I. Summary
The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics (the Institute) is an executive branch government entity with fiscal and administrative autonomy, whose primary purpose is to ensure that Puerto Rico has complete, reliable, and quickly and universally accessible statistics. As part of our legal duties, we have several special projects that require epidemiological research. To this end, the Institute is recruiting an Epidemiological Research Specialist or professional in a similar field through a professional services contract. This specialist could be a public health professional, epidemiologist, or biostatistician. They must demonstrate at least five (5) years of experience in quantitative research or the analysis of government and public health administrative records. They must possess verifiable experience in the use, extraction, and analysis of violence data or epidemiological mortality surveillance systems. Experience in data linkage techniques to integrate police, forensic, and judicial sources will be highly valued, as well as a strong command of statistical programming languages (SAS, R, Python) and the ability to perform geospatial analysis and extract qualitative data (narratives) in strict adherence to confidentiality protocols. They must have the ability to communicate effectively in English and Spanish.
It is essential that the contracted person establishes and maintains excellent communication with the Institute's team and with other government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private sector entities. The contract will run until June 30, 2026.
Any applicant for this professional services contract must examine the points below and submit a proposal as established in point III.
II. General Duties and Responsibilities
1. Participate in meetings and presentations.
2. Report directly to the Executive Director or their designee, maintaining continuous alignment with the Institute's strategic priorities.
3. Prepare and reach a consensus on a detailed work plan.
4. Design and execute advanced statistical analyses on indicators of violence and mortality associated with gender-based violence, applying CDC or other international or federal agency classifications.
5. Develop algorithms and probabilistic or deterministic matching protocols to cross-reference NVDRS records (medical examiners, police, death certificates) with administrative databases.
6. Implement text analysis techniques (text mining or natural language processing) on the forensic and police reports included in the NVDRS, extracting critical variables.
7. Extract, validate, and clean heterogeneous administrative records from various government platforms, ensuring consistency in date formats, crime typologies, and demographic data.
8. Execute quality audits to identify duplicate values, entry errors, outliers, and missing data rates, applying statistical imputation techniques when methodologically viable.
9. Standardize local administrative categories with the variables predefined in the NVDRS data dictionary to ensure international and federal comparability.
10. Define and program the syntax for calculating key indicators.
11. Continuously document workbooks (commented scripts in R, SAS, or Python) to ensure the replicability of analyses by Institute staff.
12. Draft the comprehensive final document: "Gender-Based Violence Profile," integrating the methodological framework, epidemiological analysis, interagency cross-referencing, key findings, and operational and public policy recommendations.
13. Produce condensed versions and policy briefs aimed at decision-makers, legislators, and the media.
14. Collaborate on the design of content for infographics, fact sheets, and executive reports.
III. Content of the professional services proposal (Minimum requirements)
1. Abstract
2. Description of your preparation and background
3. Description of how your skills and capabilities align with the call for proposals
4. Time and availability
5. Your cost proposal
6. Appendices: Résumé, academic transcript evidencing your educational background, evidence of previous experience and projects, and any other document supporting the proposal.
IV. Deadline
Proposals will be accepted until Friday, November 20, 2026, at 11:55 pm. They must be sent electronically to the following email address: convocatorias@estadisticas.pr, with a copy to idania.rodriguez@estadisticas.pr .
V. Notes
Candidates will be evaluated initially based on the service proposals received, with an emphasis on the following:
• Quality of the proposal
• Academic background
• Years of experience working in the field of violence
• Work experience
• Ability to provide the required services
• Compensation for services
• Capacity and viability to provide professional services under contract to the government of Puerto Rico
The Institute's executive leadership reserves the right to evaluate the proposals received, conduct interviews, and, if deemed necessary, make counterproposals. This request for proposals is not an invitation to bid, nor is it an informal auction or a request for proposals for an award; it is an invitation to apply for a potential professional services contract.
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