MODIFICATION
A -- ERS -NORC DATA ENCLAVE
- Notice Date
- 9/23/2015
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 541720
— Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities
- Contracting Office
- Agricultural Research Service - National Capital Region Business Service Center
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- SDT757764
- Archive Date
- 10/9/2015
- Point of Contact
- Shelia D Tucker, Phone: 301-504-6346
- E-Mail Address
-
shelia.tucker@ars.usda.gov
(shelia.tucker@ars.usda.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- ERS needs a technologically advanced, innovative, secure, certified, effective and efficient system for the recently collected Rural Establishment Innovation Survey data to: • Enable greater diversity of research by providing flexibility to researchers in accessing the microdata files to conduct economic research that can identify interrelationships and interactions among the phenomena covered in the data. A limited number of ERS staff will be conducting research on innovation in rural firms that is most closely related to USDA's mission. However, they can hardly be expected to (nor are they funded to) be able to identify all the research/policy questions that can and should be addressed using these unique data. Effectiveness and efficiency should support researchers using quantitative methods to probe deeper into the social and economic issues that support policy discussions and formulations regarding innovation in rural areas-a topic that to date has generated little research due to a lack of data. • To improve the credibility/acceptability of data by providing broader access to microdata. This will demonstrate the confidence in the data by making replication (or correction) possible by independent users/parties, and by providing an IT infrastructure that is secure, reliable and has adequate bandwidth for handing computationally intensive econometric operations. • To reduce duplication as non- accessibility to microdata forces users to conduct their own surveys. Wider, efficient, and effective access to microdata dissemination would reduce the risk of duplicated activities. It will also reduce respondent burden, and minimize the risk of producing incomparable data that support seemingly inconsistent findings. • To encourage and increase analyses focused on developing evidence-based policy impact publications, and monitoring systems. The data enclave, developed by National Opinion Research Center (NORC) in conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Technology Innovation Program, provides remote or on-site researcher access to confidential microdata in a secure environment. NORC has significant experience conceptualizing, designing and implementing secure enclave configurations for storing confidential data and providing secure and confidential remote access approved researchers to efficiently and effectively conduct computationally intensive economic analyses. Recognizing the potential for improving data access, ERS in association with NASS has been one of the early adopters of this ground-breaking opportunity providing access to ARMS, FoodApps and proprietary IRI data to approved researchers. ERS would like to continue providing effective and efficient remote access to external users (academics and other senior analysts) working on approved research projects on innovation using REIS. Because rural innovation is an emerging research area that lacks a well-defined research community, the project will be funded for one year with an assessment of demand for these data by external researchers, with a possible continuation for up to 3 additional years. The deliverables in the first year include: 1. Provide a stable platform for design, development, and deployment of secure enclave configurations for the storage of REIS. 2. Monitor and evaluate performance of enclave security software and protocols, to include system, application, and data security capabilities. 3. Provide ongoing secure and efficient work environment and support for up to 5 concurrent user accounts for approved researchers. 4. Implement infrastructure improvements related to system capacity, process efficiency, and data security. 5. Provide expertise and labor in the area of IT and survey methodology, and econometrics as necessary to evaluate work product for adherence to confidentiality and disclosure rules established by NASS and ERS. 6. Ensure that all individuals working in the REIS data enclave have signed all data confidentiality forms as required by ERS. 7. Provide necessary training and assistance to enclave participants on enclave use, data use and sharing for linkage purposes, and data confidentiality. 8. Contribute to outreach, when appropriate, about the enclave within regional science communities (such as the conferences) and other social science disciplines. NAICS code: 541720 Period of Performance: September 24, 2015 - September 23, 2016, with two Option Years. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This notice is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. Potential sources who believe they can provide the services listed above are invited to submit substantiating documentation in writing to the identified point of contact. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. A determination by the Government to compete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely at the discretion of the Government.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/aa424e6eb8460f0de8477f83cb5eb476)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 33 E STREET, SW, WASHINGTON, District of Columbia, 20024, United States
- Zip Code: 20024
- Zip Code: 20024
- Record
- SN03900216-W 20150925/150923235737-aa424e6eb8460f0de8477f83cb5eb476 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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