Attachment 3: Introductory and Follow-up Letters to Potential Respondents

Attachment 3: Introductory and Follow-up Letters to Potential Survey Respondents

1. Introductory letter to respondents

Dear Dr. <Last Name>,

The Science & Technology Policy Institute (STPI), a federally funded research and development center based in Washington DC, is conducting a survey of Project Directors on NSF-funded EPSCoR RII awards on behalf of the National Science Foundation. The purpose of the survey is to supplement existing data being collected as part of our historical review of the EPSCoR program.

As a Project Director of an EPSCoR RII award, currently receiving funding from NSF, we are requesting your participation in a survey about your experiences. As the Project Director, you will receive one link for each funding iteration your jurisdiction has been awarded. Except as required by law, survey responses will remain confidential. Survey responses will be accepted until [insert date]. We understand that you are very busy and greatly appreciate your time and participation in this important activity.

If you believe you have received this message in error because you have never been or no longer are a Project Director on an NSF-funded EPSCoR RII award, we apologize for the inconvenience. Please contact Brian Zuckerman at [email protected] so that we can ensure that you do not receive additional reminders.

For further information about the broader study, the survey, or with questions or concerns about the survey instrument, please contact STPI Project Leader Brian Zuckerman at (202) 419-5485. If you have questions that you would like to address to NSF, please contact Suzanne Plimpton.

Pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(b), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to an information collection unless it displays a valid OMB control number.  The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-XXXX.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions.  Send comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:  Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, Facilities and Operations Branch, Division of Administrative Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA  22230.

*Click here to begin...*<URL LINK TO SURVEY HERE>

Thank you

2. Thank you note to respondents

Dear Dr. <LastName>,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for completing the NSF EPSCoR Jurisdictional Survey.  Your responses will help NSF to better serve the NSF EPSCoR community. 

Again, thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

STPI Evaluation Team

3. Reminder email

Dear Dr. <LastName>,

About a week ago we sent you an email requesting your participation in an NSF EPSCoR jurisdictional survey. Since we have not yet received a response from you, we would like to remind you that the survey will be closing on [insert date].  We understand that you are very busy and greatly appreciate your time and participation in this important evaluation.

Thank you and best regards,

 

The STPI Evaluation Team

Please note: If you believe you have received this message in error, either because you are not a Project Director on an NSF EPSCoR RII award or because you have already responded to the survey, we apologize for the inconvenience. Please contact Brian Zuckerman at [email protected] so that we can ensure that you do not receive additional reminders.