Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) for four survey cycles in the fall of each year: 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Acquisition and Cooperative Support is seeking qualified vendors through a Sources Sought notice to conduct the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) for four annual survey cycles from 2026 through 2029. The procurement involves comprehensive data collection services including conducting an annual census of U.S. academic institutions that grant research-based master's or doctorate degrees, maintaining survey databases, generating analytical tables, producing 508-compliant publications, and preparing public use files. Qualified vendors must demonstrate capabilities in large-scale national university census/survey data collection, developing internet-based data collection instruments, maintaining secure government survey databases, and technical survey administration. The NSF is particularly seeking organizations with experience in project management, data editing and imputation, stakeholder engagement, methodological research, and promotional activities. Interested vendors must submit a 5-page response by September 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM ET to Derek Bowks at dbowks@nsf.gov, including corporate information, relevant experience details, and technical capabilities.

This opportunity operates under NAICS code 541611 (Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services) with a $24.5 million size standard and has no set-aside designation, encouraging responses from all businesses with special emphasis on small businesses across various socioeconomic categories. The contract encompasses four distinct survey cycles spanning from 2026 to 2029, targeting academic institutions that employ postdoctoral researchers or doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers in science, engineering, and health fields. Optional tasks include conducting a Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) Postdoc Survey and performing additional methodological research studies. The initiative aims to collect comprehensive data on graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and nonfaculty doctorate holders to support federal policy formulation, budget analyses, and research on higher education. This Sources Sought notice explicitly states it is not a formal Request for Proposal and places no obligation on the government to award a contract, though NSF may contact respondents for additional information or due diligence sessions following submissions.