[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 181 (Monday, September 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64206-64207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-22402]


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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: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to 
request renewal of the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (OMB No.: 3145-
0020). In accordance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), we are providing 
opportunity for public comment on this action. After obtaining and 
considering public comment, NSF will prepare the submission requesting 
that OMB approve clearance of this collection for three years.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by November 18, 
2016 to be assured consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports 
Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, 
Suite 1265, 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). You may also obtain a copy of the data collection instrument 
and instructions from Ms. Plimpton.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    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 shall 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, use, 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.
    Title of Collection: Survey of Doctorate Recipients.

[[Page 64207]]

    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0020.
    Expiration Date of Approval: August 31, 2018.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend an information 
collection for three years.
    Abstract: The Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) has been 
conducted biennially since 1973 and is a longitudinal survey. The 2017 
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 SDR 
is sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering 
Stataistics (NCSES) within the NSF and the National Institutes of 
Health. Data will be obtained by web survey, mail questionnaire, and 
computer-assisted telephone interviews beginning in February 2017. 
Information from the SDR are used in assessing the quality and supply 
of the nation's SEH personnel resources for educational institutions, 
private industry, and professional organizations, as well as federal, 
state, and local governments. A public release file of the collected 
data, designed to protect respondent confidentiality, will be made 
available to researchers, reporters, and other interested persons on 
the Internet.
    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 survey data 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.
    Use of the Information: 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. These two reports are made available, in 
full, on the internet. However, summary Digests of facts and figures 
from these lengthy reports are made available both in print and online. 
Although NSF publishes statistics from the SDR in many reports, a full 
report with over 80 tables is produced online in the biennial series, 
Characteristics of Scientists and Engineers with U.S. Doctorates.
    Expected Respondents. The NCSES within NSF enhanced and expanded 
the sample for the prior 2015 cycle of the SDR to measure employment 
outcomes according to the eligible SEH fine fields of degree captured 
in the Survey of Earned Doctorates. Providing reliable estimates by 
fine fields required expanding the 2013 SDR sample from approximately 
47,000 to 120,000 in 2015. Another effect of expanding the 2015 SDR 
sample is the enhanced production of reliable estimates of SEH fine 
fields by various demographic characteristics, such as gender, 
ethnicity, and race. The 2017 SDR will maintain the 2015 expanded 
sample along with a new sample of about 10,000 doctorates from the most 
recent 2014 and 2015 academic years and will not exceed 123,000 
individuals in total with U.S. earned doctorates in SEH fields. NSF 
expects the overall 2017 SDR response rate to be approximately 75 
percent.
    Estimate of Burden. The amount of time to complete the 
questionnaire may vary depending on an individual's circumstances; 
however, on average it takes approximately 25 minutes. Thus, NSF 
estimates that the total annual burden for the 2017 SDR will be 38,438 
hours (that is, 123,000 respondents at 75% response rate for 25 
minutes).

    Dated: September 13, 2016.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2016-22402 Filed 9-16-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P