NSF Customer Service Survey for Spon. Res. Offices
gra...@nsf.gov
Questionnaire on NSF Proposal and Award Processing for Officials in
Sponsored Research Offices and Comparable Organizations
President Clinton has directed all Government agencies to improve the
services they provide to their customers. In response to Executive
Order 12862, all Federal agencies first set customer service standards
in 1994 and then updated them in 1995. The current customer service
standards for the National Science Foundation are presented in the NSF
Customer Service Report, which is available on the NSF Homepage on the
World-Wide-Web at http://www.nsf.gov/nsf/homepage/customer.htm. The
Executive Order also asks that Federal agencies survey their customers
to find out how satisfied they are with the service they receive.
This questionnaire responds to the request for such surveys.
NSF carries out its research and education missions by making grants
to partner organizations. Universities and colleges are by far the
largest group; but, partner organizations also include non-profit
organizations, small businesses, state and local governments, and
education agencies and schools. Grantees, potential grantees, and
officials in sponsored research offices and like organizations are
thus the principle customers of NSF's day-to-day administrative
processes. Our practices and processes should facilitate our
partners' activities, and should not place unnecessary barriers in
their way.
The attached questions are designed to get some initial impressions
about NSF performance in processing proposals and awards from
officials in sponsored research offices and like organizations.
Please do not the questionaire to faculty or research performers since
they will be surveyed separately using a different format and
approach.
We are asking you to volunteer 15 to 20 minutes of your time to give
us your impressions about the quality of NSF performance in the
processing of proposals and awards. Your response will help us to
understand better areas where we do well and where we should consider
changes in our proposal and award processing.
Please e-mail your response to SPO...@nsf.gov, by May 24, 1996.
Your participation is anonymous. In order to assure confidentiality
of your response, we have put in a filter to eliminate any way of
identifying the source of the e-mail responses.
Thank you for your help.
Rolf Piekarz
Office of Policy Support
National Science Foundation
Questions on Customer Service Satisfaction
A. Does the Sponsored Research Office get all the information they
need in a convenient form from NSF to process proposals and awards to
satisfy the requirements of NSF and the needs of the university
applicants?
1. In what respects is the provision of information by NSF
especially good?
2. Can NSF improve? How?
3. Do you find more effective omnibus, inclusive announcements or
stand-alone flyers and solicitatations?
B. How far in advance of the proposal submission deadlines should NSF
disseminate program announcements and solicitations to allow adequate
time for the preparation of proposals?
What is your experience with the current lead-times?
C. What would you consider a reasonably timely decision on funding in
response to a proposal, given the need for a fair and reasonable
review of the merits of the proposal?
What is your experience with the current process?
D. Does the Sponsored Research Office get timely, clear, and
appropriate responses to their requests to NSF for clarification of
award terms and conditions and for administrative advice related to
the award activity?
1. In what respects is assistance from NSF especially good?
2. Can NSF improve? How?
E. Enter any additional comments on these general areas.
F. What type of organization do you represent?
Research University I or II (as classified by the Carnegie Foundation)
Other University or College
Small Business
Non-profit
Consortium
Federally Funded Research and Development Center
State or Local Government Agency
Other