SED Nonrespondent Contact Materials

ATTACHMENT 8: SED Nonrespondent Contact Materials
EMAIL #1—1ST PROMPT TO NONRESPONDENTS WHO HAVE NOT REGISTERED
Subject: Survey Invitation from the National Science Foundation

Dear Dr. ,
Congratulations on earning your doctoral degree! As a recent graduate of , you are invited to
participate in the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), a census of all new U.S. research doctorate recipients that has
been conducted every year since 1958. The SED is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and other federal
agencies.
Your response contributes to valuable data that are used to analyze the characteristics of doctorate cohorts, assess
investments in graduate student support, and make improvements to the doctorate education system.
To complete the SED, please go to https://sed-ncses.org and use the credentials provided below:
PIN:

Password:
Your responses will be kept strictly confidential and only aggregate data are publicly reported. If you have any
questions, please visit the SED information website at https://sedsurvey.org/ or contact the SED help desk at
[email protected] or (877) 256-8167.
Your participation would be greatly appreciated. Congratulations again on your achievement!
Sincerely,
Kelly Kang
Project Officer
Survey of Earned Doctorates
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation
For information on the SED, please visit https://nsf.gov/statistics/srvydoctorates/
SED data are being collected under contract by RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, for NSF

EMAIL #2—2nd PROMPT TO NONRESPONDENTS WHO STILL HAVE NOT REGISTERED
Subject: Survey of Earned Doctorates

Dear Dr. ,
We recently reached out to you with instructions for completing the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). As a recent
doctoral graduate of , your participation in this year’s SED is essential. By completing the survey, you
provide valuable information that is used by policymakers and universities to analyze changes in the characteristics of
doctorate recipients, assess investments in graduate student support, and make improvements to the U.S. doctoral
education system.
Please complete the SED online at https://sed-ncses.org using your credentials below:
PIN:

Password:
The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential, and only aggregate
data will be publicly reported. More information about the SED and how your information is protected is attached:
https://sedsurvey.org/content/pdf/Student_Brochure.pdf.
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or (877) 256-8167.
Thank you for your participation, and congratulations on your achievement!
Sincerely,
Kelly Kang
Project Officer
Survey of Earned Doctorates
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation
To learn more about the SED and how the results have been used, please visit
https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvydoctorates/
SED data are being collected under contract by RTI International, a nonprofit research organization.

EMAIL #3—3rd PROMPT TO NONRESPONDENTS
Subject: Participation in the Survey of Earned Doctorates

Dear Dr. ,
This is a friendly reminder that we are still waiting for your response to the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), an annual
census of research doctorate recipients from U.S. universities sponsored by the National Science Foundation and other
federal agencies.
It is very important that the survey data are representative of all research doctorate earners from July 1, 2019 to June 30,
2020.
Any information you provide will be kept strictly confidential. Only data aggregated to levels that do not allow for the
identification of individual respondents are released for publication. The SED results are published in an annual report;
the reports from earlier surveys are available at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/sed/.
Please complete the SED online at https://sed-ncses.org using your credentials below:
PIN:

Password:
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or (877) 256-8167.
Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.
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

FINAL EMAIL PROMPT TO NONRESPONDENTS
Subject: Importance of Your Participation in the Survey of Earned Doctorates

Dear Dr. ,
The 2020 Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) will soon be closing and we are reluctant to close this year's survey without
your response.
Your information on the 2020 SED will be combined with that of approximately 55,000 other research doctorate
recipients from the academic year 2020 (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020). The SED data are used to help inform
governmental policy, evaluate graduate education programs, and make doctorate labor force projections.
To complete the survey, please register at https://sed-ncses.org to obtain the web survey access information.
Please rest assured that only aggregated data will be in published reports. To learn more about the SED and how the
results are used, please visit https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvydoctorates/.
If you have questions, or concerns, please contact us at [email protected] or toll-free at (877) 256-8167.
Thank you for your assistance in this important research effort.
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

NONRESPONSE MAILING #1 – 1st HARDCOPY MAILING TO NONRESPONDENTS

Dr.

,
Dear Dr. :
We would like to extend our congratulations on completing your doctorate!
In light of this achievement, I invite you to participate in the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), conducted by the
National Science Foundation (NSF) and other federal agencies. SED data are being collected under contract by RTI
International, a nonprofit research organization for NSF.
Because the SED is used to make important policy decisions about graduate education, it is important that the survey
data are representative of all research doctorates in the United States. Your response will be combined with that of
approximately 50,000 other research doctorate earners from your academic year.
These aggregated data are used to help inform governmental policy, evaluate graduate programs, and make doctorate
labor force projections.
We greatly value your doctoral education experiences and request you complete the SED online at https://sed-ncses.org
using the following information:
PIN:
Password:
A copy of the survey is enclosed in case you prefer to respond using the paper survey. A postage-paid envelope is
provided to return the completed survey.
Your responses will be kept strictly confidential, and only aggregate data will be in published reports. The SED results are
available at: www.nsf.gov/statistics/sed.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at [email protected] or (877) 256-8167.
Congratulations again on this monumental accomplishment.
Sincerely,

Kelly Kang
Project Officer
Survey of Earned Doctorates
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation

NONRESPONSE MAILING #2 –PRESSURE SEALED POSTCARD REMINDER TO NONRESPONDENTS

SUI

NONRESPONSE MAILING #3—2nd HARDCOPY MAILING TO NONRESPONDENTS

Dr.

,
Dear Dr. :
A few weeks ago, we asked for your participation in the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), an annual census of research
doctorate recipients from U.S. universities sponsored by the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies.
We would greatly appreciate your participation as the efficacy and accuracy of this survey rely on a high response rate.
Any information you provide will be kept strictly confidential. Only data aggregated to levels that does not allow the
identification of individual respondents are released for publication.
You can complete the survey online by going to: https://sed-ncses.org/ or if you prefer, complete the enclosed survey and
return it in the postage-paid envelope provided. If you have already completed the survey, we thank you for your
response.
The SED results will be published in an annual report; the annual reports on earlier surveys are available at:
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/sed/.
This survey is conducted under contract by RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, for NSF. If you have any
questions, please contact us at [email protected] or (877) 256-8167.
Congratulations on completing your doctorate.
Sincerely,

Kelly Kang
Project Officer
Survey of Earned Doctorates
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
National Science Foundation