[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 179 (Tuesday, September 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54201-54202]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-23526]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

[Docket Number 030527134-3220-02]


Data Sharing Activity

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of determination.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) conducts the Survey 
of Industrial Research and Development (R&D). The National Science 
Foundation (NSF) provides the funding for this data collection. The 
Census Bureau will provide data collected from the 1997 and 1999 R&D 
surveys to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) for statistical 
purposes exclusively. In accordance with the requirement of section 
524(d) of the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical 
Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA), we provided the opportunity for public 
comment on this data-sharing action (see the June 3, 2003, edition of 
the Federal Register (68 FR 33094)). Through the use of these shared 
data, the BEA will augment its existing R&D-related data, identify data 
quality issues arising from reporting differences in the BEA and Census 
Bureau surveys, and improve its survey sample frames. The NSF will be 
provided non-confidential aggregate data (public use) and reports that 
have cleared Census Bureau disclosure review. Disclosure review is a 
process conducted to verify that the data to be released do not reveal 
any confidential information.

DATES: The Census Bureau will make the data collected from the 1997 and 
1999 Survey of Industrial Research and Development available to BEA on 
September 16, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information on 
this program should be directed to Kimberly Moore, Assistant Division 
Chief for Special Studies and M3 Programs, Manufacturing and 
Construction Division, U.S. Census Bureau, 4700 Silver Hill Road, 
Washington, DC 20233-6900, by phone on (301) 763-7643 or by fax (301) 
457-4583.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    CIPSEA (Pub. L. 107-347, Subtitle V) allows the Census Bureau and 
the BEA to share certain business data for statistical purposes 
exclusively. Section 524(d) of the Act required a Federal Register 
notice announcing the intent to share data (allowing 60 days for public 
comment).
    On June 3, 2003 (68 FR 33094), the Census Bureau published in the 
Federal Register a notice of this proposed data-sharing activity and 
request for comment on the subject. The Census Bureau did not receive 
any public comments.

Shared Data

    The Census Bureau will provide the BEA with data collected from the 
1997 and 1999 R&D surveys. The BEA also will share data from its 1997 
Foreign Direct Investment in the United States and 1999 U.S. Direct 
Investment Abroad surveys with the Census Bureau. The BEA issued a 
separate notice addressing this issue.
    The BEA will use these data for statistical purposes exclusively. 
Through record linkage, the BEA will augment its existing R&D-related 
data, identify data quality issues arising from reporting differences 
in the BEA and Census Bureau surveys, and improve its survey sample 
frames.

Statistical Purposes for the Shared Data

    The data collected from the R&D survey estimate the expenditures of 
research and development performed by United States-based industrial 
firms. The survey is conducted annually; however, the data to be shared 
are from the 1997 and 1999 surveys only. Statistics from the annual 
surveys are published in the NSF's annual publication series ``Research 
and Development in Industry.'' Data collected by this survey include 
company characteristics and R&D spending information. Characteristics 
data include net sales, total employment, and employment of scientists 
and engineers. R&D spending data include the following: total spending; 
federally funded (total and by agency) spending for basic and applied 
R&D, for basic research by field, and for applied R&D by product group 
and energy and pollution abatement activities; R&D spending by state; 
and R&D financed by domestic firms but performed abroad. All data are 
collected under sections 131, 182, 224, and 225 of Title 13, United 
States Code (U.S.C.).

Data Access and Confidentiality

    Title 13, U.S.C., protects the confidentiality of these data. These 
data may be seen only by persons sworn to uphold the confidentiality of 
the information. Access to the shared data will be restricted to 
specifically authorized personnel and will be provided for statistical 
purposes only. All BEA employees with access to these data will attain 
Census Bureau Special Sworn Status--meaning that they, under penalty of 
law, must uphold the data's confidentiality. Selected NSF employees 
will provide the BEA with expertise on the aspects of R&D performance 
in the United States and by U.S. companies abroad; these NSF 
consultants assisting with the work at the BEA also will

[[Page 54202]]

attain Census Bureau Special Sworn Status. No confidential data will be 
provided to the NSF. To further safeguard the confidentiality of these 
data, the Census Bureau will conduct an Information Technology security 
review of the BEA prior to sharing any data files. Any results of this 
research are subject to Census Bureau disclosure protection.

    Dated: September 10, 2003.
Charles Louis Kincannon,
Director, Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. 03-23526 Filed 9-15-03; 8:45 am]
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