Correspondence

DRAFT—DO NOT CITE

Appendix C: Research Participant Survey
Notifications, Invitations, and Reminders
This section contains the schedule and associated text for contacting respondents that
NSF and the contractor plan on using when fielding the survey. Table C-1 describes the
plan chronologically from 2 days prior to the survey launching to 3 weeks after launch.
This plan has been designed to increase the response rate for the survey.
Table C-1. Respondent Contact Schedule
Form of Contact

1.

When Contact Will Occur

1. Advanced Notice from PI

2 days before launch

2. Advanced Notice from
NSF

Day of launch

3. Survey invitation via
email from study team

Launch day

4. First Email Reminder
from Study Team

1 week after launch

5. Second Email Reminder
from Study Team

2 weeks after launch

6. Email Reminder from
NSF

2 weeks after launch

7. Final Email Reminder
from Study Team

2.5 weeks after launch

8. Phone Reminder from
Study Team

3 weeks after launch

Advance Notice from PI
Dear __ (former student),

In the next few days you will receive an email from the IDA Science and Technology
Policy Institute requesting your participation in a survey to help improve NSF’s Research
Experience and Mentoring award our research team received. I encourage you to fill out
the survey, which will take about twenty minutes. The information gathered from the
survey will be used to improve the program for REM participants and
across the country in the years to come.
All the best,
Dr. ___

9

DRAFT—DO NOT CITE
2.

Advance Notice from NSF
Dear __ ,

You will receive an email shortly from the IDA Science and Technology Policy
Institute requesting your participation in a survey about your experience as a participant in
the Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) program. Filling out the survey should
take about twenty minutes, and will provide NSF with valuable information that will be
used to improve the program for REM participants across the country into the future.
Filling out this survey will not impact your future relationship with NSF, and
responses will be presented to us in aggregate. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the survey.
All the best,
Alias Smith
alismith@nsf.gov

3.

Survey invitation via email from study team
Subject: The NSF Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) survey

Dear «First_Name» «Last_Name»,
On behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the IDA Science and Technology
Policy Institute (STPI) is conducting a survey of past participants in the NSF Research
Experience and Mentoring (REM) program. NSF would like to understand if and how the
REM award achieved the goal of promoting research opportunities for high school
students, STEM teachers, undergraduate STEM students, and faculty.
You are being contacted because you participated in a REM program and STPI has
identified you as an eligible participant. Because the pool of awardees is small, we hope
that you are willing and able to complete a short survey. Your decision to participate is
confidential, and survey results will only be reported to NSF in aggregate. The aggregated
results will assist NSF in continuing to offer research opportunities for high school
students, STEM teachers, undergraduate STEM students, faculty, and veterans.

10

DRAFT—DO NOT CITE
The survey will take about 20 minutes and will ask you about your experiences related to
the program.
Here is your personalized link: «Invite_Link»
If you have any questions regarding the technical aspects of the survey, please feel free to
email REMeval@ida.org. If you would like to verify the authenticity of this study feel free
to contact the NSF program office for the REM supplement, Dr. Alias Smith, at
alismith@nsf.gov.
On behalf of the STPI team, thank you for your time and care,
Asha Balakrishnan
Asha Balakrishnan, PhD
Science and Technology Policy Institute
1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
-STPI is a federally-funded research and development center based in Washington, D.C. that
supports the Federal agencies in various areas of science policy research. Please see our website
for more information: https://www.ida.org/stpi.php.

4.

First email reminder from study team
a. Not started
Subject: Reminder! NSF Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) program survey

Dear «First_Name» «Last_Name»,
This is a reminder to please complete our survey for the National Science Foundation
(NSF) Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) program. The goal of the survey is to
understand if and how the REM award achieved the goal of promoting research
opportunities for high school students, STEM teachers, undergraduate STEM students, and

11

DRAFT—DO NOT CITE
faculty. Because the pool of awardees is small, we would really appreciate your feedback
and thoughts on the program.
The survey is roughly 20 minutes and will ask about your experiences related to the
program. Your decision to participate is confidential, and survey results will only be
reported to NSF in aggregate. The aggregated results will assist NSF in continuing to offer
research opportunities for high school students, STEM teachers, undergraduate STEM
students, and faculty.
Here is your personalized link: «Invite_Link»
If you have any questions regarding the technical aspects of the survey, please feel free to
email REMeval@ida.org. If you would like to verify the authenticity of this study feel free
to contact the NSF program office for the REM supplement, Dr. Alias Smith, at
alismith@nsf.gov.
On behalf of the STPI assessment team, thank you for your time and care,
Asha Balakrishnan
Asha Balakrishnan, PhD
Science and Technology Policy Institute
1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
-STPI is a federally-funded research and development center based in Washington, D.C. that
supports the Federal agencies in various areas of science policy research. Please see our website
for more information: https://www.ida.org/stpi.php.

b. Partially complete
Subject: Reminder! Complete your NSF Research Experience and Mentoring (REM)
program survey

Dear «First_Name» «Last_Name»,
Thank you for starting the survey for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research
Experience and Mentoring (REM) program. This is an email reminder to complete the
survey. Because the pool of awardees is small, we would really appreciate your feedback

12

DRAFT—DO NOT CITE
and thoughts on the program. As of DATE your survey is listed as partially completed.
Previous answers are automatically saved and you can access the survey using the
personalized link below. Your response is essential.
The survey is roughly 20 minutes and will ask about your experiences related to the
program. Your decision to participate is confidential, and survey results will only be
reported to NSF in aggregate. The aggregated results will assist NSF in continuing to offer
research opportunities for high school students, STEM teachers, undergraduate STEM
students, and faculty.
Here is your personalized link: «Invite_Link»
If you have any questions regarding the technical aspects of the survey, please feel free to
email REMeval@ida.org. If you would like to verify the authenticity of this study feel free
to contact the NSF program office for the REM supplement, Dr. Alias Smith, at
alismith@nsf.gov.
On behalf of the STPI assessment team, thank you for your time and care,
Asha Balakrishnan
Asha Balakrishnan, PhD
Science and Technology Policy Institute
1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
-STPI is a federally-funded research and development center based in Washington, D.C. that
supports the Federal agencies in various areas of science policy research. Please see our website
for more information: https://www.ida.org/stpi.php.

5.

Second email reminder from study team

Dear «First_Name» «Last_Name»,
As you may have heard, STPI is conducting a survey of the National Science Foundation’s
(NSF) Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) program. Because the pool of awardees
is small, we would really appreciate your feedback and thoughts on the program.
The survey is roughly 20 minutes and will ask about your experiences related to the
program. Your decision to participate is confidential, and survey results will only be
reported to NSF in aggregate. The aggregated results will assist NSF in continuing to offer
research opportunities for high school students, STEM teachers, undergraduate STEM
students, and faculty.
13

DRAFT—DO NOT CITE
Here is your personalized link: «Invite_Link»
If you have any questions regarding the technical aspects of the survey, please feel free to
email REMeval@ida.org. If you would like to verify the authenticity of this study feel free
to contact the NSF program office for the REM supplement, Dr. Alias Smith, at
alismith@nsf.gov.
On behalf of the STPI assessment team, thank you for your time and care,
Asha Balakrishnan
Asha Balakrishnan, PhD
Science and Technology Policy Institute
1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20006

6.

Email reminder from NSF
Dear REM participant,

You should have received an email in the last few weeks from the IDA Science and
Technology Policy Institute inviting your participation in a survey about the Research
Experience and Mentoring program. To those that have already taken the time, thank you
so much for your contribution to this effort.
If you have not had a chance to do so already, filling out the survey should take about
twenty minutes. The results of the survey will help guide the future of the REM program
as we help to bring research experiences to students across the Nation. Responses will be
presented to us in aggregate, so your participation is confidential. Thank you for your time
and consideration. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns
regarding the survey.
All the best,
Alias Smith
alismith@nsf.gov

14

DRAFT—DO NOT CITE
7.

Final Email Reminder from Study Team
a. Not started
Subject: Help improve The NSF Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) program

Dear «First_Name» «Last_Name»,
We wanted to follow up one more time to remind you to please complete our survey for
the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience and Mentoring (REM)
program Assessment. Because the pool of awardees is small, your feedback and thoughts
on the program are especially important.
The survey is roughly 20 minutes and is on your experiences related to the program as well
as outputs and outcomes associated with your time in the program. Your decision to
participate is confidential, and survey results will only be reported to NSF in aggregate.
The aggregated results will assist NSF in continuing to offer research opportunities for high
school students, STEM teachers, undergraduate STEM students, and faculty.
Here is your personalized link: «Invite_Link»
If you have any questions regarding the technical aspects of the survey, please feel free to
email REMeval@ida.org. If you would like to verify the authenticity of this study feel free
to contact the NSF program office for the REM supplement, Dr. Alias Smith, at
alismith@nsf.gov.
On behalf of the STPI assessment team, thank you for your time and care,
Asha Balakrishnan
Asha Balakrishnan, PhD
Science and Technology Policy Institute
1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
-STPI is a federally-funded research and development center based in Washington, D.C. that
supports the Federal agencies in various areas of science policy research. Please see our website
for more information: https://www.ida.org/stpi.php.

15

DRAFT—DO NOT CITE
b. Partially complete
Subject: Help improve The NSF Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) program

Dear «First_Name» «Last_Name»,
We wanted to follow up one more time to remind you to please complete our survey for
the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience and Mentoring (REM)
program Assessment. Because the pool of awardees is small, your feedback and thoughts
on the program are especially important. As of DATE your survey is listed as partially
completed. Previous answers are automatically saved and you can access the survey using
the personalized link below. Your response is essential.
The survey is roughly 20 minutes and is on your experiences related to the program as well
as outputs and outcomes associated with your time in the program. Your decision to
participate is confidential, and survey results will only be reported to NSF in aggregate.
The aggregated results will assist NSF in continuing to offer research opportunities for high
school students, STEM teachers, undergraduate STEM students, and faculty.
Here is your personalized link: «Invite_Link»
If you have any questions regarding the technical aspects of the survey, please feel free to
email REMeval@ida.org. If you would like to verify the authenticity of this study feel free
to contact the NSF program office for the REM supplement, Dr. Alias Smith, at
alismith@nsf.gov.
On behalf of the STPI assessment team, thank you for your time and care,
Asha Balakrishnan
Asha Balakrishnan, PhD
Science and Technology Policy Institute
1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
-STPI is a federally-funded research and development center based in Washington, D.C. that
supports the Federal agencies in various areas of science policy research. Please see our website
for more information: https://www.ida.org/stpi.php.

16

DRAFT—DO NOT CITE
8.

Phone Reminder from Study Team

Hello «First_Name» «Last_Name»,
We have been trying to reach you to learn more about your experience in the Research
Experience and Mentoring program in «Year». Do you have interest in taking a short
survey to help improve the REM program? Is there a better email address to send the link
to? Otherwise, I would be happy to administer the survey over the phone. We estimate it
will take about twenty minutes to complete.
Thank you for your time.

17