GSS Data Collection Plan

ATT6_GSS Data_Collection_Plan Draft.docx

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

GSS Data Collection Plan

OMB: 3145-0062

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Attachment 6

gss Data Collection Plan

Draft

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS)

2011 GSS Data Collection Plan

Draft

2011/2012 GSS Communications to Schools

#	Type	To	From	Content	Date
1	Email	SCs	NSF Project Officer	Confirm SC	October 8
2	Email	SCs	NSF Project Officer	Prompt - confirm SC	October 15
3	FedEx Letter	President of Non-responding Institutions	NSF/NIH	Nonresponding last year; please participate this year	October 20
4	Telephone Call	SC	Call Center/ GSS Staff	Prompt - confirm SC	October 21 & ongoing
5	Email	SC/PC	NSF Project Officer	Open of data collection email with password and ID & changes	October 25
6	Fed Ex Letter	SC/PC	NSF/NIH	Hard-copy open of data collection	November 2
7	Email	SC/PC	Jamie Friedman	Reminder to SCs/PCs logged in, but not completed part 1	December 8
8	Email	SC/PC	Jamie Friedman	Reminder to SCs/PCs (not logged in)	December 8
9	Telephone Call	SC/PC	Call Center/ GSS Staff	Telephone script prompting part 1, no activity & logged in.	December 8 and on going
PART 1 DUE DATE					December 17
10	Email	SC/PC	Jamie Friedman	Email prompt to complete part 1, past deadline & logged into the system	December 14
11	Email	SC/PC	Jamie Friedman	Email prompt to complete part 1, past deadline, not logged in	December 14
12	Telephone Call	SC/PC	Call Center/ GSS Staff	Prompt calls to complete part 1, past deadline, no activity	December 20
13	Telephone Call	SC/PC	Call Center/ GSS Staff	Prompt calls to complete part 1, past deadline	December 20
14	Email	SC/PC	GSS System	Coordinator email notification to unit respondents	October 21 & ongoing
15	Email	SC/PC	Call Center/ GSS Staff	User ID/Password	October 21 & ongoing
16	Fed Ex Letter	Unit respondent	NSF/NIH	Welcome letter to unit respondents	October 21 & ongoing
17	Email	SC/PC	Jamie Friedman	Part 2 deadline reminder to schools not submitted	January 27
18	Telephone Call	SC/PC	Call Center/ GSS Staff	Part 2 deadline reminder calls to schools not submitted	February 1 and on-going
19	Email	SC/PC	NSF Project Officer	Part 2 email prompt to past due schools	March 2
20	Phone Calls	SC/PC	Call Center/ GSS Staff	Part 2 prompt - past due w/ less than 50% complete – president letter warning – no extension requested	March 9 and on-going
#	Type	To	From	Content	Date
PART 2 DUE DATE					February 28
21	Phone Calls	SC/PC	Call Center/ GSS Staff	Part 2 – past due with greater than 50% complete – no extension requested	March 9 and on-going
22	Email	SC/PC	NSF Project Officer	Extension request requested	On-going up to the end of February
23	Email	SC/PC	NSF Project Officer	Missed Original Deadline – no extension requested	March 24
24	Phone Call	SC/PC	Call Center/ GSS staff	Missed new extension deadline w/ less than 50% complete – president letter warning	On-going up to April 5
25	Phone Call	SC/PC	Call Center/ GSS Staff	Missed new extension deadline w/ greater than 50% complete	On-going up to April 5
26	Email	SC/PC	NSF Project Officer	Part 2 prompt – past due w/ less than 50% complete – president letter warning	March 22
27	Email	SC/PC	NSF Project Officer	Part 2 prompt – past due w/ greater than 50% complete	March 22
28	Fed Ex	SC/PC	NSF Project Officer	Part 2 prompt – past due w/ less than 50% complete – president letter warning	April 7
29	Fed Ex	SC/PC	NSF Project Officer	Part 2 prompt – past due w/ greater than 50% complete	April 7
30	Fed Ex	President of University (cc: SC/PC)	NSF/NIH	Part 2 prompt – past due w/ less than 50% complete (total nonresponders)	April 20
31	Fed Ex	President of University (cc: SC/PC)	NSF/NIH	Part 2 prompt – past due w/ less than 50% complete (partial completes)	April 20
32	Email	SC/PC	NSF Project Officer	Data Changes/ GSS Closeout – responding schools	April 29
33	Email	SC/PC	NSF Project Officer	Data Changes/ GSS Closeout – nonresponding schools	April 20 and on-going
34	Email	SC/PC	GSS team	Thank you email to responding institutions	May 10 and on-going
35	Letter	President of University (cc: SC/PC)	NSF/NIH	Thank you letter to responding institutions	May 21 and on-going
Final changes from SC/PC Due					May 27
Web Survey Instrument Closed					June 7
Final Retrieval/Process Changes					End of June

1) Email to SCs to Confirm Contact Information 2

2) SC Non-Response Follow-Up Email 2

3) Letter to 2010 Non-responding Institution Presidents 2

4) SC Prompting (Locating) Script 2

5) Email to SCs: Survey Changes & Data Collection Open – Launch 2

6) FedEx to SCs: Cover Letter of Package 2

7) Email to SCs Who Have Logged In But Not Completed Part 1 (Partial) 2

8) Email to SCs Who Haven’t Logged Into System 2

9) Telephone Script for Prompting Part 1: No Activity & Logged In Cases 2

10) Email to SCs who missed Part 1 deadline & logged into the system 2

11) Email to SCs who missed Part 1 deadline but NOT logged into the system 2

12) Telephone Script for Prompting Part 1: No Activity Cases 2

13) Telephone Script for Prompting Part 1: Logged In Cases 2

14) Coordinator Email Notification to Unit Respondents 2

15) ID/Password Email to Unit Respondents 2

16) Welcome Message to Unit Respondents 2

17) Reminder Email to SCs of upcoming end of data collection: Part 2 not complete 2

18) Reminder Call to SCs of upcoming end of data collection: Part 2 not complete 2

19) Email to SCs - Missed Original Deadline NO EXTENSION REQUESTED 2

20) Phone calls to SCs not submitted & less than 50% complete: NO EXTENSION REQUESTED (1^st mention of the president’s letter (verbal) (non-responders) 2

21) Phone calls toSCs not submitted & greater than 50% complete: NO EXTENSION REQUESTED 2

22) Email to SC: extension granted 2

23) Reminder Email to SCs of Upcoming Extension Due Date 2

24) Phone Prompts: Missed new extension deadline & less than 50% complete (non-responders) 2

25) Phone Prompt: Missed new extension deadline & greater than 50% complete 2

26) Email to non-responding SCs with less than 50% complete (2nd mention of the president’s letter) 2

27) Email to SCs not submitted & greater than 50% complete 2

28) FedEx letter to SCs not submitted & less than 50% complete (3rd and final mention of the president’s letter (Fed Ex) (non-responders) 2

29) FedEx letter to SCs not submitted & greater than 50% complete 2

30) FedEx to President of the Universities not submitted & less than 50% complete (Total Non-responder) 2

31) FedEx to President of the Universities not submitted & less than 50% complete (Partial Response) 2

32) Data Changes and GSS Close-Out email to all submitted schools 2

33) Data Changes and GSS Close-Out email to all other schools who had not submitted 2

34) Thank you email to SCs 2

35) Thank you letter to the President of the University 2

Email to SCs to Confirm Contact Information – October 8, 2011

To: <<2010 GSS School Coordinator e-mail>>

From: <<GSS@rti.org>>

Subject: Verification of the school coordinator for the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS)

Dear <<School Coordinator name>>,

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are about to begin the fall 2011 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). As you may know, the GSS is an annual national survey started in 1966 that is used to estimate the present and future size of the labor force in science and engineering, and provides reliable national data on graduate students and postdocs in science, engineering and health fields.

You are currently listed as the GSS coordinator for your institution based on your institution’s participation status in 2010 survey. Please take a moment to let us know whether or not you can still serve as the GSS coordinator again this year.

Our record shows your contact information as below; please update it with any change as necessary.

Name: <<School Coordinator name>>

Title: <<XXX>>

Inst Name: <<XXX>>

School Name: <<XXX>>

Address: <<XXX>>

City: <<XXX>>

State: <<XX>>

ZIP Code: <<XXXXX>>

Phone: <<xxx-xxx-xxxx>>

Fax: <<xxx-xxx-xxxx>>

E-Mail: <<XXX>>

If someone other than you will be serving as the GSS coordinator for your institution this year, please provide us with the above contact information so that we can amend our contact list.

Please reply to this email (gss@rti.org) or call (866) 558-0781 with the above information, or if you have additional questions regarding the survey. Our survey contractor, RTI International, will be in contact with your institution when the survey data collection begins.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

SC Non-Response Follow-Up Email - October 15, 2011

To: <<2010 GSS School Coordinator email>>

From: <<GSS@rti.org>>

Subject: Follow-up on verification of the school coordinator for the NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS)

Dear <<School Coordinator name>>:

About a week ago we sent an email asking you to confirm if you will be serving as the coordinator for the annual Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

We have not heard from you, and the NSF survey contractor, RTI, will be mailing the fall 2011 GSS survey package soon, and we want to make sure the package is sent to the right person at your institution. Please let us know if you will continue as the GSS coordinator for your institution or if someone else should be contacted for this year’s survey.

Please provide this information to RTI by emailing to gss@rti.org or calling toll free at (866) 558-0781. If you have additional questions or concerns regarding the survey, please contact me at kkang@nsf.gov.

We would appreciate your assistance and look forward to your institution’s participation in the 2011 GSS.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

Letter to 2010 Non-responding Institution Presidents - October 20, 2011

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates
in Science and Engineering

Fall 2011

National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health

<Date>

Dear <School President Name>:

<School Name> is one of more than 600 postsecondary institutions in the U.S. that are asked to complete the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS), which has been conducted annually by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1966.

Through cooperative efforts, more than 99 percent of the institutions respond to GSS each year. However, your institution did not respond in 2010. I would like to ask for your institution’s participation in the 2011 survey. Your institution’s response is important to this national study as nonresponse affects the usefulness of the survey data.

Federal, state, and local government use GSS data in tracking graduate enrollment trends in science, engineering, and health fields and projecting supply of future workforce in these areas. Academic researchers and planners use GSS data to compare their institution’s characteristics to those of their peer institutions. Obtaining accurate GSS data is important in maintaining the integrity and validity of this critical information resource.

We have been working with <School Coordinator Name> at your institution as the GSS coordinator in the past, whom we will contact in a few weeks, when the 2011 GSS survey begins. If there is someone else who is better positioned to help us with this year’s survey, please let us know. We hope we can count on your institution’s participation this year, and would greatly appreciate your support of the GSS.

If you have any questions regarding the GSS, please contact Ms. Jamie Friedman at RTI International, NSF’s survey contractor for GSS, at 312-456-5262. You may also contact Ms. Kelly Kang, NSF Project Officer at kkang@nsf.gov.

Sincerely,

Suresh Subra

Director

National Science Foundation

Cc: <School Coordinator Name>

RTI International

3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 • gss@rti.org • toll-free: (866) 558-0781

SC Prompting/Locating Script - October 21, 2011 and ongoing

Hello, my name is ( ) and I'm calling from RTI on behalf of NSF and NIH regarding the 2011 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). We recently sent you an email verifying the GSS coordinator information for your institution. Did you receive this email?

We will be sending the 2011 GSS survey materials soon and we want to confirm we have the correct contact information. We have the following person listed as the GSS coordinator for your institution...

[CONFIRM DATABASE COORDINATOR NAME FROM THE SYSTEM]

Is this correct?

IF YES: I'd like to confirm the contact information. Let me read it back to you.

[CONFIRM NAME, TITLE, ADDRESS, EMAIL ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBERS.]

IF NO: Can you tell me the name of a person who will be the new GSS coordinator for your institution?

[RECORD NAME.]

What the title, office, address, email, and phone number?

[RECORD CONTACT INFORMATION]

IF NEW GSS COORDINATOR IS UNKNOWN:

What is the name of the person who is now handling <<2010 GSS Coordinator's name>>’s work?

If possible, ask to be transferred to that person or ask for their phone number, so we can call them later.

Once on the phone with the new person:

Hello, my name is ( ) and I'm calling from RTI on behalf of NSF and NIH regarding the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). We are updating our records and noticed that the person who has handled the GSS in previous years is no longer at your institution. Are you now handling <<2010 GSS Coordinator name>>’s responsibilities?

IF NO: ASK WHO IS...

IF YES:

READ AS NECESSARY: The Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) is an annual national survey sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health. The survey has been conducted since 1966 to provide reliable national data on the number of graduate students and postdocs in science, engineering and health fields.

The survey collects the numbers of part-time and full-time graduate students by race/ethnicity, gender, and citizenship. It also collects the number of full-time graduate students by the mechanism and source of their financial support. Additionally, the survey collects data on postdoctoral appointees (postdocs) and doctorate-holding non-faculty researchers employed by the academic institutions.

[CONFIRM NEW COORDINATOR NAME, TITLE, ADDRESS, EMAIL, PHONE NUMBERS.]

Let me give you our contact information in case you have any questions later. Our email address is gss@rti.org and our phone number is (866) 558-0781.

IF R WANTS TO SPONSOR INFO: The contact information for the NSF Project Officer for GSS is kkang@nsf.gov.

IF R DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING, OR SAYS NO NEW COORDINATOR: FLAG SCHOOL FOR FOLLOW-UP WITH HIGHER LEVEL ADMINISTRATION.

Thank you so much for your time.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Script for voice mail (to be used only after several call attempts on different days and different times):

Voice mail: Hello, this is ________ calling on behalf of the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health regarding the 2011 Graduate Student Survey (GSS). We are following up with institutions who have not yet verified the survey coordinator information to make sure we contact the right person for this year’s GSS. Please let us know if you are still the best person to contact for the 2011 survey, or if we should contact someone else at your institution. The toll-free number where we can be reached is (866) 558-0781. Again, our number is (866) 558-0781. Thank you for your help.

Email to SCs: Survey Launch - October 25, 2011

To: GSS Coordinator

From: GSS

Subject: Now open: 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

Dear <Coordinator>,

Thank you for agreeing to serve as the School Coordinator for the 2011 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering and Health Fields (GSS), sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Your support and assistance in this important national survey will be invaluable and very much appreciated.

Your ID and password below gives you access to the GSS web site. This web site has your institution’s list of GSS organizational units (departments, programs, research centers, and health-care facilities) and web screens for the survey responses.

You may access the GSS web survey at any time using this link: http://www.gss2011.org/

User ID: <user ID>
Password: <Password>

School: <SCHOOL NAME>

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Jamie Friedman at RTI International toll-free at (866) 558-0781 or by e-mail at gss@rti.org. If you have additional questions or concerns regarding the 2011 GSS, you can contact me at kkang@nsf.gov.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

6) Letter to SCs: Cover Letter of Package - November 2, 2011

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates
in Science and Engineering

Fall 2011

National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health

<<DATE>>

Dear <Coordinator Name>:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announce the opening of the Web site for the fall 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). You have been identified as the GSS <coordinator type> for <Inst/School name>.

If you are not the coordinator, or think you have received this material in error, please call us toll-free at (866) 558-0781. Please note that GSS tables that display data by institution will not list your institution if it does not respond to the survey. For nonresponding institutions, estimated survey data will only be included in aggregated totals.

Information you need to start the 2011 GSS Web survey:
	Website: http://www.gss2011.org
	User ID: <USERID>
	Password: <PW>

Important Dates:
	November 30, 2011 Submit updated list of organizational units and unit respondent information
	February 28, 2012 Submit completed survey information

As the coordinator, you will use the GSS Web survey instrument to:

Identify the organizational units at your school with graduate students, postdocs, and/or other doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers in the fall 2011 enrollment period (science, engineering, and selected health fields only)
Decide who completes the information for each organizational unit
Monitor reporting progress to ensure that all organizational units report by the due date

For questions about the survey process, please contact Ms. Jamie Friedman, RTI International, toll-free at (866) 558-0781 or gss@rti.org. For other concerns, please contact Kelly Kang, NSF Project Officer, at kkang@nsf.gov.

Thank you for your efforts to provide timely and accurate statistics to NSF and NIH. The data you provide on graduate students and postdocs is used by the graduate education community, Federal agencies and science policymakers throughout the nation.

Sincerely,

Lynda T. Carlson, PhD Rodney Ulane, PhD

Director Director, Division of Scientific Programs

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Office of the Director

National Science Foundation National Institutes of Health

<UNITID>

RTI International

East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 • gss@rti.org • toll-free: (866) 558-0781

7) Email to SCs Who Have Logged In But Not Completed Part 1 - December 8, 2011

Subject: Reminder - NSF-NIH GSS Part 1 due date

Dear <Coordinator Name>,

Several weeks ago, we sent you the survey materials needed to complete the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

We would like to remind you of the upcoming due date of November 30, 2011 for completing Part 1 data. Thank you for the progress you have made on the GSS already.

In order to complete the 2011 GSS on schedule, we need all the institutions to confirm and submit their list of GSS-eligible organizational units (departments, programs, research centers, and health-care facilities) by November 30th.

Below is the access information on the GSS Web survey: http://www.gss2011.org/

User ID: <user ID>
Password: <Password>

School: <SCHOOL NAME>

The confirmation of the units in your school is in Part 1 of the web survey under "Update Your Unit List". If you have any questions about the survey, please do not hesitate to contact us at gss@rti.org, or toll-free at (866) 558-0781.

Thank you for your assistance and your institution's continued participation in the GSS.

Sincerely,

Ms. Jamie Friedman

GSS Data Collection Manager

RTI International

Email to SCs Who Haven’t Logged Into System - December 8, 2011

Subject: Reminder - NSF-NIH GSS Part 1 due date

Dear <Coordinator name>,

We would like to remind you of the upcoming due date of November 30, 2011 for completing Part 1 of the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In order to complete the 2011 GSS on schedule, we need all institutions to confirm and submit their list of GSS-eligible organizational units (departments, programs, research centers, and health-care facilities) by November 30th.

We will be happy to answer any questions you might have on the GSS web instrument, the definition of various terms, or changes in the 2011 survey.

Below is the access information on the GSS Web survey: http://www.gss2011.org/

User ID: <user ID>
Password: <Password>

School: <SCHOOL NAME>

Thank you for your assistance and your institution's continued participation in the GSS.

Sincerely,

Ms. Jamie Friedman

GSS Data Collection Manager

RTI International

Telephone Script for Prompting Part 1: No Activity & Logged In Cases - November 8, 2011 & ongoing

SCRIPT FOR ‘NO ACTIVITY’ CASES AND THEN ‘LOGGED IN’

Hello, my name is (______________________________) and I’m calling from RTI on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). We are calling you about the 2011 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdocs in Science and Engineering (GSS).

The due date for submitting your institution’s unit list is November 30, 2011, which is coming up soon. First, I would like to check to make sure you received the GSS materials we sent a few weeks ago. Did you receive the email and mailing we sent you in November?

IF YES: As we mentioned in that mailing, we have requested all institutions to confirm and submit their list of GSS-eligible units (IF APPLICABLE – and notify the unit respondents) by the tenth of December. Do you have any questions regarding the GSS at this time?

AFTER ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE: Thank you very much for your help with the 2011 GSS. If you have any other questions, please send us an email at gss@rti.org or call our toll-free number at 866-558-0781. We look forward to receiving your institution’s list by December 10th.

IF NO: Let me confirm your email and mailing addresses. We will e-mail the information about GSS to you within 24 hours, and we would really appreciate it if you can confirm and submit your institution’s unit listing by December 10th. Thank you very much for your help with 2011 GSS. If you have any questions, please send us an email at gss@rti.org or call our toll-free number at 866-558-0781.

AFTER DECEMBER 10:

IF YES: As we mentioned in that mailing, we have requested all institutions to confirm and submit their list of GSS-eligible units (IF APPLICABLE -- and notify the unit respondents) by the thirtieth of November, which has passed already. At this time, we are asking you to submit this information as soon as possible. When do you think you can submit the unit list? [TRY TO ESTABLISH A DATE.] Do you have any question regarding the GSS?

AFTER ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE: Thank you very much for your help with 2011 GSS. If you have any other questions, please send us an email at gss@rti.org or call our toll-free number at 866-558-0781. We look forward to receiving your institution’s list soon [IF NO DATE GIVEN] / by [DATE GIVEN].

IF NO: Let me please confirm your email and mailing addresses. [READ BACK AND CONFIRM] We will email you the information about GSS within 24 hours, and we would really appreciate it if you can confirm and submit your institution’s unit listing as soon as possible. Thank you very much for your help with the 2011 GSS. If you have any other questions, please send us an email at gss@rti.org or call our toll-free number at 866-558-0781.

10) Email to SCs who missed Part 1 deadline & logged into the system - December 14, 2011

Subject: Reminder - NSF-NIH GSS Part 1 due date

Dear GSS Coordinator:

This is a reminder that November 30, 2011 was the deadline for completing Part 1 of the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Thank you for the progress you have made already. Please complete Part 1 as soon as possible. If you have questions or encounter any problems, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Web survey location: http://www.gss2011.org/

User ID: <user ID>

Password: <password>

The confirmation of your units is located in Part 1 of the web survey under "Modify Your Unit List."

Thank you for your continued participation in GSS. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact us at gss@rti.org, or toll-free at (866) 558-0781.

Sincerely,

Jamie Friedman

GSS Data Collection Manager

RTI International

Email to SCs who missed Part 1 deadline but NOT logged into the system - December 14, 2011

Subject: Reminder - NSF-NIH GSS Part 1 due date

Dear GSS Coordinator:

Please complete Part 1 as soon as possible. If you have questions or encounter any problems, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Web survey location: http://www.gss2011.org/

User ID: <user ID>

Password: <password>

The confirmation of your units is located in Part 1 of the web survey under "Modify Your Unit List."

Thank you for your continued participation in GSS. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact us at gss@rti.org, or toll-free at (866) 558-0781.

Sincerely,

Jamie Friedman

GSS Data Collection Manager

RTI International

Telephone Script for Prompting Part 1: No Activity Cases - December 20, 2011 & ongoing

SCRIPT FOR ‘NO GSS WEB SITE ACTIVITY’ CASES

We had asked all schools to confirm their lists of units by November 30. I wanted to check with you to make sure you received the materials we sent. Did you receive the emails we sent in October?

IF YES: As we mentioned in those mailings, we have asked all institutions to confirm their list of GSS-eligible units (IF APPLICABLE: and notify the unit respondents) by the end of November.

At this time, we are asking you to submit part 1 as soon as possible. Thank you very much for your participation in the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdocs in Science and Engineering. If you need to contact us, you may do so by emailing us at gss@rti.org or by calling our toll-free number at 866-558-0781.

IF NO: Let me confirm your email and mailing addresses. Are they [confirm using the ICS and update if necessary]. We will send you this information within 24 hours and we ask that you submit Part 1 as soon as possible. Thank you very much for your participation in the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdocs in Science and Engineering. If you need to contact us, you may do so by emailing us at gss@rti.org or by calling our toll-free number at 866-558-0781.

Telephone Script for Prompting Part 1: Logged In Cases - December 20, 2011

We have noticed that you have started Part 1 – thank you. The deadline to complete Part 1 was December 10^thand at this time we asking institutions to confirm their list of GSS-eligible units (IF APPLICABLE: and notify the unit respondents) as soon as possible. Do you have any questions at this time?

Thank you very much for your participation in the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdocs in Science and Engineering. If you need to contact us, you may do so by emailing us at gss@rti.org or by calling our toll-free number at 866-558-0781.

VOICE MAIL Script

Please call us at toll-free 866-558-0781. Thank you

Coordinator Email Notification to Unit Respondents - ongoing basis

Accessed from Notify Unit Respondents when coordinator clicks on the “sample email text” link.

Shortly, you will receive an email with a web address, ID, and password from gss@rti.org for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS).

In my role as survey coordinator, I chose you to be a survey respondent and this email will give you access to submit this year’s web survey. The web survey also has instructions to help you including a PDF with a questionnaire worksheet and instructions.

RTI is the survey contractor conducting this year’s survey for NSF and NIH and they will staff the help desk to answer any questions about the survey. The survey results will be used for the annual update of statistics on our nation’s personnel in science, engineering and specific health-related fields. The survey requests information about graduate students, postdoctorates, and doctorate-holding nonfaculty researchers.

It is very important that NSF represent our institution accurately, so I am asking you to give this effort your attention. I appreciate your efforts to make our survey response timely.

ID/Password Email to Unit Respondents - ongoing basis

Subject: NSF-NIH Graduate Student and Postdoctorate Survey (GSS)

Dear <UR Name>,

<SC Name>, who is serving as <School Name>’s coordinator for the 2011 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS), has provided your name as a designated respondent for the following organizational unit(s) (department, program, research center or health-related facility):

You can review the 2011 GSS worksheet with all the survey questions and instructions by using the link listed below. This worksheet can also be downloaded from the GSS web site.

GSS worksheet: 2011_GSS_Worksheet.pdf

To provide your survey responses, please logon to the GSS web site using the information below.

GSS web site: http://www.gss2011.org/

User ID: <user ID>

Password: <Password>

Please complete and submit your survey data by February 28, 2012. You do not need to complete the entire survey in one session. You can preserve your survey data on any web screen by clicking the ‘Save’ button before you logout or exit the GSS web site.

If you are not the right person to provide the data for the units listed above, please contact your school coordinator directly.

Your GSS coordinator’s contact information is:

You can also call our GSS contractor, RTI International, toll-free at (866) 558-0781, or e-mail them at gss@rti.org. They can help you with questions about the web survey.

We appreciate your participation in this important data collection sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health. All the survey answers are combined to produce important national statistics on the graduate education and postdoctoral training at universities and colleges across our nation.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

Welcome Message to Unit Respondents - Data Collection opening and ongoing

Worksheet for

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates
in Science and Engineering

Fall 2011

National Science Foundation & National Institutes of Health

Dear Colleague,

This document provides a worksheet and instructions to help you compile your answers to the NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). It is intended as an aid for use with the GSS Web survey. Please read page 2 for more information about preparing and submitting your information.

RTI International, the survey contractor for the GSS, provided the 2011 GSS survey materials to the individual selected as the coordinator for your school. Your school coordinator is responsible for monitoring your institution’s responses to the survey and will be in touch with you about completing and submitting your survey response to NSF. Responses are due on February 28, 2012.

Please submit the information on this worksheet via the Web survey at http://www.gss2011.org.

The GSS, conducted since 1966, is an annual survey that provides information on the training of the future labor force in the science, engineering, and health fields. Your timely response helps us minimize the cost of follow-ups and ensures that we accurately represent your institution in national statistical tables.

We appreciate the time and effort you devote to providing this important information.

If you have questions, please e-mail RTI at gss@rti.org or call RTI toll-free at 1-866-558-0781.

Sincerely,

Lynda T. Carlson, PhD Rodney Ulane, PhD

Director Director, Division of Scientific Programs

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Office of the Director

National Science Foundation National Institutes of Health

This information is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. All information provided will be used for statistical purposes only. Response is entirely voluntary, and failure to provide some or all of the information will in no way adversely affect your institution. The average time required for questionnaire completion is 2.3 hours. Response burden comments should be directed to Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, NSF, via e-mail at splimpto@nsf.gov or call 703-292-7556. You may contact the survey director at the National Science Foundation, Kelly H. Kang, at kkang@nsf.gov.

Form approved

OMB No. 3145-0062

Expires 10/31/2014 W2011

Reminder Email to SCs of upcoming end of data collection: Part 2 not complete - January 27, 2012

Subject: Reminder of Survey of Graduate Students in Science and Engineering due date – February 28, 2012

Dear GSS Coordinator:

This is a friendly reminder that the February 28, 2012 deadline for completing the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) is only a month away.

Below is information for accessing the GSS web survey for <School Name>:

GSS Web Site: http://www.gss2011.org/
User ID: <user ID>
Password: <Password>

We know you must be very busy. If there is anything we can do to help you with this effort or address any questions or problems you may have, please contact us at gss@rti.org or toll-free at (866) 558-0781.

We look forward to the opportunity to assist you. Thank you for your continued support of the GSS.

Ms. Jamie Friedman
GSS Data Collection Manager

RTI International

Reminder Call to SCs of upcoming end of data collection: Part 2 not complete - February 1, 2012 and ongoing

Hello, my name is (______________________________) and I’m calling on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding the 2011 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdocs in Science and Engineering (GSS).

We just wanted to remind you that the deadline to complete the 2011 GSS is February 28, 2012.

Is there anything we could do to help you meet this deadline, such as resending the user ID and password to you or your Unit Respondents? Do you have any questions regarding the GSS?

If you need to contact us, you can email us at gss@rti.org or call our toll-free number at 866-558-0781. Thank you for your time.

VOICE MAIL SCRIPT

Hello, my name is (______________________________) and I’m calling on behalf of the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health regarding the 2011 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdocs in Science and Engineering.

We wanted to remind you that the survey is due on February 28. If you have any questions, please email us at gss@rti.org or call us at 866-668-0781.

Thank you.

Email to SCs - Missed Original Deadline (Feb 28th) NO EXTENSION REQUESTED - March 2, 2012

Subject: Important request from NSF and NIH

Dear <School Coordinator Name>:

As of today, we have not received your institution’s response to the 2011 Survey of Graduate Students in Science and Engineering (GSS). The survey was sent to your institution last October and the deadline was February 28, 2012.

As you may know, your institution is one of fewer than 600 institutions that contribute to our annual estimates on the present and future size of the science and engineering labor force. The soundness of decisions that draw on these statistics depends on receiving complete and accurate GSS from institutions.

One of the most important uses of the GSS data is the preparation of NSF's congressionally mandated Science & Engineering Indicators report (see http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind08/append/c2/at02-22.xls). Another important use of the GSS data is in Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering report (see http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/pdf/tabd-2.pdf).

Please help us by submitting <School Name>’s GSS data as soon as possible. Information to access the web survey is below:

GSS Web: http://www.gss2011.org

User ID: <user ID>

Password: <Password>

If you have any questions or need assistance, please call the GSS Help Desk's toll free number, 866-558-0781 or send an email to gss@rti.org. Please also let them know when you will be submitting the 2011 GSS data.

We very much appreciate your assistance and support of this important national study.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

Phone calls to SCs not submitted & less than 50% complete: NO EXTENSION REQUESTED (1^st mention of the president’s letter (verbal)) (non-responders) - March 9, 2012 and ongoing

[Prior to each call become familiar with the status of each institution: note if they were a refusal last year, note if and how many extensions have been granted this year, and how much work has been performed.]

Introduction: Hello, this is ________________ from RTI International. I’m calling on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding the 2011 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering or GSS.

If ANY work has been done thank them for the work that has been done so far.

Remind them that the survey was due: February 28

 Ask: “When do you think you will submit the GSS?”

DETERMINE IF THE RESPONDENT WILL SUBMIT BY THE END OF MARCH:

IF BY MARCH – ‘thank you for all your hard work and we will inform NSF of this date.’

Note in the comments when they think they can submit.

IF AFTER MARCH – ‘We cannot grant extensions and NSF is not granting extensions past March, but we will talk to NSF about your particular situation. Are you sure you can't get it in before then? ’

IF 50% OR LESS RESPONDING…

“Just to let you know, our normal procedure is to inform the president of your university in the Fall about the survey and it’s due date and then to thank them for your participation in the Spring. However, we also let the president know if the survey has not been submitted by the end of March, with a letter in early April. The president will be informed again that GSS tables that display data by institution will not list your institution if it does not respond to the survey. In addition, for non-responding institutions, estimated data will only be included in aggregated totals. To avoid this - what can we do to help you submit before then?”

 Don’t press so hard that you get refusals

 Obtaining totals for the key variables is an option.

 Keep it low key and cordial.

ALL

In the mean time, do you need any assistance?

(If applicable) – Would you like us to contact unit respondents who have not yet submitted?

Would it be helpful for me to send you the URL, school ID and password?

Do you have any questions about the GSS?

If you need to contact us, please do so by emailing us at gss@rti.org or by calling our toll-free number at 866-558-0781. We appreciate your support of this important national survey sponsored by the NSF and the NIH.

Phone calls toSCs not submitted & greater than 50% complete: NO EXTENSION REQUESTED -

March 9, 2012 and ongoing

If ANY work has been done thank them for the work that has been done so far.

Remind them that the survey was due: February 28

 Ask: “When do you think you will submit the GSS?”

DETERMINE IF THE RESPONDENT WILL SUBMIT BY THE END OF MARCH:

IF BY MARCH – ‘thank you for all your hard work and we will inform NSF of this date.’

Note in the comments when they think they can submit.

In the mean time, do you need any assistance?

(If applicable) – Would you like us to contact unit respondents who have not yet submitted?

Would it be helpful for me to send you the URL, school ID and password?

Do you have any questions about the GSS?

Email to SC: extension granted - Ongoing up to end of February

Subject: <School Name>’s request for an extension for submitting the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS)

Dear <Coordinator Name>:

On behalf of NSF, <School Name> is granted an extension to March 31, 2012 to submit the 2011 GSS data. We hope this extension will help you to do everything possible to submit the GSS data by the 31^st.

The GSS data from <School Name> are very important to NSF and NIH, and the amount of time and hard work it takes on the part of you and your staff to collect and submit this information are very much appreciated.

If you have any questions, problems with the GSS web survey or need any other assistance, please call me at 312-456-5262, or the GSS Help Desk’s toll free number, 866-558-0781. We will do everything we can to assist you.

We look forward to receiving your institution’s data. Thank you again for your contribution to this research effort.

Sincerely,

Jamie Friedman

GSS Data Collection Manager

RTI International

Reminder Email to SCs of Upcoming Extension Due Date – March 24, 2012

Subject: Reminder of the final due date of <Extension Due Date> for submitting 2011 GSS data

Dear <School Coordinator Name>,

Your institution’s extended deadline for submitting the 2011 GSS data is coming up on <Extension Due Date>. We would appreciate all your efforts and commitment to submitting your institution’s data by that date.

We are currently nearing the final stage of the 2011 GSS data collection and do not want to exclude <School Name>’s graduate student, postdoc and nonfaculty researcher data from our annual reports and databases.

Please see below for information you need to access the GSS web survey to submit the data for <School Name>:

GSS Web: http://www.gss2011.org

User ID: <user ID>

Password: <password>

If you have any questions or need assistance, please call the GSS Help Desk's toll free number, 866-558-0781 or send an email to gss@rti.org. Please let us know if you have any problem meeting this deadline. We will do everything we can to assist you.

We appreciate your efforts and look forward to receiving your response soon.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

Phone Prompts: Missed new extension deadline & less than 50% complete (non-responders) -

ongoing up to April 5, 2012

Introduction: Hello, this is ________________ from RTI International. I’m calling on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding the 2011 The Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering or GSS.

If ANY work has been done thank them for the work that has been done so far.

Remind them that the survey was due: February 28

 Ask them: “When do you think you will submit the GSS?”

DETERMINE IF THE RESPONDENT WILL SUBMIT BY THE END OF MARCH:

IF YES – ‘thank you for all your hard work and we will inform NSF of this date.’

Note in the comments when they think they can submit.

50% OR LESS RESPONDING…

‘Just to let you know, our normal procedure is to inform the president of your university in the Fall about the survey and it’s due date and then to thank them for your participation in the Spring. However, we also let the president know if the survey has not been submitted by the end of March, with a letter in early April. The president will be informed again that GSS tables that display data by institution will not list your institution if it does not respond to the survey. In addition, for non-responding institutions, estimated data will only be included in aggregated totals. To avoid this - what can we do to help you submit before then?

 Don’t press so hard that you get refusals

 Obtaining totals for the key variables is an option.

 Keep it low key and cordial.

ALL

In the mean time, do you need any assistance?

(If applicable) – Would you like us to contact unit respondents who have not yet submitted?

Would it be helpful for me to send you the URL, school ID and password?

Do you have any questions about the GSS?

Phone Prompt: Missed new extension deadline & greater than 50% complete -

ongoing up to April 5, 2012

Prior to each call become familiar with the status of each institution: note if they were a refusal last year, note if and how many extensions have been granted this year, and how much work has been performed. Exact script will vary based on date of phone call (calling before or after the end of March?)

Introduction: Hello, this is ________________ from RTI International. I’m calling on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding the 2011 The Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering or GSS.

If ANY work has been done thank them for the work that has been done so far.

Remind them that the survey was due: February 28

 Ask them: “When do you think you will submit the GSS?”

DETERMINE IF THE RESPONDENT WILL SUBMIT BY THE END OF MARCH:

IF BY MARCH – ‘thank you for all your hard work and we will inform NSF of this date.’

Note in the comments when they think they can submit.

In the mean time, do you need any assistance?

(If applicable) – Would you like us to contact unit respondents who have not yet submitted?

Would it be helpful for me to send you the URL, school ID and password?

Do you have any questions about the GSS?

Email to non-responding SCs with less than 50% complete - March 24, 2012

Subject: 2011 GSS Closeout

Dear <School Coordinator Name>,

As of today, we have not yet received your institution's response to the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). It is very important that we receive your institution’s data by the end of March. In April, we will begin the final follow-up efforts that include sending a letter to the President of your institution requesting assistance and cooperation in obtaining your institution’s current data.

Unfortunately, your institution will not be listed in the 2011 GSS report tables and the NSF’s Academic Institutional Profiles report if you do not respond to the survey. The GSS is the only national survey that collects at the department-level information on graduate enrollment, postdoc appointments and nonfaculty research positions in science, engineering, and health fields. The policy decisions based on the GSS data depend heavily on the important contributions from your institution.

We are offering you a final opportunity to respond to the 2011 GSS. Although the survey deadline has passed, we are reluctant to close this year's survey without your institution’s data.

Please see below for information you need to access the GSS web survey to submit the data for <School Name>:

GSS Web: http://www.gss2011.org

User ID: <user ID>

Password: <password>

Please contact RTI at gss@rti.org or call toll-free at 866-558-0781 to let them know when you will be submitting the 2011 GSS data for your institution.

Thank you. We appreciate your assistance and support of this important national study.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

Email to SCs not submitted & greater than 50% complete - March 24, 2012

Subject: GSS Closeout

Dear <School Coordinator>,

As of today, the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health have not yet received your institution's response to the 2012 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). It is very important that we have your response by the end of March.

Although the original February 28, 2012 deadline has passed, NSF and NIH are reluctant to close this year's survey without including accurate and complete information from your institution. Personnel from your school have worked very hard already in supplying the current information, and we are grateful for your efforts. We are offering a final opportunity for you to complete the rest of the information.

The GSS is the only national survey that collects at the department level information on graduate enrollment, postdoc appointments and nonfaculty positions in science, engineering, and health fields. Currently for graduate students the GSS collects race and ethnicity, citizenship gender, Federal sources of support by type of support; for postdocs the GSS collects gender by sources of support and nonfaculty research staff the GSS collects sources of support. The soundness of decisions based on the GSS depends heavily on the efforts your staff made to provide complete and accurate data.

To access the GSS, go to: http://www.gss2011.org/

Your User ID: <User ID>

Your Password: <User Password>

Response for: <School Name>

Please contact RTI, the NSF survey contractor, at gss@rti.org or call them toll-free at 866-558-0781 to let them know when you will be submitting the 2012 GSS.

Thank you. We appreciate your support of this important national study.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

FedEx letter to SCs not submitted & less than 50% complete - April 7, 2012

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates
in Science and Engineering

Fall 2011

National Science Foundation & National Institutes of Health

<Date>

Dear <School Coordinator Name>,

In April, we will begin the final survey follow-up efforts that include sending a letter to the President of your institution requesting assistance and cooperation in obtaining the current data from your institution for the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). Although the survey deadline has passed, we are reluctant to close this year's survey without your institution’s data. We are offering you a final opportunity to respond to the 2011 GSS.

As you know, your institution is one of 600 institutions that contribute to our annual estimates on the present and future size of the science and engineering labor force. The soundness of decisions that draw on these statistics depends on the GSS data being complete and accurate.

Please help us by submitting <School Name>’s GSS data as soon as possible. Information to access the web survey is below.

GSS Web: http://www.gss2011.org

User ID: <user id>

Password: <password>

Ms. Jamie Friedman of RTI will be contacting you in the next week or so to find out whether you will be able to submit the 2011 GSS before we send a letter to your president’s office. You can also email her at gss@rti.org, or call her at 312-456-5262 or toll-free at 866-558-0781.

We look forward to your institution’s continued participation in the GSS.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

RTI International, Contractor for GSS

3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 • gss@rti.org • toll-free: (866) 558-0781

FedEx letter to SCs not submitted & greater than 50% complete - April 7, 2012

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates
in Science and Engineering

Fall 2011

National Science Foundation & National Institutes of Health

<Date>

Dear <School Coordinator Name>,

NSF and NIH need your response to the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) that was originally due on February 28, 2012. Although the deadline has passed, we do not want to close this year’s survey without the updated information from your institution.

As you know, your institution is one of 600 institutions that contribute to our annual estimates on the present and future size of science and engineering labor force. The soundness of decisions that draw on these statistics depends on the GSS data being complete and accurate.

Please help us by submitting <School Name>’s GSS data as soon as possible. Information to access the web survey is below:

GSS Web: http://www.gss2011.org

User ID: <user id>

Password: <password>

Ms. Jamie Friedman of RTI will be contacting you in the next week or so to find out when you will be able to submit the 2011 GSS. You can also email Jamie at gss@rti.org, or call her at 312-456-5262 or toll-free at 866-558-0781.

We look forward to your institution’s continued support of the GSS.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

RTI International

3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 • gss@rti.org • toll-free: (866) 558-0781

FedEx to President of the Universities not submitted & less than 50% complete - April 20, 2012

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates
in Science and Engineering

Fall 2011

National Science Foundation & National Institutes of Health

<Date>

Dear <Pres title> <Pres name>:

We are writing on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as cosponsors of the NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). As of today, the GSS has not received your institution’s response to the 2011 round of this survey, and the data collection period is expected to close within 2 weeks of the date of this letter.

<SC name> serves as your institution’s GSS coordinator. Your coordinator was sent an initial request for information in October 2011, and the survey deadline was February 28, 2011. Although the deadline has passed, we are reluctant to close this year’s survey without including accurate information from your institution; thus, we are writing to enlist your aid and to offer a final opportunity to respond.

Note that the GSS tables that display data by institution will not list your institution if we do not receive a response soon. Estimated data for your institution will only be included in aggregated totals. Because estimates are less accurate than directly reported numbers, estimates affect the usefulness of the survey data. The GSS is the only national survey that collects information at the department level on graduate enrollment, postdoc appointments, and nonfaculty research positions in science, engineering, and health fields.

Currently, for graduate students, the GSS collects information on race and ethnicity, citizenship, gender, and federal sources of support, by type of support; for postdocs, the GSS collects information on citizenship and gender, by sources of support; and for nonfaculty research staff, the GSS collects information on sources of support. The soundness of decisions based on the GSS depends heavily on the efforts of your staff to provide complete and accurate data.

We must have your complete survey response within the next 2 weeks to include actual numbers for <School Name> in the Fall 2011 data. We would appreciate anything you can do to help <sc name> provide this information. Kelly Kang, the GSS Project Officer at NSF, will be happy to assist you in any way she can. She can be reached at kkang@nsf.gov.

We value your support of the GSS and the effort to help the nation maintain accurate counts of graduate students, postdoctorates, and nonfaculty researchers in these important education fields.

Sincerely,

Lynda T. Carlson, PhD

Director

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

cc: <SC name>

Rodney Ulane, PhD

Director, Division of Scientific Programs

Office of the Director

National Institutes of Health

RTI International, Contractor for GSS

3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 • gss@rti.org • toll-free: (866) 558-0781

FedEx to President of the Universities not submitted & less than 50% complete - April 20, 2012

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates
in Science and Engineering

Fall 2011

National Science Foundation & National Institutes of Health

<Date>

Dear <Pres title> <Pres name>:

We are writing on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as cosponsors of the NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). As of today, the GSS has only received a partial response from your institution to the 2011 round of this survey, and the data collection period is expected to close within 2 weeks of the date of this letter.

<SC Name> serves as your institution’s GSS coordinator. Your coordinator was sent an initial request for information in October 2011, and the survey deadline was February 28, 2012. Although the deadline has passed, we are reluctant to close this year’s survey without including accurate information from your institution; thus, we are writing to enlist your aid and to offer a final opportunity to respond.

We appreciate your institution’s efforts on behalf of the GSS so far; however, we need a complete response soon. Otherwise, estimated data for your institution will be included in our reports; because estimates are less accurate than directly reported numbers, they may not reflect your institution accurately. The GSS is the only national survey that collects information at the department level on graduate enrollment, postdoc appointments, and nonfaculty research positions in science, engineering, and health fields.

We must have your complete survey response within the next 2 weeks to include actual numbers for <School name> in the Fall 2011 data. We would appreciate anything you can do to help <sc name> provide this information. Kelly H. Kang, the GSS Project Officer at NSF, will be happy to assist you in any way she can. She can be reached at kkang@nsf.gov.

We value your support of the GSS and the effort to help the nation maintain accurate counts of graduate students, postdoctorates, and nonfaculty researcher in these important education fields.

Sincerely,

Lynda T. Carlson, PhD

Director

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics National Science Foundation

cc: <sc name>

Rodney Ulane, PhD

Director, Division of Scientific Programs

Office of the Director

National Institutes of Health

RTI International, Contractor for GSS

3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 • gss@rti.org • toll-free: (866) 558-0781

Data Changes and GSS Close-Out email to all submitted schools - April 29, 2012

Subject: 2011 GSS Data Collection/Close-out

Dear GSS Postdoc Coordinator:

Thank you for serving as the Postdoc Coordinator for the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). We know that the GSS is but one of your many duties, and we appreciate all the hard work it took on your part to make it a success.

RTI International, the NSF survey contractor, is in the process of reviewing all the submitted information prior to closing out the 2011 survey. RTI staff may contact you if they have questions about your data. Although you have already submitted the GSS for 2011, you may want to review it one last time.

To review your data, log on to the GSS using your Password and ID. If you see that you need to change the data, please contact RTI International at gsspostdoc@rti.org or at the toll-free number, (800) 848-4075 no later than May 17, 2012. All changes must be completed by close of business on May 28, 2012. After May 28, no further revisions to your 2011 GSS data will be possible.

The current policy for GSS is not to allow any revisions to data provided by institutions once the current data collection cycle has been closed out. Data for prior-year nonresponding units (i.e., 2008 GSS nonresponding units) that had been imputed previously may be updated if the updates are indicated to NSF and RTI International no later than the current year's (i.e., 2011 GSS) data collection close-out.

To access the GSS, use this link: http://www.gss.org/

Your User ID: <ID>

Your password: <PW>

Response for: <University name>

If you are satisfied with your data, you do not need to do anything further.

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

Data Changes and GSS Close-Out email to all other schools who had not submitted by April 28 -

April 29, 2012 and ongoing

Subject: 2011 GSS Data Collection/Close-out

Dear GSS School Coordinator,

Thank you for serving as the School Coordinator for the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). We know that the GSS is but one of your many duties, and we appreciate all the hard work it took on your part to make it a success.

RTI International, the NSF survey contractor, is in the process of reviewing all information prior to closing out the 2011 survey. RTI staff may contact you if they have questions about your data. Although the 2011 GSS will be closing soon, you may want to review your submission one last time.

To review your data, log on to the GSS using your Password and ID. If you see that you need to change the data, please contact RTI International at gss@rti.org no later than May 17, 2012. All changes must be completed by close of business on Friday, May 28, 2012. After May 28, no further revisions to your 2011 GSS data will be possible.

The current policy for GSS is not to allow any revisions to data provided by institutions once the current data collection cycle has been closed out. Data for prior-year nonresponding units (i.e., 2010 GSS nonresponding units) that had been imputed previously may be updated if the updates are indicated to NSF and RTI International no later than the current year’s (i.e., 2011 GSS) data collection close-out.

To access the GSS, use this link: http://www.gss2011.org/

Your User ID: <user_id>

Your password: <password>

Response for: <full_school_name>

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang

Project Officer

NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

Thank you email to SCs - May 10, 2012 and ongoing

Dear <SC Name>:

On behalf of the entire RTI International staff, we would like to thank you for your participation in the 2011 NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). We know this survey is but one of your many duties and we appreciate the work you and your colleagues at <School Name> did in helping to make the 2011 GSS a success.

Thank you again and best regards,

Ms. Jamie Friedman and the RTI GSS Team

GSS Data Collection Manager

gss@rti.org

866-558-0781

Thank you letter to the President of the University - May 21, 2012

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates
in Science and Engineering

Fall 2011

National Science Foundation & National Institutes of Health

<Date>

Dear <pres name>:

NSF and NIH express sincere appreciation for the hard work that <Coordinator Name> performed as the school coordinator for the NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) at <Inst_school>. Your institution is one of 600 institutions in the GSS annual reports that provide data about science, engineering, and health education and the workforce in the United States.

The GSS is the only national survey that collects information at the department level on graduate enrollment, postdoc appointments, and nonfaculty research positions in science, engineering, and health fields. Currently, for graduate students, the GSS collects information on race and ethnicity, citizenship, gender, and Federal sources of support, by type of support; for postdocs, the GSS collects information on citizenship and gender, by sources of support; and for nonfaculty research staff, the GSS collects information on sources of support. The soundness of decisions based on the GSS depends heavily on the efforts your staff made to provide complete and accurate data.

Surely, the GSS is only one of your staffs’ responsibilities at <Inst_school>, and NSF and NIH appreciate the level of effort that <Coordinator Name> expended to make the 2011 GSS a success.

Thank you again for your continued support of the NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.

Sincerely,

Lynda T. Carlson, PhD

Director

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

National Science Foundation

Rodney Ulane, PhD

Director, Division of Scientific Programs

Office of the Director

National Institutes of Health

Cc: <School coordinator>

RTI International

3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 • gss@rti.org • toll-free: (866) 558-0781

File Type	application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
File Title	Data Collection Plan for the NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS)
Subject	2010
Author	Carlee Mallard
File Modified	0000-00-00
File Created	2021-01-29

GSS Data Collection Plan

ATT6_GSS Data_Collection_Plan Draft.docx

Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering