[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15139-15140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6185]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; 
Generic Survey Clearance for the Directorate of Education and Human 
Resources (EHR)

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to 
request renewed clearance of this collection. In accordance with the 
requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, we are providing opportunity for public comment on this action. 
After obtaining and considering public comment, NSF will prepare the 
submission requesting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance 
of this collection for no longer than 3 years.
    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 respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

DATES: Written comments should be received by May 14, 2012 to be 
assured of consideration. Comments received after that date will be 
considered to the extent practicable.

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 
22030, or by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne Plimpton on (703) 292-7556 or 
send email 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 
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: EHR Generic Clearance.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0136.
    Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 2012.
    Abstract: The National Science Foundation (NSF) requests renewal of 
program accountability and communication data collections (e.g., 
surveys, face-to-face and telephone interviews, observations, and focus 
groups) that describe and track the impact of NSF funding that focuses 
on the Nation's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
(STEM) education and STEM workforce. NSF funds grants, contracts, and 
cooperative agreements to colleges, universities, and other eligible 
institutions, and provides graduate research fellowships to individuals 
in all parts of the United States and internationally.
    The Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), a unit 
within NSF, promotes rigor and vitality within the Nation's STEM 
education enterprise to further the development of the 21st century's 
STEM workforce and public scientific literacy. EHR does this through 
diverse projects and programs that support research, extension, 
outreach, and hands-on activities that service STEM learning and 
research at all institutional (e.g., pre-school through postdoctoral) 
levels in formal and informal settings; and individuals of all ages 
(birth and beyond). EHR also focuses on broadening participation in 
STEM learning and careers among United States citizens, permanent 
residents, and nationals, particularly those individuals traditionally 
underemployed in the STEM research workforce, including but not limited 
to women, persons with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities.
    At the request of OMB an EHR Generic Clearance was established in 
1995 to integrate management, monitoring, and evaluation information 
pertaining to the NSF's Education and Training (ET) portfolio in 
response to the Government Performance and Results Acts (GPRA) of 1993. 
Under this generic survey clearance (OMB 3145-0136), data from the NSF 
administrative databases are incorporated with findings gathered 
through initiative-, divisional-, and program-specific data 
collections. The scope of the EHR Generic Clearance primarily covers 
descriptive information gathered from education and training projects 
that are funded by NSF. Most programs subject to EHR Generic data 
collection are funded by the EHR Directorate, but some are funded in 
whole or in part by disciplinary directorates or multi-disciplinary or 
cross-cutting programs. Since 2001 in accordance with OMB's Terms of 
Clearance (TOC), NSF primarily uses the data from the EHR Generic 
Clearance for program planning, management, and audit purposes to 
respond to queries from the Congress, the public, NSF's external merit 
reviewers who serve as advisors, including Committees of Visitors 
(COVs), and the NSF's Office of the Inspector General.
    OMB has limited the collection to three categories of descriptive 
data: (1) Staff and project participants (data that are also necessary 
to determine individual-level treatment and control groups for future 
third-party study); (2) project implementation characteristics (also 
necessary for future use to identify

[[Page 15140]]

well-matched comparison groups); and (3) project outputs (necessary to 
measure baseline for pre- and post- NSF-funding-level impacts).
    Use of the Information: This information is required for effective 
administration, communication, program and project monitoring and 
evaluation, and for measuring attainment of NSF's program, project, and 
strategic goals, and as identified by the President's Accountability in 
Government Initiative; GPRA, and the NSF's Strategic Plan. The 
Foundation's FY 2006-2011 Strategic Plan describes four strategic 
outcome goals of Discovery, Learning, Research Infrastructure, and 
Stewardship. NSF's complete strategic plan may be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf0648.
    Since the EHR Generic Clearance research is primarily used for 
accountability purposes, including responding from queries from COVs 
and other scientific experts, a census rather than sampling design 
typically is necessary. At the individual project level funding can be 
adjusted based on individual project's responses to some of the 
surveys. Some data collected under the EHR Clearance serve as baseline 
data for separate research and evaluation studies.
    In order to conduct program- or portfolio-level evaluations, 
however, both experimental and quasi-experimental evaluation research 
studies on STEM education interventions require researchers to identify 
individual-level and organization- or project-level control and 
treatment groups or comparison groups. NSF-funded contract or grantee 
researchers and evaluators in part may identify control, comparison, or 
treatment groups for NSF's ET portfolio using some of the descriptive 
data gathered through OMB 3145-0136 to conduct well-designed, rigorous 
research and portfolio evaluation studies.
    In accordance with the 2001, 2005, 2008, and 2011 OMB Terms of 
Clearances, NSF requests separate stand-alone clearance (and separately 
announces for comment in the Federal Register) any program or portfolio 
research or evaluation.
    Respondents: Individuals or households, not-for-profit 
institutions, business or other for profit, and Federal, State, local 
or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 8,494.
    Burden of the Public: The total estimate for this collection is 
65,868 annual burden hours. This figure is based on the previous 3 
years of collecting information under this clearance and anticipated 
collections. The average annual reporting burden is between 1.5 and 72 
hours per ``respondent,'' depending on whether a respondent is a direct 
participant who is self-reporting or representing a project and 
reporting on behalf of many project participants.

    Dated: March 9, 2012.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2012-6185 Filed 3-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P