[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 154 (Monday, August 11, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46876-46877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-18873]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, the National Science Foundation (NSF) 
is inviting the general public or other Federal agencies to comment on 
this proposed continuing information collection. The NSF will publish 
periodic summaries of the proposed projects.
    Comments: Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the NSF, including whether the information will have 
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the NSF's estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, 
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 collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by October 10, 
2014 to be assured consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to address 
below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance 
Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 295, 
Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone (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, which is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 
days a year (including Federal holidays).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title of Collection: 2015 Survey of Doctorate Recipients.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0020.
    Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 2014.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to reinstate an 
information collection for three years.
    1. Abstract. The Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) has been 
conducted biennially since 1973 and is a longitudinal survey. The 2015 
SDR will consist of a sample of individuals less than 76 years of age 
who have earned a research doctoral degree in a science, engineering or 
health (SEH) field from a U.S. institution. The purpose of this panel 
survey is to collect data that will be used to provide national 
estimates on the doctoral science and engineering workforce and changes 
in their employment, education and demographic characteristics.
    The National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as subsequently 
amended, includes a statutory charge to ``. . . provide a central 
clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data 
on scientific and engineering resources, and to provide a source of 
information for policy formulation by other agencies of the Federal 
Government.'' The SDR is designed to comply with these mandates by 
providing information on the supply and utilization of the nation's 
doctoral level scientists and engineers. The NSF uses the information 
from the SDR to prepare congressionally mandated reports such as Women, 
Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering and 
Science and Engineering Indicators. The NSF publishes statistics from 
the SDR in many reports, but primarily in the biennial series, 
Characteristics of Doctoral Scientists and Engineers in the United 
States. A public release file of collected data, designed to protect 
respondent confidentiality, also will be made available to researchers 
on the Internet.

[[Page 46877]]

    Data will be obtained by web survey, mail questionnaire, and 
computer-assisted telephone interviews beginning in February 2015. The 
survey will be collected in conformance with the Confidential 
Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 and the 
individual's response to the survey is voluntary. NSF will ensure that 
all information collected will be kept strictly confidential and will 
be used only for statistical purposes.
    2. Potential Sample Expansion. The U.S. Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) has directed that NSF explore options to enhance and 
expand the sample to measure employment outcomes by the fine field of 
degree taxonomy used in the Survey of Earned Doctorates. The SDR is a 
probability sample representing all individuals who received a doctoral 
degree from a U.S. institution in a SEH field. To provide reliable 
estimates by fine fields requires sample augmentation given that the 
current SDR lacks a sufficient sample size to support reliable 
estimates by fine field by gender, ethnicity, and race. NSF estimates 
increasing the current 47,000 sample size by no more than 70,000 for a 
total sample size not to exceed 117,000 SEH doctorate holders.
    3. Expected Respondents. Including the expansion, a statistical 
sample of approximately 117,000 individuals with U.S. earned doctorates 
in science, engineering or health will be contacted in 2015. This 
sample will include approximately 110,000 individuals residing in the 
U.S. (national component) and 7,000 residing abroad (international 
component). NSF expects the overall 2015 SDR response rate to be 
approximately 80 percent.
    4. Estimate of Burden. The amount of time to complete the 
questionnaire may vary depending on an individual's circumstances; 
however, on average takes approximately 25 minutes. NSF estimates that 
the annual burden, with the maximum sample expansion, will be 36,666 
hours for the national component and 2,333 hours for the international 
component. Thus, NSF estimates that the total annual burden for both 
components will be 39,000 hours (=117,000 respondents x 80% response 
rate x 25 minutes).

    Dated: August 5, 2014.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2014-18873 Filed 8-8-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P