Microsoft Word – HW 1 – ECI 114.docx

In the current Request for Proposals (RFP) process by the US Department of Transportation, civil engineering departments from 7 Universities, are offering bids on 4 distinct/different research center funding contracts (which are different in the level of funding and the duration). Any University can only be awarded at most 1 grant to open the research center.

a) Please explain how would you estimate the different ways in which the contracts could be awarded? Estimate the number. b) Under the assumption that the simple events are equally likely (each University has the same probability of being awarded a contract), find the probability that University No. 2 is awarded one.

c) Suppose that Universities 5 and 6 have submitted bids, if the contracts are awarded at random by the DOT, find the probability that both of these Universities receive contracts. (Hint, you can do this by analyzing the conditional probabilities, or by using counting methods)