Challenge_Prize_STATEMENT_OF_WORK_DRAFT__17_aug_19.docx

Statement of Work to Obtain Comprehensive Support of a Challenge Award with Multiple Awardees

Background

The National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) is the first Public Health Service office dedicated specifically to promoting research on the health of women. The ORWH was established in September 1990. Congress assigned a far-reaching leadership role for ORWH by mandating that the ORWH Director:

· Advise the NIH Director and NIH staff on matters relating to research on women’s health.

· Strengthen and enhance research related to diseases, disorders, and conditions that affect--and are associated with--the health of women.

· Ensure that research conducted and supported by the NIH adequately addresses issues regarding women’s health.

· Ensure that women are appropriately represented in biomedical and bio-behavioral research studies supported by the NIH.

· Support research on topics related to the health of women.

· Develop opportunities and support for recruitment, retention, reentry, and advancement of women in biomedical careers.

A goal of the NIH is to expand the knowledge base in medical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nation's economic well-being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research. The Trans-NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers (Working Group) co-chaired by the NIH Director and ORWH Director, was established in 2007 in response to the recommendations of a National Academies report on bias and barriers to women in academic science and engineering careers. The Working Group was charged with assessing successful strategies and developing tangible actions to promote the advancement of women in research careers both within the NIH and throughout the extramural community.

A recent initiative of the Working Group is to find novel solutions to stem the loss of women researchers throughout their careers. Through the development of a challenge, the Working Group seeks to acknowledge institutional approaches that created/improved inclusive environments that have resulted in significant improvements in faculty gender diversity. Another aim of this challenge is to disseminate practices for improving the representation of women faculty in biomedical fields in order to assist other institutions in overcoming barriers.

The purpose of the following tasks/programs is to help with the mission to support career opportunities and advancement for a diverse biomedical workforce. Specifically, the ORWH will support a prize competition (ORWH Challenge Competition) to identify and reinforce the advancement of gender diversity within the faculty ranks at institutions of higher learning within the United States.

Tasks

The Contractor shall complete the following tasks:

1. Meetings and Conference Calls

1.1 Kickoff Meeting with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and ORWH Subject Matter Expert (SME): The Contractor shall meet with the COR and ORWH SME within 7 days of the effective date of award to review the project plan and timeline submitted with the contractor’s bid/proposal. This meeting will be conducted via conference call or in person and is expected to last approximately 2 hours. The Contractor shall take notes at this and all meetings. Notes must be submitted to the COR and SME within 5 days of all meetings.

1.2 Monthly Conference Calls with the COR and SME: The Contractor shall arrange for monthly conference calls with the COR and SME to provide progress updates throughout the period of performance. Each call should take place within 10 days of the end of each month. The Contractor shall take meeting notes and submit them to the COR within 5 days of the monthly conference call.

2. Background work for ORWH Challenge Competition.

2.1 Identify and prepare as extensive a list as possible of key relevant US professional groups relevant to institutions of higher biomedical education, especially groups promoting diversity in these settings. Examples of groups that would be included on this list include the Association for Women in Science, Association of American Medical Colleges, Council on Graduate Medical Education, American Society for Microbiology, Association of American Colleges & Universities, and the American Association of University Women. The Contractor should also include a short description of each group, including their mission.

2.2 Identify a list of periodicals for potential dissemination of our ORWH Challenge Competition (e.g., Science, Nature, Journal on Women’s Health, science news outlets, education news outlets).

2.3 Work with the COR and SME to develop a communications plan to promote and increase the successful number and quality of submissions. The plan should include efforts to engage federal agencies, media, and various stakeholders. It should also include a marketing and promotion strategy which will encompass the use of social media promotion or promotion through other more traditional outlets. This plan should also include the stakeholders identified in 2.1 and dissemination outlets described in 2.2.

2.4 Execute the plan developed in 2.3.

2.5 Design, develop, build and launch an ORWH Challenge Competition website that allows applicants to register for the Challenge and submit documentation on their solutions. This website should also include a FAQ box and an email to send questions about the challenge.

3. Management of ORWH Challenge Competition Processes

3.1 The Contractor will collect all applications submitted through the ORWH Challenge Competition website and give the COR and SME weekly updates on various aspects of the applications received.

3.2 The Contractor will ensure that submissions meet the eligibility guidelines. In addition, conduct an initial review of each submission to determine if the entrant has submitted the complete documentation required to meet the eligibility criteria unique to this competition. Manage competition participant document submission including releases of liability. Give appropriated and documented feedback (via email or phone) to non-eligible applicants with 24-hours of the determination of an applicant’s ineligibility status.

3.3 Monitor incoming questions submitted to the ORWH Challenge Competition website help email address. Consult with COR and SME to develop answers to these questions and post them on the ORWH Challenge Competition website FAQ box on a rolling basis.

3.4 Within 7 days of the competition closing, the contactor will provide the ORWH COR with all eligible and ineligible applications.

3.5 The Contractor will coordinate the evaluation and review meetings with participants identified by the COR. The Contractor will provide packages for each reviewer in advance of the meeting. See deliverables.

3.6 The Contractor will provide an individual to facilitate the review meetings.

3.7 The ORWH Challenge Competition shall be structured using a one-step selection process. The Contractor will develop a COI form for reviewers, will provide the ORWH COR and SME a copy of these signed COI forms from all reviewers, prior to the in-person review. The Contractor will ensure that all reviewers have a copy of the applications at least three weeks before the in-person/phone reviews. The Contractor will also assist ORWH staff in the assignments of primary and secondary reviewers. The Contractor will ensure that all primary and secondary written reviews are received within two days of the in-person review, and a list of initial scores will be provided to the SME and COR by midday prior to the in-person review. At the in-person review applications will be individually discussed. The Contractor will develop and distribute review scoring sheets to the reviewers. The Contractor will take meeting notes of the review discussion, collect all of the score sheets at the end of the review and provide the SME and COR with the final score results for all applications, as well as a narrative of the review (based on the in-person discussions and the initial reviewer narratives). These reviews shall be provided to the SME and COR within two weeks of the in-person review meetings.

4. Post-Review

4.1 Prepare press announcements on the awardees and submit these to the COR for review and approval. Upon approval from the COR, distribute this information to groups identified in Task 2 above in coordination with official HHS and White House press releases.

Planning and Challenge Prelaunch

1. Meeting notes from initial meeting with COR and SME, due within 5 days of meeting

2. Meeting Minutes from monthly conference calls, due within 5 days of calls

3. Develop a Stakeholder list: An electronic list of key professional societies, academic institutions, publications, organizations, and other relevant stakeholders, due within 10 days of date of contract

4. A draft communications plan to promote the Challenge. This includes a detailed dissemination plan and is due within 3 weeks of the award.

5. Final communications plan to promote successful participants at each step

6. Design and develop a website in for approval

7. Build and launch website once approved

8. Perform environmental/market scan and prepare report of existing government, private, and foundation funding to support STEM faculty gender diversity

9. Disseminate Challenge announcement by providing FRN and challenge.gov link

Challenge Launch

10. Collect and track all applications and provide weekly report that includes completion of the submissions, compliance w/ application requirements, due weekly

11. Implement the dissemination plan and provide weekly updates on the success of the outreach and dissemination

12. Report weekly on number of calls, questions and responses provided.

13.Develop FAQ section on how to apply to challenge on Website and update

14. Prepare list of submissions

15. Prepare final list of submissions that meet COMPETES act eligibility criteria and completeness/ and all those that are ineligible

Post-Challenge Review and Data

16. Organize and assist with review meetings. Including document preparation and circulation.

17. Create a SOP for the reviews.

18. Assist with assignment of reviewers

19. Maintain reviewer information and their assignments

20. Provide evaluation forms for written review feedback

21. Provide rating and ranking based on the written review process.

22. Create list of applicants from the written review that will be discussed during in-person review meeting

23. Prepare packages of eligible applications for reviewers for in person/ phone review

24. Collect all evaluation forms

25. Provide rating and ranking based on the in-person review meeting.

26. Meeting notes and scoring results from challenge review meeting, due within 5 days of meeting

27. Create a letter to inform 10 entrants selected about award (create a form letter approved by ORWH and sends this to awardees)

28. Inform up to 10 entrants selected for runner up (create a form letter approved by ORWH and sends this to awardees)

29. Compile data of selected entrants in excel for data base

Public Forum

30. Secure a meeting site on NIH Campus for the public forum with ORWH assistance

31. Provide all onsite logistical support for public forum

32. Take meeting notes for the public Forum 32.a Prepare report of public forum event

33. Prepare draft press announcements on awardees for distribution

Deliverables:

All deliverables shall be submitted to the COR identified in the contract.

Within 2 weeks of EDOC

Within 4 weeks of EDOC

Within 16 months of EDOC

Assist with assignment of reviewers

Within 4 months of EDOC

Within 12 months of EDOC