[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 243 (Monday, December 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 91958-91959]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30044]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Submission for OMB review; comment request.

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SUMMARY: 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 
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is the second notice for public comment; 
the first was published in the Federal Register at 81 FR 49689, and one 
comment was 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 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; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated 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 7th Street 
NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, and to Suzanne H. Plimpton, 
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Suite 1265, Arlington, Virginia 22230 or send email to 
[email protected].

DATES: 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 may be obtained by calling 703-
292-7556. NSF 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 
    Comments: As required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), comments on the 
information collection activities as part of this study were solicited 
through publication of a 60-Day Notice in the Federal Register on July 
28, 2016, at 81 FR 49689. We received one comment, to which we here 
respond.
    Commenter: The comment requested NSF consider the use of 
administrative records, specifically the National Student 
Clearinghouse, to obtain information on education background in lieu of 
asking this information from respondents on the National Survey of 
College Graduates (NSCG).
    Response: NSF informed the commenter that, at the request of NSF, 
the Census Bureau's Center for Administrative Records Research and 
Application is conducting research to compare administrative records 
data with the NSCG respondent-provided data. This research will inform 
survey content discussions for future NSCG cycles and will provide 
insight on the necessity of certain NSCG questionnaire items including 
the education background items.
    After consideration of this comment, we are moving forward with our 
submission to OMB.
    Title of Collection: 2015 National Survey of College Graduates.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0141.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to renew an information 
collection for three years.
    Abstract: The National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) has been 
conducted biennially since the 1970s. The 2017 NSCG sample will be 
selected from the 2015 American Community Survey (ACS) and the 2015 
NSCG. By selecting sample from these two sources, the 2017 NSCG will 
provide coverage of the college graduate population residing in the 
United States. The purpose of this longitudinal survey is to collect 
data that will be used to provide national estimates on the 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 NSCG is designed to comply with these mandates by 
providing information on the supply and utilization of the nation's 
scientists and engineers.
    The U.S. Census Bureau, as in the past, will conduct the NSCG for 
NSF. The survey data collection will begin in March 2017 using web and 
mail questionnaires. Nonrespondents to the web or mail questionnaire 
will be followed up by computer-assisted telephone interviewing. The 
individual's response to the survey is voluntary. The survey will be 
conducted in conformance with Census Bureau statistical quality 
standards and, as such, the NSCG data will be afforded protection under 
the applicable Census Bureau confidentiality statues.
    Use of the Information: NSF uses the information from the NSCG to 
prepare congressionally mandated reports such as Women, Minorities and 
Persons with

[[Page 91959]]

Disabilities in Science and Engineering and Science and Engineering 
Indicators. A public release file of collected data, designed to 
protect respondent confidentiality, will be made available to 
researchers on the Internet.
    Expected Respondents: A statistical sample of approximately 123,500 
persons will be contacted in 2017. This 123,500 sample is a 5,500 case 
increase over the sample size listed in the first notice for public 
comment in the Federal Register at 81 FR 49689. The larger sample size 
is needed to account for the increased size of the college-educated 
population as well as lower response rates in recent years. NSF 
estimates the 2017 NSCG response rate to be 70 to 80 percent.
    Estimate of Burden: The amount of time to complete the 
questionnaire may vary depending on an individual's circumstances; 
however, on average it will take approximately 30 minutes to complete 
the survey. NSF estimates that the total annual burden will be no more 
than 49,400 hours (=123,500 respondents x 80% response x 30 minutes) 
during the 2017 survey cycle.

    Dated: December 9, 2016.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2016-30044 Filed 12-16-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P