Draft TAPAS PWS for RFI.pdf

U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

Technical, Administrative, and Program Assessment Support (TAPAS) for the IES Research Centers

TAPAS for the IES Research Centers

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Legislative Authority

2. Purpose of Scope of Work

3. Requirement Context

4. General Information

4.1 Period of Performance

4.2 Place of Performance

4.3 Contract Type

5. Scope of Work

Introduction The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The goal of IES is to provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study, in order to provide parents, educators, students, researchers, policymakers, and the general public with reliable information about the condition and progress of education in the United States, from early childhood through postsecondary education; educational practices that support learning and improve academic achievement and access to educational opportunities for all students;

and the effectiveness of federal and other education programs.

The Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA, Title I of P.L. 107-279) established IES as an independent research arm of ED. Title I, Part A, of ESRA establishes IES as a research institute within ED, intended to provide “national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study.” IES is authorized to carry out these objectives by compiling statistics, conducting research and evaluations, and disseminating information.

IES executes its mission through four national education centers and an Office of the Director:

• The National Center for Education Research (NCER) sponsors research leading to the accumulation of knowledge and understanding of education.

• The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) sponsors research to expand knowledge and understanding of the needs of infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities.

• The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) collects and analyzes education information and statistics in a manner that meets the highest methodological standards.

• The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) supports evaluation, technical assistance, development, and dissemination activities.

• The Office of the Director carries out specific duties, such as proposing research priorities and establishing procedures for technical and peer review.

The Office of Science carries out rigorous peer review of all research, statistics, and evaluation reports conducted by, or supported through, the Institute and falls under the Office of the Director.

1. Legislative Authority ESRA provides the legislative authority for the four IES Centers – NCER, NCES, NCEE, and NCSER. This specific action is authorized by the Research and Statistics- Research, Development, and Dissemination authority (ESRA I-A, B, and D).

Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (H.R. 3801), Section 112:

From funds appropriated under section 194, the Institute of Education Sciences, directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, shall—

1. conduct and support scientifically valid research activities, including basic research and applied research, statistics activities, scientifically valid education evaluation, development, and wide dissemination;

2. widely disseminate the findings and results of scientifically valid research in education;

3. promote the use, development, and application of knowledge gained from scientifically valid research activities;

4. strengthen the national capacity to conduct, develop, and widely disseminate scientifically valid research in education;

5. promote the coordination, development, and dissemination of scientifically valid research in education within the Department and the Federal Government; and

6. promote the use and application of research and development to improve practice in the classroom.

2. Purpose of Scope of Work The purpose of this Technical, Administrative, and Program Assessment Support (TAPAS) requirement is to support the IES research centers, NCER and NCSER, in achieving the following goals:

• Collect, analyze, and summarize data and information on IES applicants, grantees, and Training fellows for the purposes of monitoring and improving NCER and NCSER programs;

• Conduct program reviews and evaluations of NCER and NCSER grant programs to assess program performance and areas where improvement is needed;

• Summarize data and information, and prepare presentations and other resources that can be used by NCER and NCSER staff as they share information about their research and training programs to external audiences;

• Provide technical assistance, resources, and disseminate key information to grant applicants and grantees;

https://www.congress.gov/107/plaws/publ279/PLAW-107publ279.pdf

• Broadly disseminate the lessons learned from projects funded by NCER and NCSER through social media, infographics, and other engaging mechanisms to showcase the ways NCER and NCSER programs are helping to improve education programs, policies, and outcomes;

• Obtain feedback from the field, including experts and key stakeholders, to further improve the rigor and relevance of NCER and NCSER research and training programs.

While ED will provide some background information to the contractor about NCER and NCSER programs and topics, it is expected that the contractor will be knowledgeable about NCER and NCSER programs to efficiently and effectively carryout the scope of work.

3. Requirement Context Through its research programs, NCER and NCSER supports research activities to improve the quality of education and thereby, increase student academic achievement, reduce the achievement gap between high-performing and low-performing students, and increase access to and completion of postsecondary education. NCER and NCSER also funds predoctoral and postdoctoral research training programs to invest in the training and development of the next generation of education researchers. The outcomes from these research and training programs are critical for demonstrating NCER and NCSER’s progress in meeting their legislative mandates.

This Technical, Administrative, and Program Assessment Support (TAPAS) task order is the first of its kind for NCER and NCSER, and is intended to help both centers meet their legislative mandate by:

• Supporting scientifically valid research activities through it research and training grant programs by:

o Monitoring the performance of NCER and NCSER research and training grants programs by conducting surveys, program reviews, and program evaluations of specific topics, programs, and/or portfolios.

o Developing and disseminating key information about NCER and NCSER funding opportunities, and provide resources and technical assistance to applicants, including first time applicants and applicants that have been historically underrepresented among IES’s applicants and awardees.

o Providing resources and technical assistance to current research and training grantees to strengthen the rigor and relevance of their research and training activities and address emerging issues in education research.

o Obtaining feedback from the field, including experts and key stakeholders, for how NCER and NCSER can further improve its research and training programs.

• Widely disseminating the findings and results of scientifically valid research in education, including those informed by the task order program reviews and program evaluations by:

o Preparing presentations and other resources that can be used by NCER and NCSER staff as they share information about their research and training programs to external audiences, including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

o Broadly disseminating findings from projects funded by NCER and NCSER through social media, infographics, and other engaging mechanisms to showcase the ways NCER and NCSER programs are helping to improve education programs, policies, and practices.

4. General Information

4.1 Period of Performance

This contract will have a base year that shall run from July XX, 2025 through June XX, 2026. After that first year there are four option years and each shall be one year in length.

4.2 Place of Performance

The work shall be performed at the contractor’s location and all meetings between the contractor and the COR and ACOR can be held virtually.

4.3 Contract Type

TBD

5. Scope of Work This contract shall contain six (6) required tasks and nine (9) optional tasks:

Required Tasks:

• Task 1. Meetings and Monthly Reports

• Task 2. Applicant and Grantee Resource Development Support

• Task 3. Program Administrative Support

• Task 4: Training Program Administrative Support

• Task 5. Program Review and Evaluation Support

• Task 6: Program Communication Support

Optional Tasks:

• Optional Task 7: Creation of additional PowerPoint slides, two-page handouts and infographics to showcase NCER and NCSER funded research

• Optional Task 8: Short videos on NCER and NCSER funding opportunities

• Optional Task 9: Short videos about successful NCER and NCSER funded research or training projects

• Optional Task 10: Conduct additional program evaluations

• Optional Task 11: Revise internal report for dissemination as an external report brief

• Optional Task 12: Provide logistics support for IES Speaker Series

• Optional Task 13: Provide support with carrying out campaigns to engage education research stakeholders around NCER and NCSER investments

• Optional Task 14: Provide expert panel meeting planning and support

• Optional Task 15: Design and implement education research challenges

Task 1: Meetings and Monthly Reports (Required)

Subtask 1.1: Kick-off Meeting.

The contractor shall attend a virtual kick-off meeting with the COR and ACOR for this Task Order within two weeks of its award. The contractor shall submit a draft agenda for the kick-off meeting within three business days of the award of the contract. ED will provide comments on the agenda and the contractor shall submit a final agenda within two business days of receiving ED’s comments. The agenda shall include discussion of work under each task, including the format and content of monthly progress reports.

Within three business days of the kick-off meeting, the contractor shall submit a summary of the main items and decisions discussed at the meeting. ED will review the summary and provide comments. The contractor shall submit a final summary within three business days of receiving ED’s comments.

• Deliverables:

o Draft kick-off meeting agenda o Final kick-off meeting agenda o Draft Summary of kick-off meeting o Final summary of kick-off meeting

Subtask 1.2: Monthly Meetings

Subsequent meetings will occur monthly, or as needed, and will be held virtually. The contractor shall submit a draft agenda for each monthly meeting no later than five business days before the scheduled meeting. ED will provide comments on the agenda and the contractor shall submit a final agenda within one business day of receiving ED’s comments. The Project Director and other key contractor staff should plan to attend the meeting as needed. The contractor shall submit a memo to the COR no later than 2 business days following the monthly meetings summarizing the main items discussed.

The contractor shall also submit a monthly report, by the 10th day of the next month, to the COR summarizing the work completed over the past month under each task along with plans for work to be completed during the next month.

There will not be formal kick-off meetings for each option year or each optional task.

Instead, if an option year or optional task is exercised, one of the monthly meetings will be used at the beginning of the option year to discuss big-picture goals and anticipated work.

• Deliverables:

o Recurring meetings with ED/IES o Memo summarizing each subsequent meeting with ED/IES o Monthly progress report

Task 2: Applicant and Grantee Resource Development Support (Required)

Contractor support is needed for creating PowerPoint slides, infographics, and brochure handouts that summarize information on NCER and NCSER research and training programs, funding opportunities, resources, and grantee requirements. These public-facing materials need to be comprehensive, professionally formatted, and 508-compliant. NCER and NCSER staff intend to use these materials for presenting at meetings, conferences, webinars, and posting on the IES website. The COR will provide general information on where the contractor can find information about NCER and NCSER programs and topics, along with copies of previously developed slides and materials; however, the contractor will be expected to be familiar with NCER and NCSER programs.

Subtask 2.1: Produce and update brochures that summarize NCER and NCSER programs and topics.

During the Base Year, the contractor will create a one page (front and back) handout/brochure summarizing NCER and NCSER programs and topics (approximately 25 programs/topic). Information included in the brochure shall include, but are not limited to, a summary description of the program or topic, infographics on the types of projects funded, and information/links to resources for the program or topic. The contractor shall provide draft versions of the handouts/brochures within four weeks of ED’s request for each of those drafts. The COR and relevant NCER/NCSER staff will provide comments on the drafts and the contractor shall submit a revised version of the brochure/handout within two weeks of receiving ED’s comments. The final version of the brochure/handout shall be delivered in a file format that can be edited/revised by ED as needed.

During each option year, the contractor will update the brochures as needed to reflect changes to the program or topics identified by NCER/NCSER, and produce additional brochures/handouts if new programs or topics are established during the option years.

Within two weeks of ED’s request for an updated version of each brochure, the contractor shall submit a draft of an updated version created under this subtask. The COR and relevant NCER/NCSER staff will provide comments on those drafts. The contractor shall submit a final version of each of those updated brochure within two weeks of receiving ED’s comments.

• Deliverables:

o Draft(s) of brochures/handouts o Final brochures/handouts

Subtask 2.2: Develop PowerPoint slides and handouts to summarize NCER and NCSER funding opportunities and requirements for applicants.

The contractor shall produce one PowerPoint slide deck per NCER and NCSER funding opportunity (approximately 10 funding opportunities) in the base year and the slide decks will range in length from 15 to 25 slides. The slide deck shall include information on, but not limited to, the application due dates and award maximums, summary of the general requirements, and summary of recommendations for a strong application.

In addition, the contractor shall produce a 1-page handout summarizing the key requirements of each NCER and NCSER funding opportunity. The handouts should include information on, but not limited to, the application due dates and award maximums, and IES staff contact information.

During the option years, if exercised, the contractor will update the existing slide decks and handouts as needed, and produce additional slide decks and handouts if new funding opportunities are released during the option years.

• Deliverables:

o Draft PowerPoint slides of funding opportunities o Final PowerPoint slides of funding opportunities o Draft funding opportunities handout o Final funding opportunities handout

Task 2.3. Resources and webinars to broaden participation of institutions and individuals applying to NCER and NCSER grant programs.

During the Base Year, the contractor shall work with IES staff to review and redesign the Request for Applications (RFAs) and Application Submission Guide to optimize its accessibility (e.g., utilization of plain language; revising the structure or format of the document). The goal of these revisions to the RFAs and Application Submission Guide is to help lower the barriers and make applying to IES funding opportunities easier, thereby further broadening and diversifying both the types of institutions and individuals who apply to NCER and NCSER research and training grants programs.

Based on feedback from the RFA Feedback survey (see Subtask 3.1), the contractor shall make additional revisions to the design of the RFAs as needed during each Option Year, if exercised.

In addition, the contractor shall plan, manage, and host two (2) technical assistance webinars specifically targeting institutions and researchers that are currently underrepresented as NCER/NCSER’s applicants and awardees, along with first-time applicants. The contractor shall submit a draft outreach plan to publicize the webinars, including information on the organizations, institutions, and groups that will be contacted and methods that will be used to promote the webinars. Once the outreach plan is approved by ED, the contractor shall implement the outreach plan.

These webinars shall be up to 90 minutes long, provide recommendations for submitting a competitive grant application, and provide opportunities for questions and answers. These webinars will be led by IES staff but may include presentations by contract staff and current grantees. A 508-compliant recording of the webinar, along with copies of any PowerPoint slides, shall be submitted to the COR within 2 weeks after the webinar.

• Deliverables:

o Draft revisions to design of RFA and Submission Guide o Final revisions to design of RFA and Submission Guide o Draft outreach plan for technical assistance webinar o Final outreach plan for technical assistance webinar o Draft agenda for technical assistance webinar o Final agenda for technical assistance webinar o Provide webinar logistics support o Draft session recording and materials o Final session recording and materials

Subtask 2.4. Webinars to support NCER and NCSER grantees.

To support current NCER and NCSER grantees, contractor support is needed to plan, conduct outreach, manage, and host webinars to disseminate information about grantee requirements, in addition to convening grantees to discuss high priority topics of interest to the education research community. Example webinar topics may include tips for submitting an Annual Report, updates to the IES Public Access Plan, and tips for successful study recruitment and retention. These webinars shall be up to 90 minutes long and will be hosted quarterly (4 times per year) beginning in the base year and each option year, if exercised. The contractor shall work with IES staff to identify the webinar topics, identify appropriate presenters (e.g., ED staff, grantees, contract staff), and plan the webinar logistics. The contractor shall conduct outreach to all current NCER/NCSER grantees (approximately 800 grantees) to publicize the webinar. The contractor shall make a 508-compliant recording of the webinar, along with copies of any PowerPoint slides, within 2 weeks after the webinar.

• Deliverables:

o Draft agenda for grantee webinar o Final agenda for grantee webinar o Provide webinar logistics support o Draft session recording and materials o Final session recording and materials

Subtask 2.5. Develop Grantee Resource Webpage.

The contractor shall develop a Grantee Resource webpage that will be hosted on the IES website. The webpage shall include, but are not limited to, the products/resources developed under Task 2, events hosted by grantees, and internship/career opportunities. Examples from other federal agency grantee resource pages that can be used as reference include: https://grants.nih.gov/grants-process/post-award-monitoring-and-reporting and https://new.nsf.gov/awards. The contractor shall work with the vendor supporting the IES website digital modernization along with the IES Communications Director when developing the webpage to ensure compliance and functionality.

During the base year the contractor shall develop a mock-up of the webpage, and once approved, the contractor shall develop the webpage and submit to IES for approval to be made live. The contractor shall monitor the website and make updates to the website as needed. During each option year, if exercised, the contractor shall continue to make updates to the webpage as needed.

• Deliverables:

o Mock-up of Grantee Resource webpage o Develop Grantee Resource webpage o Make updates to Grantee Resource webpage as needed

Task 3: Program administrative support. (Required)

To support the work of NCER and NCSER staff, the contractor shall provide program administrative support in three key areas: (1) analyzing data from applicants; (2) synthesizing and analyzing data from grantee reports; and (3) reviewing and reporting on applicant compliance with IES public access and open science requirements.

Subtask 3.1: Analyze data from NCER and NCSER grant applicants.

NCER/NCSER needs contractor support to analyze and summarize data from its grant applicants so that IES can monitor program progress and make improvements as needed. Types of data to be analyzed from NCER and NCSER grant applicants include, but are not limited to:

• Data on the type of applicant (e.g., institution of higher education; non-profit;

minority serving institution, etc.)

• Demographic data of key personnel

• Data on application and funding rates by competition, topic, and project type.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants-process/post-award-monitoring-and-reporting https://grants.nih.gov/grants-process/post-award-monitoring-and-reporting https://new.nsf.gov/awards

As appropriate, raw data (e.g., Excel table of applicant data downloaded from G5) from grant applicants will be provided to the contractor by IES. The contractor will clean and analyze the data, and develop tables, figures, and/or infographics to summarize the findings in a similar style to that found on the NIH Data Book site:

https://report.nih.gov/nihdatabook/. A draft of the tables, figures, and/or infographics shall be submitted within 4 weeks after receipt of the raw data from IES. Upon final approval of the tables, figures, and/or infographics, the contractor shall work with IES staff, including the Deputy Director for Science and the Communications Director, to appropriately publish the data and results on the IES website.

In addition, the contractor shall develop Request for Applications (RFA) feedback surveys for grant competitions during the base year, and each option year if exercised.

The purpose of the survey is to obtain feedback from applicants on the success of the revisions to the RFAs and whether further changes are necessary. IES will use the feedback from the surveys to improve the clarity of the information provided to applicants in future RFA documents. The contractor shall draft an online feedback survey using previous RFA feedback surveys (if available) as a starting point. A draft of the survey questions shall be submitted to the COR at least 6 weeks prior to the grant application submission deadline. The COR shall review the survey and provide feedback to the Contractor within 2 weeks after receipt of the deliverable. The COR shall submit the final draft of the survey to OMB for approval as a Generic Clearance Request. The Contractor shall assist the COR with any needed information and documents to obtain OMB approval.

Once OMB approval is received, the Contractor shall e-mail the survey web link to all applicants of the specific grant competition and send reminder emails to applicants, as appropriate. The survey site shall be open for at least 2 weeks. The Contractor shall summarize the results from the survey within 8 weeks after the closing date of the survey, and also provide a copy of the survey data file to the COR.

• Deliverables:

o Clean and finalized applicant data set o First draft of summary tables, figures, infographics of applicant data set o Final summary tables, figures, infographics of applicant data set o Draft RFA surveys o Final RFA surveys for OMB submission o Draft results of RFA survey o Final results of RFA survey o RFA survey data file

Subtask 3.2. Synthesize and analyze data from grantee reports.

Across NCER and NCSER, approximately 800 grantees submit annual or final reports each year. While grantees are provided a report format with instructions on what information should be included under each report category, the information submitted by grantees in their annual and final reports are largely unstructured and have varying levels of detail and completeness. During the base year, the contractor shall develop a data quality management plan to improve the completeness, accuracy, and consistency https://report.nih.gov/nihdatabook/ of information submitted by NCER/NCSER grantees in their annual and final reports.

During subsequent option years, if exercised, the data quality management plan shall be reviewed and updated as needed.

Depending on the quality of the data, the contractor shall also analyze data identified by NCER/NCSER from grantee annual and final reports. Examples of data to be analyzed include, but are not limited to, information on the grantee’s study samples, outreach and engagement activities, tracking of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows trained by research grants, tracking of fellows and participants in IES-funded training programs, tracking of data sharing and publication record, and tracking uptake and usage of the intervention among users/schools. The contractor shall develop a plan for tracking, coding, and analyzing the data from the grantee annual and final reports. Once the plan is approved by ED/IES, the contractor shall conduct the analyses, synthesize the information, and provide a summary report to ED/IES. The report will be for internal use by ED/IES.

o Draft data quality management plan o Final data quality management plan o Draft tracking, coding, and data analysis plan o Final tracking, coding, and data analysis plan o Draft summary report of results o Final summary of results

Subtask 3.3: Review and report on applicant compliance with IES public access and open science requirements.

IES is implementing a new Public Access Plan over the course of Fiscal Years (FY) 2025 and 2026 that will affect all new awardees. IES's new Public Access Plan brings IES policy into alignment with common open science standards, and reflects priorities outlined in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) guidance issued in August 2022. These changes reflect a commitment to equity and increasing public access to and discoverability of federally funded research across U.S. funding agencies. To ensure IES grantees are in compliance with the Public Access Plan, contractor support is needed to review and report on their progress.

Specifically, contractor support is needed to review applications that have been recommended for funding to ensure they are in compliance with the items below.

Approximately 130 applications are typically recommended for funding per year across NCER and NCSER grant programs. During the base year and each option year, if exercised, these applications will need to be reviewed for the following:

• Persistent Identifiers for Key Personnel (PIDs): All key personnel on a new IES grant must have a PID such as an ORCID iD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID; https://orcid.org/) as a condition of award. If PIDs were not identified within the grant application, the contractor shall request the PIDs from the applicant, verify that it is valid, and record the PID in shareable file with IES.

https://orcid.org/

• Data Sharing Compliance: Beginning in the base year, the contractor will review the Data Sharing and Management Plan submitted by applicants who have been recommended for funding to determine if it meets the requirements as specified in the IES Public Access Plan. If there are any deficiencies, the contractor shall work with the applicant to revise their plans. Also, the contractor will review whether the applicant is compliant with data sharing requirements from previous IES grant awards.

• Publication Compliance: The contractor will review whether reports, manuscripts, or publications from previous IES grant awards have been uploaded to ERIC (https://eric.ed.gov/submit/). If there are any missing reports, manuscripts, or publications, the contractor shall work with the applicant to ensure that it is available in ERIC.

o Confirmed list of Persistent Identifiers for Key Personnel (PIDs) for applications recommended for funding o Confirmed list of applicants meeting data sharing requirements for current and prior IES awards o Confirmed list of applicants meeting publication requirements for prior

IES awards

Task 4: Training Program Administrative Support. (Required)

NCER and NCSER invest in research training programs to prepare individuals to conduct rigorous and relevant education research that advances knowledge within the field and addresses issues important to education policymakers and practitioners. To provide information on the participants in these programs, contractor support is needed to (1) develop and administer a survey to training program participants, (2) descriptively analyze data from the training program survey , (3) write a report summarizing the findings, and (4) develop a Training Program hub on the IES website.

Subtask 4.1: Development and administration of a training program survey.

During the base year, the contractor shall develop an online survey for current participants in NCER and NCSER’s research training programs to serve as an initial intake, mid-program (when applicable), and exit (when applicable) survey. The survey will gather information from participants in multiple programs, including—but not limited to—pathways, predoctoral, postdoctoral, and dissertation fellows; early career principal investigators; and methods trainees. The survey shall capture information on participants’ demographics, educational and training history, position, research interests, their goals for participating in the training program, and immediate outputs that are aligned with each training program’s logic model, including feedback on the training program. The survey shall be administered once in the base year and once in each option year, if exercised. Each training program participant will complete the survey a maximum of three times, a survey at the start of their program (all https://eric.ed.gov/submit/ participants) and at the end of their program (for certain participants) and an additional mid-program feedback survey (for predoctoral fellows).

As part of the survey development, the contractor shall plan to pilot the survey at least once with a small number of participants (n < 10) and make changes to the survey as needed based on findings from the pilot. The contractor shall conduct additional pilot studies as needed to further refine and the survey prior to finalizing its submission to

OMB.

The contractor shall prepare a forms clearance package including all forms required for OMB approval. The contractor shall ensure that the clearance package justifies the necessity for collecting the data and comprehensively responds to each required item in the instructions. In addition, the contractor shall include the anticipated response rate on survey measures. The contractor shall submit the draft OMB clearance package to the COR by XXX DATE. The COR will review the package within 2 weeks. The contractor shall submit the final, revised clearance package to the COR by XXX DATE. The COR will then submit the package to OMB for review.

The contractor will submit the OMB forms mindful that clearance requires a minimum of 150 days and how this corresponds with the agreed schedule of deliverables. The contractor shall be prepared to correct one or two revisions of forms and justification as required during the approval process.

Once OMB approval is received and IES has provided participant contact information, the contractor shall administer the survey to the training program participants, respond to inquiries regarding the survey, and provide weekly updates to the COR on the progress of the survey administration, including information about the response rate.

• Deliverables:

o Draft survey (including skip logic based on participant/program type) o Conduct pilot studies of the survey with small groups of participants (n <

10) o Draft data collection plan o Draft OMB package o Final survey, data collection plan, and OMB package o Weekly survey administration updates

Subtask 4.2. Descriptively analyze data from training program survey and triangulate with other data/information.

During the base year, and each option year if exercised, the contractor shall clean and conduct a descriptive analysis of the data from the training program survey. In addition, the contractor shall triangulate the survey data with other data on the training program participants (as applicable), including, but not limited to data collected by IES through the annual reports submitted by grantees.

o Cleaned, finalized dataset, inclusive of the training program survey

Subtask 4.3. Annual Descriptive Summary.

The contractor shall provide a report summarizing the data collection efforts and results of the descriptive analysis on the backgrounds and experiences of training program participants.

• Deliverables:

o Draft annual report o Final annual report

Subtask 4.4. Training Program Hub.

The contractor shall develop a Training Program Hub that will be hosted on the IES website, along with a webpage maintenance plan for the Training Program Hub. The hub shall include, but is not limited to, a list of current and past Training programs, information on programs that are recruiting fellows and links to find out more information, resources for training, events hosted by training grantees (e.g., upcoming methods trainings), links to IES blog posts highlighting training programs and participants, and internship opportunities. In developing the Training Program Hub, the contractor shall also review the current training program-related content on the IES website and a develop a plan to integrate existing and new content. The webpage maintenance plan shall include, but is not limited to, the required roles, responsibilities, resources, processes, and timelines to keep the Training Program Hub up to date. The contractor shall work with the vendor supporting the IES website digital modernization along with the IES Communications Director when developing the webpage to ensure compliance and functionality.

• Deliverables:

o Content plan for Training Program Hub webpage o Draft webpage maintenance plan o Mock-up of Training Program Hub webpage o Live approved Training Program Hub webpage o Ongoing updates to Training Program Hub webpage o Final webpage maintenance plan for the Training Program Hub

Task 5: Program Review and Evaluation Support. (Required)

IES assesses its program performance on a continuous basis and annually reports selected program performance information, including, for example, Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of the progress made toward achieving program results. While these GPRA reports includes measures of how NCER and NCSER are raising the quality of research funded or conducted by ED, they do not provide detailed information on how NCER and NCSER are addressing gaps in the field and where areas of improvement may be needed. Therefore, contractor support is needed to conduct more in-depth program reviews and evaluations of specific research topics, program areas, or portfolios funded by NCER and NCSER.

During the base year, the contractor shall conduct a program review and evaluation of the Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Context for Teaching and Learning research portfolio. During each subsequent option year, IES will identify additional NCER or

NCSER topics, programs, or portfolios that will be the focus of the program review or evaluation.

Subtask 5.1. Develop Research Plan for Program Review and Evaluation

With feedback from IES staff, the contractor shall develop a plan for executing the program review and evaluation. The program review and evaluation may include both quantitative and qualitative approaches for identifying major themes. The contractor shall develop a plan that includes information on, but not limited to: (a) Goals/aims of the evaluation; (b) Evaluation framework; (c) Methods; and (d) Analysis Plan.

Currently, NCER and NCSER define success in terms of the number of grants awarded, the minimum percentage of projects resulting in peer-reviewed publications, and the number of interventions with WWC-rated evidence of significant impact on student education outcomes. Contractor support is needed to identify whether additional metrics of success can be used to assess NCER and NCSER’s topics, programs, and portfolios. As part of the research plan, the contractor shall propose the metrics of success that will be used for the evaluation. IES staff will review and provide feedback on the research plan.

• Deliverables:

o Draft(s) of research plan o Final research plan

Subtask 5.2: Conduct Program Review and Evaluation

Once the final research plan is approved, the contractor shall carry out the program review and evaluation tasks. While the contractor shall rely mainly on publicly available information (e.g., structured abstracts, publications, information on websites), additional information can be made available by IES (e.g., access to Final Reports from grantees) for the purposes of the evaluation.

o Monthly report on evaluation progress

Subtask 5.3: Program Evaluation Report

The contractor shall submit at least one draft of the evaluation report to ED. IES staff will review the report and provide feedback. Multiple drafts may be needed before a final evaluation report is accepted/approved. The report should include a summary of the research plan; results; conclusions regarding the success of the identified NCER/NCSER research topic, program, or portfolio; and recommendations for areas of improvement. The report will be for ED/IES staff and will not be shared publicly, but an optional task could be exercised to revise the report for sharing externally (see Task 11).

• Deliverables:

o Draft(s) of program evaluation report o Final program evaluation report

Task 6: Program Communication Support. (Required)

To broadly disseminate the work of NCER and NCSER, contractor support is needed to provide broad program communication support. These activities include (1) content management system support; (2) updating the structured abstracts of funded projects;

(3) social media support, including creating social media toolkit for grantees and assisting NCER/NCSER with developing blogs and Tweets; and (4) data storytelling of successful NCER and NCSER grantees through infographics and visualizations.

Subtask 6.1: Provide content management system support.

As part of the IES website digital modernization, NCER and NCSER will be transitioning to implementing metadata about their funded grants and contracts on the IES website.

Contractor support will be needed to provide content management system (CMS) support to track, organize, and revise metadata about NCER and NCSER grants and contracts. NCER and NCSER awards (grants, cooperative agreements, and SBIR contracts) will be assigned digital object identifiers (DOIs). These DOIs will contain metadata that will link awards to individuals and institutions, as well as related NCER/NCSER awards, publications, and datasets. Contractor support will be needed to ensure metadata on NCER and NCSER awards are updated as needed during the base year and each option year, if exercised. The contractor shall work with the vendor supporting the IES website digital modernization along with the IES Communications Director to ensure that information about NCER and NCSER funded grants and contracts are up-t0-date and accurate.

• Deliverable:

o Review/update NCER and NCSER project DOIs and their metadata to

Drupal CMS

Subtask 6.2. Prepare and Update Structured Abstracts.

All funded NCER and NCSER grants and SBIR contracts have a structured abstract published on the IES website. As new grants and SBIR contracts are awarded, the contractor shall work with NCER and NCSER to review and revise structured abstracts submitted as part of the application. The structured abstracts shall follow a format and style specified by IES and shall use plain language, writing in a way that non-research audiences can understand. As needed, the contractor shall contact the principal investigator of the grant/contract to clarify or provide additional information to complete the structured abstract. The contractor shall use the Drupal CMS to submit the completed draft of the structured abstract for IES review and approval. It is anticipated that approximately 130 new structured abstracts will need to be reviewed and revised by the contractor during the base year, and each option year of the contract, if exercised.

In addition, the contractor shall work with the COR and IES program officers to revise published structured abstracts as needed when changes arise with the project, including but not limited to changes to the principal investigator or grantee institution, or changes to the project site and methods. Information about the necessary revisions to the structured abstract will be provided by NCER and NCSER staff to the contractor. It is expected that the contractors shall keep the structured abstracts on the website up to date as possible. Any changes to existing structured abstracts shall be submitted through the Drupal CMS.

Grantees, as part of their Final Report, are also required to submit a revised structured abstract. The revised abstract should reflect activities that changed over time (such as the study site(s) or number of participants), include revisions to the content that may help a general audience understand the basic motivation for or design of the project, and add key outcomes and findings. The contractor shall coordinate with the IES program officer and contact the PI as needed to revise the final abstract. The contractor shall submit the completed draft of the final structured abstracts for review and approval through the Drupal CMS. It is anticipated that approximately 100 structured abstracts submitted as part of the grantee’s Final Report will need to be reviewed, revised, and published on the IES website during the base year, and each option year of the contract.

• Deliverables:

o Drafts of structured abstracts for new awards o Final drafts of structured abstracts for new awards for posting o Draft of final report structured abstracts o Final report structured abstracts for posting

Subtask 6.2. Social Media Support.

To broadly disseminate current and ongoing research activities supported by NCER and NCSER, contractor support is needed to develop a “Social Media Toolkit” for researchers. The toolkit will include best practices and recommendations for how grantees can develop engaging blogs, social media posts, videos, and podcasts to showcase their project. The toolkit will be posted on the IES website as a resource.

The contractor shall also work with NCER and NCSER staff to plan, draft, review, and publish IES research blogs at least twice per month beginning one (1) month after contract award. The contractor shall work with NCER and NCSER to identify the content areas/focus of the IES blogs. The blogs can highlight research aligned with specific events throughout the year (e.g., National STEM Day; National Hispanic Heritage Month), showcase new results from IES funded research, or spotlight specific IES grantees, researchers, or fellows. The intended audience of the blogs include education researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. Drafts blogs will be submitted through the Drupal CMS for IES review and approval.

In addition, throughout the base year and each option year, the contractor shall coordinate with NCER and NCSER staff to draft social media posts on X, LinkedIn, and/or Facebook to amplify recent IES blogs, Newsflashes, reports, presentations, and awards to a broad audience.

• Deliverables:

o Draft Social Media Toolkit o Final Social Media Toolkit o Draft blogs o Final blogs for posting o Draft Social media posts https://ies.ed.gov/blogs/

Subtask 6.3. Data Storytelling of Successful IES-funded Projects

To further showcase the success IES has had in supporting rigorous and relevant research across topics, programs, and portfolios, contractor support is needed to produce “data storytelling” narratives. These narratives will focus on a broader set of research funded by NCER and/or NCSER that may include the use of, but not limited to, infographics, data visualizations, interactive maps, and feature articles. Examples of potential data storytelling narratives include the research NCER/NCSER has supported focusing on algebra, early reading, or classroom management. The intended audience of these narratives include education researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. During the base year, and each option year, the contractor shall develop at least two (2) data storytelling narratives on the topic, program, or portfolio of research identified by

NCER/NCSER.

• Deliverables o Draft of data storytelling narratives o Final data storytelling narratives

Task 7. Creation of additional PowerPoint slides, two-page handouts and infographics to showcase NCER and NCSER funded research. (Optional)

This optional task 7 is for one year but it can be exercised in any of the contract years if ED chooses to do so. During any year when it is exercised, the contractor shall create two additional PowerPoint slide decks (with about 15 to 25 slides each), two infographics, two one-page handouts or other materials that summarize NCER and NCSER funded research. NCER and NCSER shall identify the focus of the PowerPoint slide decks, the infographics and the hand-outs. These PowerPoint slide decks, infographics and handouts are the same type of products outlined in Task 2 above.

• Deliverables:

o Draft powerpoint slides, handouts, and infographics o Final powerpoint slides, handouts, and infographics

Task 8. Short videos on NCER and NCSER Funding Opportunities (Optional)

This optional Task 8 is for one year but it can be exercised in any of the contract years if ED chooses to do so. The contractor shall create a 2-minute video summarizing the available NCER and NCSER funding opportunities. The intended audience for the video will be education researchers. The video shall be 508 compliant. The video can include a combination of live-action or digital animation to describe the funding opportunities.

• Deliverables:

o Draft storyboard of video o Final story board of video o Draft video o Final video

Task 9: Short videos about successful NCER and/or NCSER funded research or research training projects. (Optional)

Optional task 9 is for one year but it can be exercised in any of the contract years if ED chooses to do so. Building on subtask 6.3, the contractor shall create a 2-minute video of NCER/NCSER funded research or training projects that are achieving successful short-term, medium-term, or long-term outcomes. The videos can provide original footage and/or use excerpts from existing grantee videos that are making progress toward their intended outcomes. The intended audience for the video includes policymakers, researchers, and educators at all levels. The contractor shall work with the COR to coordinate with any grantees whose projects are featured in the video. The video shall be 508 compliant and will be made available on the IES website.

• Deliverables:

o Draft storyboard of video with draft script or main themes and information on what and who will be presented in the video o Final storyboard of video o Draft video o Final video

Task 10. Conduct additional program evaluations. (Optional)

Optional task 10 is for one year but it can be exercised in any of the contract years if ED chooses to do so. During any year that it is exercised, the contractor shall conduct one

(1) additional program evaluation of NCER/NCSER research or training programs. The contract deliverables and actions under this Optional Task shall be the same as those outlined in Task 5.

• Deliverables:

o Draft research plan o Final research plan o Monthly report on evaluation progress o Draft of program evaluation report o Final program evaluation report

Task 11. Revise internal report for dissemination as an external report brief. (Optional)

This optional task 11 is for one year but it can be exercised in any of the contract years if ED chooses to do so. During any year when it is exercised, the contractor shall revise a previously developed internal report for ED (e.g., grantee data report; program evaluation report) into a research brief for dissemination externally on the IES website.

The research brief shall adhere to IES Style Guide and IES Graphic standards as well as federal plain language guidelines for clarity and be 508 compliant. Multiple drafts of the report may be needed before it is approved by IES for sharing externally on the IES website.

o Draft(s) of external research brief o Final external research brief

Task 12. Provide logistics support for IES Speaker Series. (Optional)

Optional task 12 is for one year but it can be exercised in any of the contract years if ED chooses to do so. The Contractor shall provide administrative and logistics support for the IES Speaker Series, where a national expert(s) comes to speak to IES staff about an area of interest to the education science community, such as research and statistics methodology. They typically will involve a speaker from outside of the Washington, D.C.

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