[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 122 (Wednesday, June 25, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37866-37867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15966]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13 (44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), and as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, the National Science Foundation 
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this 
opportunity to comment on this information collection.

DATES: Written comments should be received by August 25, 2003 to be 
assured of consideration. Comments received after that date will be 
considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the information collection and 
requests for copies of the proposed information collection request 
should be addressed to Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, 
National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Rm. 295, Arlington, VA 
22230, or by e-mail to splimpto@nsf,gov.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Suzanne Plimpton, the 
NSF Reports Clearance Officer, phone (703) 292-7556, or send e-mail to 
[email protected]. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 
1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through 
Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Generic Clearance of the Science Resources Statistics Survey 
Improvement Projects.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0174.
    Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2003.
    Abstract. Generic Clearance of the Science Resources Statistics 
Survey Improvement Projects. The National Science Foundation's (NSF) 
Division of Science Resources Statistics (SRS) needs

[[Page 37867]]

to collect timely data on constant changes in the science and 
technology sector and to provide the most complete and accurate 
information possible to policy makers in Congress and throughout 
government and academia. NSF/SRS conducts many surveys to obtain the 
data for these purposes. The Generic Clearance will be used to ensure 
that the highest quality data is obtained from these surveys. State-of-
the-art methodology will be used to develop evaluate, and test 
questionnaires as well as to improve survey methodology. This may 
include field or pilot tests of questions for future large-scale 
surveys, as needed.
    Expected Respondents. The respondents will be from industry, 
academia, nonprofit organizations, members of the public, and Federal 
agencies. Respondents will be either individuals or institutions, 
depending upon the survey under investigation. Qualitative procedures 
will generally be conducted in person, but quantitative procedures may 
be conducted using the same mode as the survey under investigation. Up 
to 8,020 respondents will be contacted across all survey improvement 
projects. No respondent will be contacted more than twice in one year 
under this generic clearance. Every effort will be made to use 
technology to limit the burden on respondents from small entities.
    Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to improve 
NSF's current data collection instruments and processes and to reduce 
respondent burden, as well as to develop new surveys. Qualitative 
methods include, but are not limited to, expert review; exploratory, 
cognitive, and usability interviews; focus groups; and respondent 
debriefings. Cognitive and usability interviews may include the use of 
scenarios, paraphrasing, card sorts, vignette classifications, and 
rating tasks. Quantitative methods include, but are not limited to, 
behavior coding, split panel tests, and field tests.
    Information being collected is not considered sensitive. In 
general, assurances of data confidentiality will not be provided to 
respondents in the pretests. Instead, respondents have the option of 
requesting that any and all data they provide be kept confidential.
    Use of the Information. The purpose of these studies is to use the 
latest and most appropriate methodology to improve NSF surveys. The 
data will be used internally to improve NSF surveys. Methodological 
findings may be presented externally in technical papers at 
conferences, published in the proceedings of conferences, or in 
journals. Improved NSF surveys will help policy makers in decisions on 
research and development funding, graduate education, scientific and 
technical workforce, regulations, and reporting guidelines, as well as 
contributing to reduced survey costs.
    Burden on the Public. NSF estimates that a total reporting and 
recordkeeping burden of 11,200 hours will result from pretesting to 
improve its surveys. The calculation is:

 Table 1.--Anticipated Surveys To Undertake Improvement Projects, Along
       With the Number of Respondents and Burden Hours Per Survey
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                                             Number of
               Survey name                  respondents        Hours
                                                \1\
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Graduate Student Survey.................             500           1,500
Sestat Surveys..........................           5,000           5,000
New Postdoc Survey......................             800           1,000
New and Redesigned R&D Surveys:
    Academic R&D........................             600             600
    Government R&D......................              50              50
    Nonprofit R&D.......................             200             100
    Industry R&D........................             500           1,000
Survey of Scientific & Engineering                   300             150
 Facilities.............................
Instrumentation.........................             150             300
Public Understanding of S&E Surveys.....             200              50
Scientific Publications.................             120             250
Additional surveys not specified........             400           1,200
                                         -----------------
    Total...............................           8,820         11,200
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\1\ Number of respondents listed for any individual survey may represent
  several methodological improvement projects.

    Comments: Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: June 19, 2003.
Suzanne Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 03-15966 Filed 6-24-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M