[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8619-8620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1517]


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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 for public comment; the first was published 
in the Federal Register at 70 FR 75227, and one comment was received. 
NSF is forwarding the proposed renewal submission to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the 
publication of this second notice. 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; (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:
    Comment: On December 19, 2005, we published in the Federal Register 
(70 FR 75227) a 60-day notice of our intent to request renewal of this 
information collection authority from OMB. In that notice, we solicited 
public comments for 60 days ending February 17, 2006. One comment was 
received in response to the public notice. The comment came from B. 
Sachau of Florham Park, NJ, via e-mail on December 19, 2005. Ms. Sachau 
objected to the information collection but had no specific suggestions 
for altering the data collection plans other than to discontinue them 
entirely.
    Response: NSF believes that because the comment does not pertain to 
the collection of information on the required forms for which NSF is 
seeking OMB approval, NSF is proceeding with the clearance request.
    Title of Collection: Academic Research and Development Survey 
Expenditures at Universities and Colleges, FY 2006 through FY 2008; OMB 
Control Number 3145-0100.
    Proposed Renewal Project: Separately budgeted current fund 
expenditures on research and development in the sciences and 
engineering performed by universities and colleges and federally

[[Page 8620]]

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 years. The Academic R&D Survey will be a 
census of the full population of an expected 656 institutions (619 
universities of colleges plus 37 federally funded research and 
development centers--FFRDCs) for academic years FY 2006 through FY 
2008. 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 by field of science and 
engineering from specific Federal Government agency sources. 
Information on R&D for non-S&E fields is also requested. 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 
preloaded with the institutions 2 previous year's data and a complete 
program for editing and trend checking. Response to this voluntary 
survey in FY 2004 was 94.0 percent. Burden estimates are as follows.\1\
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    \1\ Average burden hours for institutions responding to burden 
item.

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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
FY 2002 625.....................................            28.7            14.9            12.2             4.5
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    Dated: February 14, 2006.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 06-1517 Filed 2-16-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M