RFP: Research Data Website

Legal Internships and Externships

RFP: Research Data Website

The American Association of University Professors (hereinafter “the AAUP”) invites well-qualified professionals (also referred to as “consultant” herein) to submit proposals to design and create a website to host various types of online tools that visualize research data. Proposals will be accepted from both individuals and firms. In the latter case it is expected that the proposal will identify an individual or individuals to work with the AAUP.

Organization Background
Founded in 1915, the AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing standards and procedures on academic freedom, tenure, and shared governance and by fighting to preserve and protect higher education as a common good. The AAUP is governed by a Council of 22 members who are elected from the membership. The Association is composed of collective bargaining (unionized) and advocacy (nonunion) campus-based chapters who serve as the locus for power and change at the campus level. Roughly three quarters of the AAUP’s membership is housed in our collective bargaining chapters. There are also AAUP State Conferences in about 20 states. These state conferences serve as umbrella organizations for the chapters in that state. The AAUP has approximately 35 employees, 45,000 members, and an annual operating budget of $8.5 million.

Please find additional information about the AAUP at www.aaup.org.

Project Objective
The AAUP research department provides services to the members and chapters of the AAUP, as well as to members of the profession generally and the press, by disseminating research findings on the economic status of the profession and on AAUP policies and standards, such as those related to academic freedom, tenure, and shared governance. Findings have traditionally been disseminated through static reports that include charts and tables. The department has recently begun to provide access to an online Tableau tool to display findings from the AAUP’s Faculty Compensation Survey (please see https://www.aaup.org/faculty-compensation-survey-results-tool). It is our goal to create such online tools for our research data generally in order to facilitate further analysis of those data by others. We are looking to have a website created that is designed with an eye toward bringing together various types of data tools and visualizations.

Anticipated Scope of Work
The purpose of this RFP is to retain a consultant who will design and create a website to host data tools and visualizations. The website will need to be designed to allow the department to add new data tools and update existing data tools. The data tools will be designed and programmed by the AAUP research department using various programming tools, including R and Tableau. Specifically, the anticipated scope of work include:

1. Work with members of the AAUP research department to identify design requirements for the website.
2. Design and build the website.
3. Provide documentation and training regarding updating and maintaining the website.

The final scope of work will be negotiated with the selected individual or firm.

Schedule
The AAUP will begin reviewing proposals on January 4, 2021.

Proposal Submission Requirements
To receive consideration, proposals must be submitted as follows:

1. Proposals should include a resume and cover letter to the attention of AAUP Director of Research Hans-Joerg Tiede. The cover letter must include the name of the proposing individual/firm, the name(s) of any professional(s) proposed to provide direct service for the project, e-mail address, postal address, and telephone numbers.
2. Proposal should include links to at least three websites designed by the individual or firm. Websites that include data visualization are preferred. Portfolios including screenshots and narrative are acceptable in cases where websites are not available to the public.
3. Proposals should include a narrative that speaks to the qualifications in the Evaluation Criteria outlined below, including a timeline with benchmarks and the number of hours and cost to accomplish the Scope of Work outlined above.
4. Proposals must clearly outline the responsibilities of both the AAUP and the selected firm. ALL costs payable by the AAUP for these services must be clearly defined. The proposed budget must not exceed $35,000.
5. Emailed proposals must be a single PDF file with electronic signatures as applicable, and sent to jtiede@aaup.org with the subject line ATTN: Research Data Website Proposal. By submitting a proposal, the consultant authorizes the AAUP to contact references to evaluate the consultant’s qualifications for this project.

Evaluation Criteria
All proposals will be evaluated based on the following key criteria:

1. Performance capability—the extent to which the proposal demonstrates ability to provide the depth and breadth of experience, skills, knowledge, and creativity generally required by this project.
2. Completeness and quality of response.
3. Experience with designing websites that focus on the visual display of data is preferred.
4. Experience with designing websites related to higher education is preferred.
5. Experience working with non-profits is preferred.

References
Please list the organization name, contact person, title, telephone number, and email addresses of at least three (3) references. Top-rated candidates may be invited for a Zoom or telephone interview.

Contract Award
The AAUP plans to select and award a contract to the best qualified consultant on or before January 21, 2022.

For More Information
For questions about this RFP, please contact Hans-Joerg Tiede, Director of Research, at jtiede@aaup.org.

AAUP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on age, sex, disability, race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, or other characteristics unrelated to professional performance.

Women and minorities are encouraged to submit a proposal.

Legal Internships and Externships

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is seeking qualified interns or externs for summer or the academic year.  

The intern and extern positions will be in a legal department currently staffed with two lawyers and one paralegal and involves significant in-house legal and other support work for the Association. The legal office files amicus briefs in higher education cases of national significance, provides legal information on a wide range of issues to staff and members all over the country, and acts as a resource on higher education issues.  Staff and volunteer lawyers are experts in such areas as academic freedom, discrimination, affirmative action, intellectual property, and employment.  Interns and externs can expect to be asked to research and write on a variety of legal issues including First Amendment, higher education, collective bargaining, election, tax, labor, personnel, financial, and contract issues.

Past legal interns have helped research and write amicus briefs in the federal court system, updated a multi-state survey on faculty handbooks as employment contracts, and researched and written legal outlines and fact sheets on topics such as “Faculty and Defamation Suits,” “Faculty and Family Leave Issues,” and “Academic Freedom and the First Amendment.” Externs should be in their second or third year of law school and be available to work approximately fifteen hours per week.  Summer internships are available to students who have completed their second year of law school.  AAUP legal staff will work with interested applicants to arrange for public interest stipends, academic credit or pro bono credit from their law school.

Qualified applicants will possess excellent analytical skills

• strong writing and research skills
• interest in higher education issues
• enthusiasm and initiative

To apply for an externship or internship position, please send a cover letter, resume, official transcript and writing sample to:

AAUP – Legal Department
ATTN:  DC Internship Program
1133 19th St. NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C.  20036
legal.dept@aaup.org (If applying by email, please address the Subject line as: “DC Internship + Your Name”)

For more information, please see AAUP’s Legal Program.