[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 123 (Thursday, June 26, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38104-38105]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-16136]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Submission for OMB review; comment request.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the National Science Foundation 
(NSF) is inviting the general public and other Federal agencies to 
comment on this proposed continuing information collection. This is the 
second notice for public comment; the first was published in the 
Federal Register at 68 FR 19582 and no comments were received. NSF is 
forwarding the proposed submission to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the publication of this 
second notice.

DATES: Comments regarding these information collections are best 
assured of having their full effect if received by OMB by July 28, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding (a) whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
NSF, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) 
the accuracy of NSF's estimate of burden including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; or (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 should be addressed to: Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
National Science Foundation, 725--17th Street, NW., Room 10235, 
Washington, DC 20503, and to Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance 
Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 295, 
Arlington, Virginia 22230 or send e-mail to [email protected]. Copies of 
the submission may be obtained by calling (703) 292-7556.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, NSF Reports 
Clearance Office at (703) 292-7556 or send e-mail to [email protected].
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title of Collection: Academic Research and Development Survey 
Expenditures at Universities and Colleges, FY 2003 through FY 2006.
    OMB Control No.: 3145-0100.
    Proposed Project: Separately budgeted current fund expenditures on 
research and development in the sciences and engineering performed by 
universities and colleges and federally funded research and development 
centers--A web survey, the Survey of Scientific and Engineering 
Expenditures at Universities and Colleges, originated in fiscal year 
(FY) 1954 and has been conducted annually since FY 1972. The survey is 
the academic expenditure component of the NSF statistical program that 
seeks to provide a ``central clearinghouse for the collection, 
interpretation, and analysis of data on the availability of, and the 
current and projected need for, scientific and technical resources in 
the United States, and to provide a source of information for policy 
formulation by other agencies of the Federal government, as mandated in 
the National Science Foundation Act of 1950.
    Use of the Information: The proposed project will continue the 
current survey cycle for three to five years. The Academic R&D Survey 
will be a census of the full population of an expected 646 institutions 
(610 universities or colleges plus 36 federally funded research and 
development centers--FFRDCs) for academic years 2003 through FY 2006. 
These institutions account for over 95 percent of the Nation's academic 
R&D funds. The survey has provided continuity of statistics on R&D 
expenditures by source of funds and by science & engineering (S&E) 
field, with separate data requested on current fund expenditures for 
research equipment by S&E field. Further breakdowns are collected on 
passed through funds to subrecipients and received as a subrecipient. 
Additional measures on current fund expenditures for separately 
budgeted research and development by field of science and engineering 
are requested as being part of the core survey on select Federal 
Government agency sources. Data are published in NSF's annual 
publication series Academic Science and Engineering R&D Expenditures 
and are available electronically on the World Wide Web.
    The survey is a fully automated web data collection effort and is 
handled primarily by the administrators at the Institutional Research 
Offices. To minimize burden, institutions are provided with an 
abundance of guidance and help menus on the web, in addition to 
printing and responding via paper copy if necessary. Each record is 
pre-loaded with the institutions 2 previous year's data and a complete 
program for editing and trend checking. Response to this voluntary 
survey in FY 2001 was 95.4 percent.
    Burden estimates are as follows: \1\
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    \1\ Average burden hours for institutions responding to burden 
item.

[[Page 38105]]



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                                                    Doctorate-       Masters-        Bachelors
          Total number of institutions               granting        granting      degree burden  FFRDC's burden
                                                   burden hours    burden hours        hours           hours
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FY 1999 480.....................................            20.8            13.0             7.5             9.4
FY 2000 700.....................................            21.0            12.0            10.5             9.2
FY 2001 625.....................................            30.2            11.9             9.0            12.1
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    Dated: June 20, 2003.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 03-16136 Filed 6-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M