Institutional Contacts

ATTACHMENT 7: SED Institution Contact Materials
EMAIL TO NOTIFY INSTITUTION CONTACT (IC) OF 2020 SED WEB LAUNCH
Subject: Launch of the 2020 Survey of Earned Doctorates

Dear :
Thank you for your continued support of the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) and welcome to the 2020 SED!
The 2020 SED survey is now available to all students using the web-based option. Your students may access the survey at
https://sed-ncses.org, the same URL as you are currently using. The 2020 SED survey is for students who expect to
graduate between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.
The SED Institution Contact Administrative Tool (ICAT) website contains all the information necessary for you to manage
the SED. To login to the ICAT go to https://sedsurvey.org/Home/ICAT and enter your username and password. If you do
not know your password, click "forgot password" and your password will be emailed to you.
If you have updates to the Institution Contact (IC) and Graduate Dean contact information, please make the changes in
the ICAT on the Current Dean and Institution Contact page.
1. Click on Data Collection Forms
2. Select Current Dean and Institution Contact and check change name to update the contact information
Please submit all graduation lists through the ICAT website as close to the graduation date(s) as possible. To submit a
graduation list, login as shown above and follow the instructions below.
1. Click on Submit Lists and Forms
2. Select Choose File for Upload
3. A successfully uploaded file will appear in the list of Recent Uploads
We are in the process of having the 2020 SED paper questionnaires printed, which will be mailed later in May. If you are
still using paper questionnaires, please consider making the transition to SED web survey as it provides easier and more
efficient option for you and your graduates. Schools using the web-based survey will receive a few paper questionnaires
for reference.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at 1-877-256-8167 or sed@rti.org.
Sincerely,
Patricia J. Green, Project Director
Survey of Earned Doctorates
RTI International

1

NEW INSTITUTION LETTER TO INSTITUTION CONTACT

:

Dear ,
Welcome to the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). I am writing to provide you with an overview of the SED and where
to find additional information.
The SED achieves over 90% response rate each year with the support of participating institutions. You have been
nominated by , as the Institutional Contact for , therefore we’re asking for
your assistance with the following:
Providing a list of all research doctoral degree recipients for each commencement from for us to
establish an accurate frame of the graduates;
•
•

Distributing the SED web survey URL to all graduates who earned a research doctorate in the current academic
year (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020); and
Providing contact information for graduates who have not yet responded to the SED so we can follow up with
them to complete the survey.

Along with this letter, I am enclosing materials to help you administer the SED. These materials include:
•
•
•
•

A brief guide for Institution Contacts;
FERPA letter;
SED paper version of the questionnaire for your reference; and
Informational brochures with more details about the SED.

Thank you in advance for your participation and assistance in this year’s SED. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with
any questions at sed@rti.org or (877) 256-8167.
Sincerely,

Kelly H. Kang
SED Project Officer
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation

2

COVER LETTER, BULK MAILING TO ICs – SED WEB USERS

:

,
Dear :
As we begin the new 2020 round of the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), intended for research doctorates graduating
between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, I would like to thank you for your continued support.
We have enclosed a few copies of the 2020 SED information brochures for institutions and student respondents,
Institutional Contact Job Aid, and the paper questionnaires for use as a reference.
These SED materials are also available on the ICAT website at https://sedsurvey.org/Home/ICAT but if you would like
to receive additional printed copies, please contact us at any time.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the SED Help Desk at (877) 256-8167 or send an email to
sed@rti.org. More information about the SED are available at https://sedsurvey.org/.
Thank you again for your support.
Sincerely,
Kelly H. Kang
Project Officer
Survey of Earned Doctorates
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation

3

GRADUATION LIST QUARTERLY PROMPTING EMAIL TO ICs – FALL, WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER
Subject: Request from NSF for SED Graduation List(s)

Dear :
Thank you for your institution’s continued support of the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED).
At this time, we would like to ask you to submit your institution’s graduation list(s) for all students awarded a
research doctoral degree in SED eligible fields in .
To submit the graduation list, please log onto your ICAT website, and follow the instructions below:
1. Click https://sedsurvey.org/Account/Login
2. Enter your username and password (If you do not know your password, click “Forgot
Password” on the login screen)
3. Click “Submit Lists and Forms”
4. Click “graduation lists” hyperlink to download the template in Excel file
5. Add the requested information and save the file to your computer
6. Click “Choose File for Upload”, enter brief description of the list, select the file, and click “Upload”
7. A successfully uploaded file will appear under “Recent Uploads”
If you have any questions, please contact the RTI SED staff by email at sed@rti.org or by phone at (877) 256-8167.
We really appreciate your assistance with our effort to collect accurate counts of the SED AY2020 research
doctorates.
Sincerely,
Kelly Kang
Project Officer
Survey of Earned Doctorates
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation
Thank you for ensuring that your doctoral students are directed to https://sed-ncses.org to complete the SED.

4

ADDRESS ROSTER REQUEST—1st EMAIL TO INSTITUTION CONTACTS: LOW RESPONSE SCHOOLS
Subject: Information request for the Survey of Earned Doctorates

Dear :
Thank you for your continued support of the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). In order to maintain a high response
rate in the SED, we need your assistance in obtaining contact information for a roster of your graduates who have not
yet completed the survey, to encourage them to respond.
To access the Address Roster, please log in to the ICAT website (https://sedsurvey.org/Home/ICAT):
1. Log in using your Username and Password
2. Click on Data Collection Forms
a. Select Address Roster
b. Download the Address Roster (Excel spreadsheet)
c. Add the requested information for the graduates listed
3. Click on Submit Lists and Forms and upload the completed Address Roster
4. A successfully uploaded file will appear in the list of Recent Uploads
If you have any questions, please contact us at 877-256-8167 or at sed@rti.org.
The student contact information is exempt from FERPA protections as per guidance from the United States Department
of Education. Please see attached https://edsurveys.rti.org/sedinfo/Content/pdf/FERPA_Letter_SED.pdf
Your prompt response to our request is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help.
Sincerely,
Kelly Kang
Project Officer
Survey of Earned Doctorates
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation
SED data are being collected under contract by RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, for NSF

5

ADDRESS ROSTER REQUEST—2nd EMAIL PROMPT TO INSTITUTION CONTACTS: ALL SCHOOLS w/ OUTSTANDING LISTS
Subject: A friendly reminder for the Survey of Earned Doctorates Address Roster

Dear :
Thank you for your continued support of the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). This is a friendly reminder that we still
need your assistance with an address roster for AY 2020 graduates for whom we are missing an email address,
physical address and/or phone number so we can contact your graduates who have not yet completed the SED.
To access the Address Roster, please go to the SED Institution Coordinator website
(https://sedsurvey.org/Home/ICAT):
1. Log in using your Username and Password
2. Click on Data Collection Forms
a. Select Address Roster
b. Download the Address Roster (Excel spreadsheet)
c. Add the requested information for the graduates listed
3. Click on Submit Lists and Forms and upload the completed Address Roster
4. A successfully uploaded file will appear in the list of Recent Uploads
The student contact information is exempt from FERPA protections as per guidance from the United States Department
of Education. Please see attached https://edsurveys.rti.org/sedinfo/Content/pdf/FERPA_Letter_SED.pdf
Your prompt response to our request is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help.
If you have any questions, please contact us at 877-256-8167 or at sed@rti.org.
Sincerely,
Kelly Kang
Project Officer
Survey of Earned Doctorates
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation
SED data are being collected under contract by RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, for NSF

6

MISSING INFORMATION ROSTER EMAIL TO INSTITUTION CONTACTS (ICs)
Subject: Requesting assistance for the SED

Dear :
As Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) for the academic year 2020 is coming to a close, we need your assistance one last
time for missing key information for the doctorate recipients who have not completed the survey.
To access the Missing Information Roster, please login to the SED Institution Coordinator website
(https://sedsurvey.org/Home/ICAT):
1. Login using your Username and Password
2. Click on Data Collection Forms
a. Select Missing Information Roster
b. Download the Missing Information Roster (Excel spreadsheet)
c. Add the requested information for the graduates listed
3. Click on Submit Lists and Forms and upload the completed Missing Information Roster
4. A successfully uploaded file will appear in the list of Recent Uploads
We would appreciate your submission by October 31, 2020. If you have questions, please E-mail us at sed@rti.org or call
us at 877-256-8167.
The student information is exempt from FERPA protections as per guidance from the United States Department of
Education. Please see attached https://edsurveys.rti.org/sedinfo/Content/pdf/FERPA_Letter_SED.pdf.
Thank you for your continued assistance and support for this important national survey.
Sincerely,
Kelly Kang
Project Officer
Survey of Earned Doctorates
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation
SED data are being collected under contract by RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, for NSF.
Control#:

7

GRADUATE SCHOOL DEAN THANK YOU LETTER (SENT WITH 2018 SED INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE DATA)

,
Dear ,
On behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the other federal sponsors of the Survey of Earned Doctorates
(SED), I would like to thank you for your institution’s support of the SED.
The 2020 SED data collection ended a few months ago, and I want you to know how much we appreciate you and your
colleagues at , especially ,
, the university contact (s) for assistance on the SED. Your support and the work of your staff
contribute to making the SED a rich and valuable database on doctoral educations.
Enclosed you will find Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities report with the results from the 2018 SED (academic
year ending June 30, 2018). The report provides information on major trends in doctoral education and addresses
important question about doctorate recipients. The online version of the report, plus additional data tables can be
found at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/sed/.
Also enclosed is a profile of your institution’s research doctorate recipients from the 2018 SED. The profile includes
statistics on the demographic characteristics, debt status, and postdoctoral plans of your doctorate recipients, with
comparisons to national-level data and to data from institutions in the same Carnegie classification. PLEASE NOTE: this
profile includes confidential data protected by the NSF Act of 1950, as amended; data from this profile must not be
shared outside of your institution without the prior approval of the NSF.
Your institution’s profile may be of limited use if many of your institution’s doctorate recipients did not respond to the
SED. At the bottom of the first page of the profile is a “response rate” calculation so that you can gauge your doctorate
recipients’ participation level in the SED (national average response rate is 91 percent). Each institution’s contribution to
attaining the highest response rate possible maximizes the usefulness of SED data.
Again, our thanks to you and your staff for helping to make the SED a success. We look forward to continued
collaboration with your institution on the 2020 SED (academic year ending June 30, 2020).
Sincerely,
Kelly H. Kang
Project Officer
Survey of Earned Doctorates
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation
cc: Coord 1, Coord 2

8

SED Institution Contact Job Aids
Survey of Earned Doctorates
2020 SED Institution Contact Guidelines
Welcome!
The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) is an annual census of all research doctorate recipients from U.S.
educational institutions. The goal is to gather objective data about doctoral graduates, which help improve
graduate education by providing governmental and private agencies with the information necessary to make
program and policy decisions.
In addition, participating institutions receive data about their own doctorate recipients which can be used for
program evaluation and improvement.
The survey is conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in collaboration with the National
Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The SED data collection activities are currently contracted to RTI International.
Each institution that awards research doctorates appoints an institution contact (IC) who helps facilitate the
administration and completion of the SED. Over the past few decades, ICs have successfully ensured
extremely high response rates – above 90 percent – for the more than 50,000 research doctorate recipients
who graduate each year. This commitment to data quality is critical to ensuring the integrity of these
comprehensive data on U.S. research doctorate recipients.

ICAT Website
The SED Institution Contact Administrative Tool (ICAT) https://sedsurvey.org/Home/ICAT contains all the
information necessary for ICs to administer the SED on their campus. On the website, ICs can obtain survey
materials to distribute to graduating research doctorates, transmit various SED forms and files, and maintain
contact information for key personnel responsible for SED administration.

IC Contact Information
If you are new to the IC role or your contact information has changed, please update your contact
information in the ICAT so there will be no interruption in delivery of SED materials.

Eligible Types of Doctorates
The SED includes research doctorates only; for this survey, a r esearch doctorate is a doctoral degree that
requires the completion of an original intellectual contribution in the form of a dissertation or an equivalent
culminating project (such as a musical composition), and that is not primarily intended as a degree for the
practice of a profession.
The PhD is the most common research doctorate degree. Recipients of professional or practitioner/ applied
doctorates – including the MD, DDS, JD, PsyD, DMin, PharmD and DNP degrees – are NOT included in the
SED. However, in some institutions, there are some doctoral degree programs that may be equivalent to the
PhD, such as the Doctor of Education, Doctor of Science, and the Doctor of Engineering; these should be
included in the SED ONLY if the NSF has determined that these particular degrees at your institution are
research degrees.
If your institution has a medical school, please make sure that any research doctorates awarded
through the medical school are included in the SED. If you have any questions about a SED eligible
degree awarded by your institution, please call us toll-free at 1-877-256-8167.

Types of research doctoral degrees eligible for the Survey of Earned Doctorates
Abbreviation

Degree title

PhD

Doctor of Philosophy

DA

Doctor of Arts

DBA

Doctor of Business Administration

DDes

Doctor of Design

DEng, DESc,

Doctor of Engineering or Engineering Science

DES DFA

Doctor of Fine Arts

DHL

Doctor of Hebrew Letters

DMA

Doctor of Musical Arts

DME

Doctor of Music Education

DML

Doctor of Modern Languages

DNSc

Doctor of Nursing Science

DPH

Doctor of Public Health

DSc, ScD

Doctor of Science

EdD

Doctor of Education

JCD

Doctor of Canon Law

JSD, SJD

Doctor of Juridical science

STD

Doctor of Sacred Theology

ThD

Doctor of Theology

SOURCE: NSF, NIH, USED, NEH, Survey of Earned Doctorates

Types of Data Requested (2020 SED Eligibility Period: July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020)
(1) GRADUATION LIST:


After each graduation date during the eligibility period, please submit each graduation list
within 2 months of the graduation date.



Graduation lists are needed to ensure we have an accurate base count of your doctoral
graduates.



Following information is requested for each student:
•

Student’s Name

•

Graduation Month/Year

•

Doctoral Degree Type (PhD, EdD, JSD, etc.)

•

Doctoral Field of Study

•

Email Address

•

Telephone Number

•

Mailing Address

•

Advisor’s Name

(2) ADDRESS ROSTER (Requested only if contact information was not provided on the Graduation
List and only for students who have yet to complete survey):


Requested two times during the eligibility period.



Address roster information is needed to contact the students to complete the survey.



Following information is requested for each student:
•

Student’s Email Address

•

Telephone Number

•

Mailing Address

(3) MISSING INFORMATION ROSTER (MIR):


Requested near the end of data collection.



Missing information roster information are a subset of critical data items for students who
have not completed the survey.



Following information is requested for each nonresponding student.
•

Doctoral Field of Study

•

Birthdate

•

Sex

•

Citizenship

•

Race and Ethnicity

•

Bachelor’s Degree Institution Name and Location, Year

•

Postgraduation Location (U.S. or Non-U.S.)

Step-by-Step Instructions
If your graduates will be completing the SED on the web (preferred method):
1. 3-4 months before graduation, distribute the SED web survey link— https://sed-ncses.org for
each student applying for graduation or award of a research doctorate. The SED web survey
can be linked to your institution’s exit survey or included in a graduation checklist for your
research doctorates.
2. Monitor SED web survey completion status on the ICAT for each upcoming graduate and
follow-up regularly with doctoral recipients who have not yet completed the survey.
3.

Immediately after each graduation date, use the Excel template on the ICAT to upload a final
graduation list. Alternatively, you may upload a Word document or a copy of an annotated
commencement program.

4. Provide accurate personal contact information for SED survey non-respondents on the Address
Roster so that we can follow-up with these graduates.

If your graduates will be completing the SED on paper questionnaires:
1.

3-4 months before graduation, distribute the SED paper questionnaire to each student
applying for graduation or award of a research doctorate. Additional paper questionnaires
can be requested by emailing SED@rti.org.

2. Track questionnaire completions among the list of expected graduates and prompt them to
complete the SED.
3. Store completed questionnaires in a secure location.
4. On the front cover of each completed paper questionnaire, check that the graduation date
is correct and complete. If not, draw a line through it and write the correct month and year
of the student’s official graduation date.
5. Complete a questionnaire transmittal form, included in the SED bulk mailing or available on
the ICAT.
6. Send a transmittal form and all completed SED paper questionnaires in the provided
prepaid mailing materials to the address below:
Survey of Earned Doctorates – NSF
C/O RTI International
Attn: Data Capture – 021577
5265 Capital Boulevard
Raleigh, NC 27616
6.

Contact the SED Help Desk at 1-877-256-8167 or SED@rti.org if more mailing materials are
needed.

7.

Provide accurate personal contact information for SED survey non-respondents on the
Address Roster Form so that we can follow-up with these students.

2020 SED Timeline
Graduation Eligibility Period

July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020

SED Web survey available to Institutions

May 20 19

SED Information packet mailed to ICs

May 2019

Submit graduation lists

Quarterly

Submit Address Rosters

April and September 2020

Submit Missing Information Rosters
Deadline to submit all graduation lists
Data collection ends

May and October 2020
October 15, 2020
December 15, 2020

BULK MAILING—SED INSTITUTION BROCHURE

BULK MAILING—SED RESPONDENT BROCHURE

GRADUATION LIST TEMPLATE
School
ID

Middle
First
Name
Last
Name (optional) Name

Grad
Month

Grad
Year

Degree
Type

Field Of
Study

Email
Address

Address
Line1

Address
Line2

City

State

Zip

Country

Phone

Advisor
Name

This form is part of the administration of the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This information is solicited under the authority of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. All information provided will be used for research or statistical purposes only and is protected under the NSF Act and the Privacy Act of 1974. Response is voluntary and
failure to provide some or all of the information will not adversely affect your institution. The time needed to complete this form varies according to institution circumstances. It is estimated that all SED
activities require no more than 20 hours of an Institutional Coordinator’s time per year. Response burden comments should be directed to the National Science Foundation, 2410 Eisenhower Ave. W18253
Arlington, VA 22314, Attn: NSF Reports Clearance Officer.
Form approved: OMB No. 3145-0019, Expires 05/31/2023

ADDRESS ROSTER TEMPLATE
SED Ref
ID

School
Name

First Middle
Name Name

Last
Name

Grad
Date

Field of
Study

Email Phone

Address
Line 1

Address
Line 2

City

ZIP
State Code

Country

Notes

This form is part of the administration of the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This information is
solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. All information provided will be used for research or statistical
purposes only and is protected under the NSF Act and the Privacy Act of 1974. Response is voluntary and failure to provide some or all of the information will
not adversely affect your institution. The time needed to complete this form varies according to institution circumstances. It is estimated that all SED activities
require no more than 20 hours of an Institutional Coordinator’s time per year. Response burden comments should be directed to the National Science
Foundation, 2410 Eisenhower Ave. W18253 Arlington, VA 22314, Attn: NSF Reports Clearance Officer.
Form approved: OMB No. 3145-0019, Expires 05/31/2023

SED Missing Information Roster
Please complete and
return by
xx/xx/xxxx
to the National Science
Foundation
c/o RTI International
Survey of Earned
Doctorates
Upload to ICAT
SCHOOL
ID
SU_ID

CITIZENSHP TYPE
1= U.S. Native
2= U.S. Naturalized
3= U.S. Type Unknown
4= Non U.S. Perm Resident
("Green Card")
5= Non U.S. Temp Visa Resident
6= Non U.S. Resident; Status
Unknown

STUDEN
T
GRAD BIRTHDATE
NAME
DATE MO DAY YR

RACE: (Select one or more)
1= American Indian or Alaska
Native
2= Native Hawaiian or Pacific
Islander
3= Asian
4= Black or African American
5= White

CITIZENSHIP
HISP
OTHER
SEX TYPE COUNTRY RACE CODE SPECIFY

HISPANIC:

BA INSTITUTION:

1=No, not Hispanic
2=Yes, Mexican or
Chicano
3=Yes, Puerto Rican
4= Yes, Cuban
5= Yes, other Hispanic,
specify/Yes, Hispanic
origin unknown

US: Name/City or Branch
Foreign: Name/Country
No B.A.: "No B.A."

BA DOCTORATE POST DEGREE LOCATION
BA INSTITUTION
NAME
LOCATION YEAR
IN U.S. VS. OUT OF U.S.?
FIELD

This form is part of the administration of the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This information is solicited under the authority of the National
Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. All information provided will be used for research or statistical purposes only and is protected under the NSF Act and the Privacy Act of 1974. Response is
voluntary and failure to provide some or all of the information will not adversely affect your institution. The time needed to complete this form varies according to institution circumstances. It is
estimated that all SED activities require no more than 20 hours of an Institutional Coordinator’s time per year. Response burden comments should be directed to the National Science Foundation,
2410 Eisenhower Ave. W18253 Arlington, VA 22314, Attn: NSF Reports Clearance Officer.
Form approved: OMB No. 3145-0019, Expires 05/31/2023