NSF's $25.9M Contract for Doctorate Recipient Survey Awarded to Westat, Inc
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $25,944,968 ($25.9M)
Contractor: Westat, Inc.
Awarding Agency: National Science Foundation
Start Date: 2019-01-29
End Date: 2025-04-30
Contract Duration: 2,283 days
Daily Burn Rate: $11.4K/day
Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Number of Offers Received: 2
Pricing Type: TIME AND MATERIALS
Sector: Other
Official Description: SURVEY OF DOCTORATE RECIPIENTS 2019 AND 2021 CYCLES IGF::OT::IGF
Place of Performance
Location: ROCKVILLE, MONTGOMERY County, MARYLAND, 20850
State: Maryland Government Spending
Plain-Language Summary
National Science Foundation obligated $25.9 million to WESTAT, INC. for work described as: SURVEY OF DOCTORATE RECIPIENTS 2019 AND 2021 CYCLES IGF::OT::IGF Key points: 1. The contract supports data collection for the Survey of Doctorate Recipients in 2019 and 2021. 2. Westat, Inc. is the sole awardee, indicating a specific expertise or existing relationship. 3. The contract duration is substantial, spanning from January 2019 to April 2025. 4. This data is crucial for understanding the science and engineering workforce in the US.
Value Assessment
Rating: fair
The contract value of $25.9 million over approximately 6 years suggests a moderate annual spend. Benchmarking against similar large-scale survey contracts would be necessary for a precise assessment, but the duration and scope indicate a significant investment.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: full-and-open
The contract was awarded under full and open competition, which generally promotes competitive pricing. However, the specific details of the bidding process and the number of proposals received are not provided, limiting a full assessment of price discovery.
Taxpayer Impact: Taxpayer funds are being used for a critical survey that informs policy and research on the US scientific workforce.
Public Impact
Provides essential data on the demographics, education, and employment of doctorate holders. Informs federal agencies, policymakers, and researchers about the S&E workforce. Supports strategic planning for education, research funding, and workforce development. Helps track trends in STEM fields and identify potential shortages or surpluses.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Lack of detailed pricing justification.
- Limited insight into the competitive landscape beyond 'full and open'.
Positive Signals
- Supports a critical national data collection effort.
- Awarded through full and open competition.
Sector Analysis
This contract falls under administrative management and general management consulting services, specifically related to data collection and analysis for a large-scale survey. Spending in this sector can vary widely based on project scope and duration.
Small Business Impact
The data indicates this contract was not set aside for small businesses, and there is no specific mention of small business participation. Larger, specialized survey firms often dominate these types of contracts.
Oversight & Accountability
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is responsible for overseeing this contract. Standard government oversight mechanisms for contract performance and financial management would apply.
Related Government Programs
- Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- National Science Foundation Contracting
- National Science Foundation Programs
Risk Flags
- Potential for cost creep due to 'Time and Materials' contract type.
- Lack of detailed justification for the contract award beyond 'full and open'.
- No explicit mention of small business participation.
- Long contract duration requires sustained oversight.
Tags
administrative-management-and-general-ma, national-science-foundation, md, delivery-order, 10m-plus
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
National Science Foundation awarded $25.9 million to WESTAT, INC.. SURVEY OF DOCTORATE RECIPIENTS 2019 AND 2021 CYCLES IGF::OT::IGF
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is WESTAT, INC..
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: National Science Foundation (National Science Foundation).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $25.9 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2019-01-29. End: 2025-04-30.
What is the specific methodology used by Westat, Inc. to ensure the accuracy and representativeness of the Survey of Doctorate Recipients data?
The accuracy and representativeness of the Survey of Doctorate Recipients data are ensured through rigorous methodological protocols. These typically include robust sampling frames, carefully designed questionnaires, multiple contact strategies to maximize response rates, and sophisticated data cleaning and weighting procedures. Westat, as a seasoned survey research firm, likely employs established best practices in survey design and execution to minimize non-response bias and ensure the collected data accurately reflects the target population of doctorate recipients.
How does the 'Time and Materials' contract type potentially impact cost control and value for taxpayer money on this long-term survey project?
The 'Time and Materials' (T&M) contract type can present challenges for cost control on long-term projects like this survey. While it offers flexibility, it shifts the risk of cost overruns to the government, as the contractor is reimbursed for actual labor hours and material costs. Effective oversight is crucial to ensure efficient labor utilization and reasonable material pricing. Without clear cost ceilings or detailed performance metrics tied to payment, there's a potential for inflated costs compared to fixed-price contracts, necessitating vigilant monitoring by the agency.
What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) used by the National Science Foundation to measure the success and effectiveness of Westat's performance on this contract?
While specific KPIs are not detailed in the provided data, the National Science Foundation likely measures the success of Westat's performance through several key indicators. These would typically include achieving target response rates for the survey, meeting data collection deadlines, ensuring the quality and accuracy of the collected data through validation processes, and adhering to budget constraints. Timely delivery of comprehensive and reliable survey results, as well as compliance with all contractual reporting requirements, would also be critical measures of effectiveness.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services › Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Product/Service Code: SPECIAL STUDIES/ANALYSIS, NOT R&D › SPECIAL STUDIES - NOT R and D
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Solicitation Procedures: SUBJECT TO MULTIPLE AWARD FAIR OPPORTUNITY
Offers Received: 2
Pricing Type: TIME AND MATERIALS (Y)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 1600 RESEARCH BLVD, ROCKVILLE, MD, 20850
Business Categories: Category Business, Corporate Entity Tax Exempt, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $26,974,399
Exercised Options: $26,974,399
Current Obligation: $25,944,968
Actual Outlays: $7,185,927
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Parent Contract
Parent Award PIID: GS00F009DA
IDV Type: FSS
Timeline
Start Date: 2019-01-29
Current End Date: 2025-04-30
Potential End Date: 2025-04-30 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2025-04-09
More Contracts from Westat, Inc.
- THE Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (path) Study Period of Performance: 04/01/2016-11/30/2016 Base Award — $505.3M (Department of Health and Human Services)
- "critical Functions" Igf::ct::igf the Sampling and Data Collection Contractor Designs and Conducts the Sampling and Data Collection Activities and Prepares the Sampling and Variance Estimation Weights for the Operational Assessments, Pilot Tests, and Special Studies Required by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (naep) for the 2013-2017 Assessment Cycles. Additionally, the SDC Contractor Conducts the Naep High School Transcript Study (hsts). the SDC Contractor Shall Pursue Creative and Innovative Lines of Methodological and Operational Inquiry for Improving Sampling, Data Collection and Weighting Methodologies That Will Strategically Position Naep and the Hsts to Meet the Upcoming Challenges in the Next Decade Such AS Technology-Based and Multi-Stage Adaptive Testing; Making Naep More Educationally Relevant by Linking With Other State, National, and International Assessments; and Improving Access to the Broadest Range of Students Including Students With Disabilities and English Language Learners — $344.4M (Department of Education)
- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey — $302.2M (Department of Health and Human Services)
- R&d-Other R & D-B RES — $292.6M (Department of Health and Human Services)
- Nhanes Contract — $279.2M (Department of Health and Human Services)
Other National Science Foundation Contracts
- Science Operation and Maintenance Support for the United States Antarctic Program — $3.1B (Leidos, Inc.)
- Stand Alone Contract MOD 054 — $657.2M (Raytheon Company)
- System Integration for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (iodp) — $609.8M (Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Inc.)
- Other Functions IT Services — $281.4M (Booz Allen Hamilton Inc)
- Arctic Research Support and Logistics Services — $255.6M (CH2M Facility Support Services, LLC)