[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29782-29783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10315]


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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: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the 
following information collection requirement to OMB for review and 
clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13. 
This is the second notice; the first notice was published at 70 FR 
10416 and no comments were received. Comments regarding (a) whether the 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency'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; 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 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]. Comments regarding these 
information collections are best assured of having their full effect if 
received within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the 
submission(s) may be obtained by calling 703-292-7556.
    NSF 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: Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates 
in Science and Engineering.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0062.

Proposed Project

    Graduate students in science, engineering, and health-related 
fields in U.S. colleges and universities, by source and mechanism of 
support and by demographic characteristics. An electronic/mail survey, 
the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and 
engineering originated in 1966 and has been conducted annually since 
1972. The survey is the academic graduate enrollment 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.
    The proposed project will continue the current survey cycle for 
three years. The annual Fall surveys for 2005 through 2007 will survey 
the universe of 712 reporting units (schools) at 592 graduate degree-
granting institutions. There are 12, 262 departments at these schools 
that offer accredited graduate programs in science, engineering or 
health. The survey has provided continuity of statistics on graduate 
school enrollment and support for graduate students in all science & 
engineering (S&E) and health fields, with separate data requested on 
demographic characteristics (race/ethnicity and gender by full-time and 
part-time enrollment status). Statistics from the survey are published 
in NSF's annual publication series Graduate Students and Postdoctorates 
in Science and Engineering, in NSF publications Science and Engineering 
Indicators, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science 
and Engineering, and are available electronically on the World Wide 
Web.
    The survey will be sent primarily to the administrators at the 
Institutional Research Offices. To minimize burden, NSF instituted a 
Web-based survey in 1998 through which institutions can enter data 
directly or upload preformatted files. The Web-based survey includes a 
complete program for editing and trend checking and allows institutions 
to receive their previous year's data for comparison. Respondents will 
be encouraged to participate in this Web-based survey should they so 
wish. Traditional paper questionnaires will also be available, with 
editing and trend checking performed as part of the survey processing. 
In the currently

[[Page 29783]]

ongoing Fall 2004 GSS survey, preliminary data indicate that 95% of the 
institutions are submitting the data on the Web-based data collection 
system. During the 2003 GSS survey cycle, 87% of the institutions used 
the Web-based data collection system.
    The Fall 2003 GSS achieved a total response rate of 99.4 percent 
for institutions and 99.0 percent for departments. Response rates are 
not yet available for the currently ongoing Fall 2004 survey.
    Estimate of Burden:
    Respondents: Individuals.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 12,262.
    Estimated Total Annual burden on Respondents: 39,235 hours.
    Frequency of Responses: Annually.

    Dated: May 19, 2005.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 05-10315 Filed 5-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M