Evaluation of the Science Master's Program

THIS NOTICE IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. THIS OPPORTUITY IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT TRAINING GROUP, INC. AS AN 8(A) DIRECT AWARD. The Science Master's Program (SMP) prepares graduate students for careers in business, industry, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies by providing them with a strong foundation in science, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and with research experiences, internship experiences, and skills to succeed in those careers. SMP is intended to catalyze the creation of institution-based efforts that can be sustained without additional federal funding. SMP also encourages diversity in student participation so as to contribute to a broadly inclusive, well-trained science and engineering workforce. The National Science Foundation (NSF), requires a contractor to: 1) assist the program in developing the program theory of action; 2) conduct a descriptive review of the SMP portfolio based on secondary analyses of the proposals funded; 3) develop template for collecting quantitative data to respond to the program metrics; 4) a critique and synthesis of project assessment and evaluation plans; and 5) a develop a plan for tracking graduates. This program is offered as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. All stipend recipients supported by SMP funds must be full-time students and citizens or permanent residents of the US, its territories or possessions. A SMP project has to address the following: • A needs assessment that describes the nature of the workforce needs with data that substantiate the need at the local, national, or even global level. • A comprehensive description of how the workforce need will be met • Innovative graduate education and training mechanisms • A research experience appropriate to the SMP theme • Plan for recruitment, mentoring, retention and graduation of US graduate students including efforts aimed at members of groups underrepresented in STEM • Plan for disseminating knowledge about innovative graduate education The actual cost of the work cannot be estimated within a range sufficiently exact to permit the establishment of a reliable firm fixed price. The contractor will be required to develop a program theory of action and revised plan of evaluation activities, conduct qualitative and quantitative analyses, develop a cross-project report templates for gather purposes, review and summarize evaluation plans and data collection. In order to develop a conceptual framework, the contractor will be required to meet with NSF staff as well as review relevant reports and research data. The variables cited above make it impracticable to establish a firm fixed price for the services needed.