[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 50 (Thursday, March 14, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16300-16301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05891]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    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, Public Law 104-13. This is 
the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the 
Federal Register at 77 FR 76077 and no comments were 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. The full submission may be found at:http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
    Comments: 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; or (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 email 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.

[[Page 16301]]

    Title: Generic Clearance of the National Center for Science and 
Engineering Statistics Improvement Projects.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0174.
    Abstract. Generic Clearance for the National Center for Science and 
Engineering Statistics Survey Improvement Projects. Established within 
the National Science Foundation by the America COMPETES Reauthorization 
Act of 2010 Sec.  505, codified in the National Science Foundation Act 
of 1950, as amended, the National Center for Science and Engineering 
Statistics (NCSES) serves as a central Federal clearinghouse for the 
collection, interpretation, analysis, and dissemination of objective 
data on science, engineering, technology, and research and development 
for use by practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and the public. 
NCSES conducts about a dozen nationally representative 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, email, or phone modes, depending on the topic under investigation. 
Up to 11,060 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 
NCSES'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.
    Use of the Information: The purpose of these studies is to use the 
latest and most appropriate methodology to improve NCSES surveys and 
evaluate new data collection efforts. Methodological findings may be 
presented externally in technical papers at conferences, published in 
the proceedings of conferences, or in journals. Improved NCSES surveys 
will help policy makers in decisions on research and development 
funding, graduate education, and the scientific and technical 
workforce, as well as contributing to reduced survey costs.
    Burden on the Public: NCSES estimates that a total reporting and 
recordkeeping burden of 14,280 hours will result from activities to 
improve its surveys. The calculation is shown in Table 1.

 Table 1--Potential Surveys for Improvement Projects, With the Number of
                      Respondents and Burden Hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Number of
               Survey name                  respondents        Hours
                                                \1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Graduate Student Survey.................       \2\ 1,500           2,500
SESTAT Surveys..........................           4,000           2,000
Early Career Doctorate Project..........           2,000           2,500
New and Redesigned R&D Surveys:
    Higher Education R&D................             400           1,200
    Government R&D......................              60             180
    Nonprofit R&D.......................             100             300
    Business R&D........................              50             150
    Microbusiness R&D...................             150             450
Survey of Scientific & Engineering                   300             300
 Facilities.............................
Public Understanding of S&E Surveys.....             200              50
Survey of Earned Doctorates.............             700             450
Additional surveys not specified........           1,600           4,200
                                         -------------------------------
    Total...............................          11,060          14,280
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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).


    Dated: March 8, 2013.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2013-05891 Filed 3-13-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P