FACILITIES

Offices

COSMOS’s offices are located at 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 400, Bethesda, MD 20814. The Bethesda location gives COSMOS easy access to businesses, government agencies, and association offices—permitting COSMOS to work closely with clients in responding to their needs. COSMOS’s San Francisco office is located at 580 California Street, Suite 1600, San Francisco, CA 94104. This office gives COSMOS access to clients based in the Western region of the country.

Systems and Equipment

COSMOS’s staff uses in-house computer facilities for a wide range of tasks, including: social science and statistical analyses, management information systems, document and graphics production, communications, and accounting. COSMOS’s statistical analysis capability goes beyond expert use of standard statistical software packages (e.g., SPSS and SAS). For example, in order to ensure correct parameter estimation in the analysis of multi-level nested designs, COSMOS uses HLM software for hierarchical modeling techniques (both linear and non-linear). Additionally, because data often do not meet the assumptions required by traditional statistical packages for making valid inferences, COSMOS’ technical staff has become experienced in the use of STATA. In cases where data do not come from either a simple random sample, or the distribution of (xi, åi) is not independent and identically distributed, COSMOS’s staff has the capability to address deviations from the standard case through the use of the Huber-White sandwich estimator, which serves to relax the assumption of independence of observations. Thus, COSMOS has the tools, and the appropriate skills and experience, to produce robust statistical analyses of data.

Similarly, COSMOS has been using AMOS 4.0. The use of this software is one way of taking logic models beyond their organizational and theoretical functions and quantifying them, through structural equation modeling (SEM). For instance, a logic model designed to show the processes in systemic school reform can be checked empirically using school-level assessment data, combined with process and implementation data.

Software for Document and Graphics Production:

• Corel Office 12 and Microsoft Office Professional 2003 are used for the production of text documents, spreadsheets, databases, and most graphics documents. Other graphics applications include Microsoft Publisher and Adobe Illustrator.
• Web site developers use programs including Microsoft FrontPage, Javascript, and Active Server Pages.
• Final production copies of documents are printed on Cannon imageRUNNER copiers and Xerox color laser printers.

Statistical Software:

• Technical staff use SPSS 14, SAS 9, and STATA 7 HLM 5.04 to analyze data.
• Teleform 8.2 is used to drastically reduce data entry time by automating the process.

Communications:

• All desktops use Microsoft Outlook 2003 to connect to an internal Microsoft Exchange 2000 server.

Hardware:

• COSMOS uses Dell Optiplex GX240 desktops running Microsoft Windows XP Professional.
• COSMOS operates four Windows 2000 Dell PowerEdge 2650 servers. These servers provide staff with document managing, email communication, file sharing, instant messaging, and network printing.

Security:

• COSMOS's network is protected by a Sonicwall Pro 3060 Firewall with integrated virus protection, VPN, and Network Monitor.
• Email is scanned for spam, viruses, and corrupt attachments before being delivered to employee mailboxes using Vircom Modusgate server.
• All files are backed up daily to ensure data integrity.

Accounting

COSMOS currently uses the government-approved DELTEK accounting system. The DELTEK accounting system is designed to manage accounting functions specific to government contracts as well as standard accounting functions. The DELTEK accounting system resides in a restricted area on COSMOS’s Local Area Network (LAN).

Web Site Description

The most recent information about COSMOS’s projects, areas of interest, and publications as well as other supplementary manuscripts are on COSMOS’s Web site (www.cosmoscorp.com). The Web site features a section on COSMOS’s legacy as a leader in the field of applied social science and highlights important publications and other works. COSMOS has made numerous contributions of significance that are available for downloading. The Web site has additional areas of interest including:

• COSMOS’s brochure, Ideas for the World from a World of Ideas;
• COSMOS’s publications, including research reports, briefing monographs, and many other materials;
• Related links to current data, information, and research in the field of social science;
• Partnering opportunities;
• Careers at COSMOS; and
• Complete contact information and directions to COSMOS.

This Web site is continually updated with new information about COSMOS and its current projects.