PR15577138 - SOW_STEM_Research_Final.pdf

Statement of Work (SOW)

STEM Research & Education Partnership Between Brazil and the United States

August 2025

Table of Contents

1. General

1.1. Background

1.2. Objective

1.3. Scope of Work

1.4. Period of Performance

1.5. Place of Performance

1.6. Pricing

2. Specific Requirements and Tasks

3. Data Analysis & Reporting

4. Client Support & Responsibilities

5. Deliverables

6. Branding, Copyright, and Permissions

7. Meetings and Coordination

8. Timeline and Milestones

Appendix A – Deliverables Chart

1. General

1.1. Background

The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Brazil requires contractor support to conduct applied research on higher education and STEM partnerships between Brazilian and U.S. universities. The research will also assess the scope and outcomes of investments made by other foreign countries in developing academic and research relationships with Brazilian institutions. The results will provide the U.S.

Government with actionable insights to support the expansion and sustainability of

U.S.–Brazil institutional partnerships.

1.2. Objective

The objective of this contract is to conduct research and analysis on joint STEM publications and institutional partnerships between Brazilian and U.S. universities, identifying barriers, opportunities, and strategies to enhance long-term collaboration.

1.3. Scope of Work

The contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, facilities, supervision, and management necessary to design, execute, and deliver the research project, including literature/database review, in-depth interviews, qualitative data analysis, and preparation of a final written report.

1.4. Period of Performance

The period of performance shall begin on November 3, 2025, through May 1, 2026.

1.5. Place of Performance

The work may be performed at the contractor’s facilities. Interviews shall be conducted virtually unless otherwise approved by the Contracting Officer’s

Representative (COR).

1.6. Pricing

The contractor shall ensure that all costs associated with property, equipment, materials, and services required to fulfill this contract are incorporated into the CLIN pricing below.

CLIN Description Unit of

Measure

Rate (BRL) Est. No Total Amount

(BRL)

1 Academic Database Subscriptions Unit 1

2 Labor Hours (Research & Analysis) Hour 250

3 Interviews (Faculty & Admin) Each 38

4 Travel (If Required/Approved) Unit 1

Note: The contractor shall ensure all costs associated with property, equipment, materials, and services required to fulfill this contract are incorporated into the CLIN pricing above

2. Specific Requirements and Tasks

Phase 1: Joint Publication Catalogue

1. Publication Database

a) Scan publication databases to identify joint publications between faculty working at Brazilian and U.S. Universities.

2. Product:

▪ Database of joint publications including (.xlsx file)

▪ Author names

▪ University Affiliations (U.S. and Brazil)

▪ City & State of Universities (U.S. and Brazil)

▪ Publication Title

▪ Journal Name

▪ Field

▪ Topic

▪ Date

Phase 2: In-Depth Interviews w/Faculty & Administrators/Staff

1. Author Interviews

Using the database of publications, identify a sample of Brazilian and American authors to interview, focusing on:

a) Initial formation of research partnership;

b) How has partnership, if at all, persisted since publication?

c) Did the partnership develop into an institutional partnership / Why or why not?

d) How have university and research partnerships between Brazilian and foreign universities evolved in recent years?

e) What can the U.S. Mission in Brazil do to facilitate and support faculty to faculty and university to university partnerships between Brazil and the U.S.?

2. Administrators / Staff Interviews

Construct a snowball sample of university administrators or staff working in international partnerships and conduct interviews, focusing on:

b) The current state of institutional partnerships between the interviewee's university and universities in The United States (or Brazil);

c) Current university strategies to create institutional partnerships with universities in the United States (or Brazil);

d) Challenges the interviewee (and their university) faces when trying to establish institutional partnerships with Universities in the United States (or Brazil);

e) Current university strategies to create institutional partnerships with universities in other countries to be specified;

f) What can the U.S. Mission in Brazil do to facilitate and support faculty to faculty and university to university partnerships between Brazil and the U.S.?

Phase 3 - Interview Sample

▪ Total Complete Interviews: 38

▪ Interview Length: 60 Minutes

The offeror should conduct a total of 38, 60-minute, in-depth interviews distributed according to the following sample quotas.

1. Author Interviews (60-minute interviews)

• Total Complete Interviews (N = 30) o Brazilian Faculty (N =20)

▪ At least 15 interviews should be with faculty from the following

Universities:

1. Universidade de São Paulo (USP)

2. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)

3. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

4. Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”

(UNESP)

5. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)

6. Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP)

7. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

8. Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) o American Faculty (N = 10)

2. Administrators / Staff Interviews (60-minute interviews)

▪ Total Interviews (N = 8):

o 6 Brazilian University Administrators/Staff o 2 American University Administrators/Staff

3. Data Analysis & Reporting

The offeror will conduct an analysis of qualitative interview data gathered during the study. The offeror will provide a summary report discussing the relevant findings grouped by each topic area and theme outlined in the Interview protocol to be provided by the client. The offeror will also provide a summary of the methods used to analyze the qualitative interview data gathered in the study, including a coding scheme used to organize the qualitative data.

4. Client Support & Responsibilities

The client, U.S. Embassy Brasilia, will provide the following support to the offeror during the planning and execution of the project:

▪ The client will provide as-needed clarification and provision of additional research/project details to support the offeror in their efforts to fully scope and design the research.

▪ The client will provide interview questionnaires and guides for the offeror to use during in-depth interviews.

▪ The client will provide a report outline/structure for the offeror to follow when writing final report(s).

5. Deliverables

• Publication database (xlsx) with joint STEM publications.

• Interview sample frame and interview transcripts/notes (de-identified as necessary).

• Interim updates to COR, as requested.

• Final written report including analysis, findings, and recommendations.

6. Branding, Copyright, and Permissions

All materials produced under this contract shall be the property of the U.S.

Government. The contractor shall certify that all data and analysis are original, royalty-free, and unrestricted for U.S. Government use.

7. Meetings and Coordination

• Kickoff Meeting – virtual, within 10 business days of award.

• Monthly progress reviews – conducted virtually.

• Ad-hoc meetings – at COR request, with five (5) business days’ notice.

8. Timeline and Milestones

Task/Deliverable Responsible Party Due Date

Project Launch / Kickoff Meeting U.S. Embassy & Contractor Nov 3rd, 2025

Begin Cataloging of Research Articles Contractor Nov 17th, 2025

Initial List Of 30 Articles for COR Review Contractor Dec 5th, 2025

Complete Catalogue of Articles Contractor Jan 9th, 2026

Deliver List of Articles to Client Contractor Jan 16th, 2026

Submit Interview Sample Frame for Approval Contractor Jan 30th, 2026

Launch Interviews Contractor Feb 20th, 2026

Complete All Interviews Contractor Apr 3rd, 2026

Submit Final Report Contractor May 1st, 2026

Appendix A – Deliverables Chart

Deliverable Description Due Date Format Recipient

Publication database

STEM joint publication database

Jan 16th , 2026 Excel COR

Interview sample frame

Detailed interview plan Jan 30th, 2026 Word COR

Interview transcripts/notes

Records of interviews (de-identified)

Apr 3rd, 2026 Word/PDF COR

Final report Written report with findings & recommendations

May 1st, 2026 Word/PDF COR