (iii) policies during a government shutdown lasting more than a few days.
10. Ensure participants’ compliance with the Fellowship tenure terms. A NPP participant may not receive full-time funding from another appointment, Fellowship, scholarship, grant, etc. during the Fellowship’s tenure that is related to their NASA research.
Incidental lectures or short-term consultations are permitted with the approval of the contractor so long as they are directly related to the objectives of the participant’s program.
G. Financial Reporting and Program Effectiveness
The contractor shall be responsible for performing the following tasks related to data gathering and reporting on various levels:
1. Provide Monthly Contractor Financial Management Status Reports organized by Host
Organization, by Fellow, and by Mission Directorate/Funding Source.
2. Provide Monthly financial reports by host location and by Fellow. These reports shall:
a) Show a monthly Host Organization Balance summary of beginning and ending balances including the details of the additions and subtractions for the month.
b) Provide one integrated monthly financial report for Host Organizations with Fellows at multiple physical facilities while identifying the location of each Fellow.
c) Show monthly actual costs due to stipend, travel, relocation, health insurance and burden as well as unspent funds by category.
d) Provide monthly accounting by individual Fellows including partial months in the program when Fellows start and end their appointments.
e) Provide monthly accounting information showing individual funds applied (HQ slot funding, research funding, Host Organization Balance funding) and funds spent for each Fellow.
f) Track separately each Fellow’s funding information corresponding to different locations and HQ funding source such as mission directorates, divisions, projects, or programs.
3. Provide a short-term/yearly assessment and evaluation of the program in the form of an
Annual Report. The short-term goal of the NPP is to identify and continue the career development of promising STEM researchers in disciplines of interest to NASA so that a pool of highly skilled professionals is available to fill the future workforce needs of
NASA/government, industry, academia, and related not-for-profit institutions. The
Annual Report shall include a year-end statistical report (Calendar Year or Fiscal Year) and a year-end program evaluation comprised of the following information:
(9/15/20) Page 10 of 13
a) A summary of recruitment efforts, and a list of total applications and awards by doctoral discipline.
b) A summary by year (after the first year) of the total number of applications and awards; number of applications by deadline within each year; applications from and awards to underrepresented individuals in NASA's science and engineering disciplines by gender, race, and ethnicity; number of Fellows and Senior Fellows on tenure each year and by Host Organization; number of U.S./Lawful Permanent
Residents (LPR) vs. non-U.S. Fellows (including country of citizenship).
c) For Fellows ending tenure during the year, the contractor shall provide summaries of:
i. Post-tenure positions by categories, e.g., hired by NASA as a civil servant; hired by a NASA contractor; funded on NASA cooperative agreement; other U.S.
Government research laboratory position; domestic college or university position; foreign college or university position; aerospace industry position;
non-aerospace industry position; nonprofit organization position; other position;
no position, or no report available.
d) A roll-up of the information provided in the Monthly Financial Status Reports.
e) A summary evaluation of the Fellow's scientific and technical performance for the year based upon renewal evaluations provided by the Fellow and the Advisor.
4. Create and/or provide on-going support for a NPP assessment, such as a learning agenda and logic model that examines program effectiveness and provides for the continuous improvement of the NPP. Following award, the contractor will meet with NASA regarding the research questions.
a. Contractor shall propose a limited set of activities that helps to determine how effective the program has been in achieving its short, intermediate and longer-term goals related to research career development and individual leadership potential.
b. Contractor shall design and plan a continuing study of NPP Fellows’ career paths for
5, 10, 15 years. The contractor shall implement the first phase of this plan during the contract period of performance.
c. All research questions and assessment products shall be designed and organized to be delivered to NASA and/or to any successor NPP contractor in order to ensure the long-term continuity and preservation of data.
5. Visit in person or virtually host locations to meet with the Advisors and become familiar with the Fellows’ working environments and situations; review the status of the host program; and meet with NPP Fellows on tenure, as appropriate. During the visit, the Host
Organization may choose to include a forum for Fellows to present their scientific and technical research results. Visits shall be coordinated with the Host Organization
Representatives and associated Headquarters Mission Directorate NPP points-of-contact.
6. Hold an Annual Program Meeting either in-person, or virtually or in combination to review the program status and implementation with NPP Host Organization
Representatives, Mission Directorates, Center NPP points-of-contact, etc., to review the contractor's Annual Report, Annual Performance Report, discuss and recommend
(9/15/20) Page 11 of 13 changes and additions to policies, procedures and on-line system functionality, report on the short-term and long-term program evaluation, and plan for future program years.
NASA will select the meeting location or venue—in person, virtual, or in combination— based on option(s) provided by the contractor. Presentation materials and a summary of the Annual Program Meeting will be available to Host Organization Representatives and
Mission Directorate points-of-contact via their NPP portals.
H. Operational Performance Plan and Metrics
The contractor shall design and implement 1) a program logic model and 2) a metrics-based performance plan that enables reliable and efficient day-to-day operation of all aspects of the
NPP. The logic model shall at minimum include inputs, outputs and initial outcomes. The plan should accommodate unique circumstances occasionally encountered by applicants, Fellows, Advisors, and Host Organization Representatives. This plan shall include but is not limited to metrics related to the performance of the activities associated with the following tasks.
1. Applicant submissions, reviews and selections
a) Provide assistance to applicants associated with the application submission process
b) Carry-out application reviews:
i. Identify and provide a reviewer pool, e.g., estimated overall size, discipline and other diversity, etc.
ii. Ensure external reviewers complete proposal reviews
iii. Prepare and submit review results to Host Organizations
c) Receive applicant selection guidance from Host Organizations
d) Provide applicants’ notifications, track responses, and tenure start date decisions
e) Enroll incoming Fellows per Section E. Enrolling New Fellows
f) NASA requires the NPP contractor to track and report on current Fellows who 1) are seeking a third year of NASA support and 2) whether or not they have secured funding for the 3rd year of their NPP Fellowship regardless of source.
2. Respond to inquiries concerning the NPP and resolve questions and issues, e.g., response to program inquiries during peak and non-peak application periods.
3. Track each Fellow’s travel, professional development and relocation requests, their reviews, approvals, reimbursement, and produce a history for each Fellow.
4. Post and remove research opportunity submissions and updates.
5. Schedule stipend direct deposit or checks when direct deposit is impossible; deliver quarterly and yearly income statements for tax purposes to the Fellows.
6. Make tenure renewals notifications to Fellow, Advisor, and Host Organization
Representatives and track the status of approval history for each Fellow.
7. Deliver monthly financial reports for HQ and Host Organization Representatives, include error rates in reports.
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8. Keep records for incoming Fellows who accept Offers including but not limited to:
a) Proof of enrollment into health insurance, social security numbers, Ph.D. receipt
b) Foreign National J-1 and other visa requests, visa transfers and processing and documentation of all other aspects required for legal entry into the country.
c) Any documentation required to obtain a badge at a NASA installation.
The contractor shall provide a draft Annual Performance Report which NASA (including Host
Organization Representatives) will review, adjust periodically, and approve through the life of the program.
I. Phase-Out Activities
1. Phase-out: If applicable, the contractor shall support a minimum 90-day transition period of all aspects of the NPP to a follow-on contractor. During this transition period, the incumbent will carefully transition all aspects of the NPP to the new contactor and phase-out of the NPP program while the new follow-on contractor picks up the contract responsibilities. If it turns out that any current Fellow’s support, (e.g. Visa, stipend, etc.)
cannot be transferred within the 90 days, continue to provide stipend and other support until either the Fellow’s tenure is over or “transferred.”
a) This transition shall include the transfer of all materials, data, information and processes related to the operation of the NASA Postdoctoral Program. These items shall be prepared and ready for easy transition and use by the follow-on contractor and shall include but not be limited to the following:
i. All Fellow data collected during the contractor’s tenure as well as data passed to the incumbent from the previous contractor. These data shall include proposals, application information and materials, reviews, funding, travel, individual reviewer scores and summaries, renewal evaluations.
ii. All Applicant data collected by the current contractor; to include proposals, reviews, selection decision, application materials, reviewer scoring;
iii. All information on the public portal of the NPP website, such as research opportunities, policies and procedure, FAQs, etc.
iv. All information and reports available via the Applicants, Fellows, Host
Organization Representatives, and Mission Directorate portals
v. All internal policies, procedures, guidance that are NOT posted to the public portal that are used to enable the operation of the NPP (e.g., renewal policies and procedures, extension policies and procedures, proposal review guidelines given to primary and secondary external peer reviewers, etc.)
vi. All research opportunities including those that have been placed in stasis or removed from the public portal.
vii. Pool of reviewer names and contact information; their area of expertise, as well as any information on the quality and timeliness of individual reviewer’s efforts and level of availability.
viii. J-1 visa operational policies and procedures related to immigration (e.g., J-1 visa issuance, J-1 visa transfers into and out of the NPP program, and J-2 visas for family members)
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ix. Transfer of visas to new contractor - All visas for Fellows in the NPP at the time of the transition shall be transferred to the follow-on contractor. Visas should be set up so they can be transferred to a follow-on contractor.
x. Customized reports and data transfer activities required by specific NPP Host
Organizations.
xi. Contents and data from NPP-related web pages (e.g., but not limited to opportunities, policies and procedures) for future continuity.
J. The contractor must be available for a post-award conference within two weeks of the award.
K. Host Organization Premises – Physical Access and Compliance with Procedures
The Contractor shall adhere to Host Organization accessibility and compliance procedures.
Refer to the host organization representative for host requirements.
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