[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67652-67654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19608]


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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. 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. This is the 
second notice for public comment; the first was published in the 
Federal Register at 71 FR 51641 and no substantive comments were 
received regarding the materials provided. 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 within 30 days 
of publication in the Federal Register.

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 [email protected]. Copies of the submission may 
be obtained by calling (703) 292-7556.

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

[[Page 67653]]

p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    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: Generic Clearance of the Science Resources Statistics Survey 
Improvement Projects.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0174.
    Abstract: Generic Clearance of the Science Resources Statistics 
Survey Improvement Projects. The National Science Foundation's Division 
of Science Resources Statistics (NSF/SRS) needs 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 are obtained from 
these surveys. State-of-the-art methodology will be used to develop, 
evaluate, and test questionnaires and survey concepts 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 state, 
local, and federal governments. Respondents will be either individuals 
or institutions, depending upon the survey under investigation. 
Qualitative procedures will generally be conducted in person or over 
the phone, but quantitative procedures may be conducted using mail, 
web, e-mail, or phone modes, depending on the topic under 
investigation. Up to 19,150 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, 
telephone surveys, 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 14,950 hours will result from activities 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 for Three
                               Year Period
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Number of
               Survey Name                respondents\1\       Hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Graduate Student Survey.................       \2\ 5,000           3,000
SESTAT Surveys..........................          10,000           5,000
Postdoc Project.........................             800           1,600
New and Redesigned R&D Surveys:
    Academic R&D........................             600           1,200
    Government R&D......................              50             100
    Nonprofit R&D.......................             200             100
    Industry R&D........................             500           2,000
Survey of Scientific & Engineering                   300             150
 Facilities.............................
Public Understanding of S&E Surveys.....             200              50
Survey of Earned Doctorates.............             300             550
Additional surveys not specified........           1,200           1,200
                                         -------------------------------
        Total...........................          19,150          14,950
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\1\ Number of respondents listed for any individual survey may represent
  several methodological improvement projects.
\2\ This number refers to the science, engineering, and health-related
  departments within the academic institutions of the United States (not
  the academic institutions themselves).

    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

[[Page 67654]]

approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter 
of public record.

    Dated: November 15, 2006.
Suzanne Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
 [FR Doc. E6-19608 Filed 11-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P