SEATS Statement of Work_CISE.pdf

Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering

(CISE)

Science and Engineering Analytical and Technical Support (SEATS)

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

I. Project Title:

(a) CISE- Computer and Information Science and Engineering (SEATS) Contract

II. Period of Performance:

(a) The Period of Performance will be from the date of award for twelve months with four 12-month option periods, totaling five years.

III. Background:

CISE Background The mission of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) is to enable the U.S. to uphold its leadership in computing, communications, and information science and engineering; promote understanding of the principles and uses of advanced computing, communications, and information systems in service to society; support advanced cyberinfrastructure that enables and accelerates discovery and innovation across all science and engineering disciplines; and contribute to universal, transparent, and affordable participation in an information-based society.

To achieve this mission, CISE supports investigator-initiated research and education in all areas of computer and information science and engineering, fosters broad interdisciplinary collaboration, helps develop and maintain cutting-edge national cyberinfrastructure for research and education, and contributes to the development of a computer and information technology workforce with skills necessary for success in the increasingly competitive global market.

In addition to an Office of the Assistant Director, CISE comprises four other units: the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC), the Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF), the Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS), and the Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS). Each unit manages a portfolio of programs that issue solicitations and announcements, receive proposals, conduct a merit review process, and award and manage grants and cooperative agreements. While individual program directors may be designated as the point of contact for specific sub-disciplines, collaboration takes place within each program, across each unit, between units, and with other directorates, agencies, and organizations.

IV. Scope of Work The following section outlines the contract support for CISE. The tasks delineated below are non-inherent governmental work currently being performed by program officers and communications and outreach and additional non-inherently governmental work that could be delegated to a support contractor. In particular, the contracting support will augment the CISE

Draft workforce to reflect our workload and associated needs.

1. CISE Scope of Work

The contractors will assist CISE program officers in reviewer identification and recruitment, scientific support on merit review panels, post-award management, program portfolio analysis, and community outreach. Importantly, the contractors will not replace the roles of a program officer or any of the existing administrative staff. The three CISE research divisions and OAC will utilize contractor support in different ways, and the number of contractors will vary for each CISE unit:

a. In OAC, a contractor (five) will support the breadth of the division’s programs, both “core” programs (programs that are wholly housed within and run by the division) and OAC-led “cross-cutting” programs (programs that are led by OAC but involve the participation of at least one other division within CISE or beyond), as well as the Advisory Committee for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure;

b. In CCF, a contractor (two) will support the breadth of the division’s programs, both “core” programs (programs that are wholly housed within and run by the division) and CCF-led “cross-cutting” programs (programs that are led by CCF but involve the participation of at least one other division within CISE or beyond); and

c. In CNS, the contractors (two) will support the breadth of the division’s programs, both “core” programs (programs that are wholly housed within and run by the division) and CNS- led “cross-cutting” programs (programs that are led by CNS but involve the participation of at least one other division within CISE or beyond). ; and

d. In IIS, the contractors (four) will focus on support for the core and the National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes.

V. Place of Performance:

The work performed under this Contract shall be accomplished at the contractor site, telework, and/or the address below for the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering:

National Science Foundation

Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering,2415 Eisenhower Ave

Alexandria, VA 22314

VI. Contractor Staff Requirements, Role and Responsibilities:

(a) The contractor shall provide qualified personnel to accomplish all work detailed in the

SOW. The contractor shall have:

1. Science background: a Master’s degree in science, engineering, or mathematics

(preference will be given to computer or information science/engineering fields) – background to understand the funded research. Equivalent experience and/or certifications are acceptable in place of MS.

2. Experience in managing research projects and teams. Familiarity with research, project, and program management.

3. Project management – proven business acumen in managing complex projects and budgets.

4. Communications – strong communication skills, both written and verbal.

5. Office skills – highly proficient with Microsoft Office (specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote) and calendar and schedule management using Outlook;

proficient with Zoom, OneDrive and Microsoft Teams, Box and Slack; and familiar with Microsoft SharePoint and/or other online collaboration tools; must be able to automate and innovate.

(b) The Contractor shall assist program lead (s) in the aspects of the management of the program that include but are not limited to the following:

Overall CISE Program Management:

1. The Contractor shall meet with the CISE technical lead and contracting officer representative staff regularly to understand CISE requirements, processes, and systems.

2. The contractor shall be accessible Monday through Friday during NSF business hours.

3. The contractor will allowed to travel based on budget availability.

Work Area 1‐ Program Planning:

4. Assist in the preparation, staffing, and clearing of program solicitations and management plans.

5. Assist in developing communication materials/slides for public presentations by Program Officers.

6. Assist Program Officers with coordination and logistics planning for workshops and other community and interagency coordination and planning activities.

Work Area 2 ‐ Review Management:

7. Provide support to Program Officers through the maintenance and distribution of process documents, templates, timelines, etc., to maintain accountability for award and decline processing.

8. Aid in binning proposals into panels utilizing available tools.

9. Coordinate panel scheduling among Program Officers in various divisions or within a working group.

10. Provide support in panelist recruiting; aid Program Officers in finding new reviewers through the use of multiple methods, including the administration of reviewer surveys, curating resulting data, and coordinating the use of those resources.

11. Provide initial vetting of panel and individual reviews and initial drafts of public project abstracts and review analyses; identify and report on problematic or insufficient comments to Program Officers for their action.

12. Act as the primary scheduling Point of Contact for setting up site visits/reverse site visits in the review process, as well as production and posting of correspondence, minutes, team presentations, and review products as applicable.

13. Capture and provide meeting minutes for panel meetings, workshops, site visits, and program working group meetings.

14. Help with future panel development through the analysis of reviews for reviewer quality and quality of reviews, panelist surveys, etc.

Work Area 3 ‐ Program Management:

15. Assist Program Officers in non-decisional aspects of program management.

16. Assist in the coordination of working group activities and meetings

Through correspondence, scheduling, agenda development and, note-taking, etc.

17. Maintain program calendars, milestones, and shared document libraries.

18. Coordinate and follow through on partner requirements, interagency agreements, funds transfers, etc.

19. Develop slides for public presentations about NSF programs

20. Monitor project web pages and annual/final reports for accomplishments/outcomes that could be highlighted to the NSF Office of Legislative and Public Affairs and CISE outreach staff.

21. Perform data analytics (e.g., look at geographic/gender/ethnic diversity of panelists and Principal Investigators) as required.

22. Assist in developing and organizing NSF workshops and Principal Investigator meetings – inparticular, ensuring required deliverables for meetings, contacting PIs, organizing special sessions, etc.

Work Area 4 ‐ Award Management:

23. Support the development of cooperative agreement terms and conditions through coordination with cognizant Program Officers and administrative staff. Coordinate with identified stakeholders to support issue identification and resolution.

24. Follow-up and coordinate with CISE partners (external to NSF) for transfer and commit funds to new and existing awards (e.g., Interagency Agreements).

25. Perform analyses of funded projects by technology area and application domain in response to questions from senior leadership.

26. Assist in drafting presentations that summarize the program including extracting information from award databases using search tools and help build program highlight briefings.

Work Area 5 ‐ Post‐Award Oversight:

27. Assist with the receipt and review of quarterly/annual project reports, including performing a preliminary review of annual/final reports to highlight issues for further consideration (e.g., does the report describe different results from the prior year, do published papers acknowledge NSF, is the PI team making spending progress) and scheduling calls with PIs, if needed, after consultation with the cognizant Program Officer.

28. Monitor/follow-up on fulfillment of any partner sharing arrangements (e.g., distribution of reports to partners, inclusion in calls/meetings/visits, etc.).

29. Review the financial expenditures of the project for compliance and alignment with project plans.

30. Coordinate with the cognizant Program Officer to issue communications with awardee teams for matters of reporting and oversight. Coordinate the scheduling and conduct of oversight site visits/reverse site visits.

2. Agency Staff, Roles, and Responsibilities – CISE staff will continue to be responsible for the scientific assessment of program directions, the creation of new programs, award recommendations, and financial/scientific oversight of awards.

3. Reporting Requirements –

The Contractor shall participate in weekly review meetings and be prepared to present and discuss the following:

I. Activities planned for the week;

II. Work and deliverables completed during the period;

III. Status of ongoing activities;

IV. Activities planned for the following period;

V. Problems or issues projected or identified;

VI. Alternatives and/or recommended solution(s) for identified or projected problems or issues;

In addition, the Contractor shall provide a monthly report that captures deliverables completed within the month and upcoming tasks for the next month.

4. Government Furnished Property – Not Applicable

5. Schedule with Milestones – Include any special schedule that the contractor will be expected to meet during the contract performance. Provide these dates.

6. Deliverables – TBD (sample below)

Deliverables (D) / Milestones (M) Due Date

After Contract Award Kick‐off meeting (M) Within ten (10) business days of award

Deliverables as requested (D) Within the time frames specified