[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23946-23947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11036]


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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. This is the second 
notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal 
Register on February 21, 2018, 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Comments 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, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Room 
W18000 Alexandria, Virginia 22314, or send email to [email protected]. 
Copies of the submission may be obtained by calling Ms. Plimpton at 
(703) 292-7556. 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).
    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

[[Page 23947]]

the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.

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, 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 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: Developing an Evaluation Framework and Pilot-Testing a 
Longitudinal Tracking System for REU Site Students.
    OMB Control Number: 3145-NEW.
    Abstract: The National Science Foundation (NSF) seeks to develop 
and pilot test different approaches to collecting data electronically 
from one cohort of applicants to the Research Experiences for 
Undergraduates (REU) Program and track their program and career 
outcomes over time. The intent is for the pilot tests to provide 
information for NSF to select the most effective and least burdensome 
approach to collect data needed to monitor the Program, report to NSF 
leadership, and comply with a Congressional requirement.
    The REU program was created in 1987 to strengthen the science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. Building on 
research experiences as ``one of the most effective avenues for 
attracting students to and retaining them in science and engineering, 
and for preparing them for careers in these fields,'' the program is 
designed to foster student research and promote diversity.
    The main goal of the current study is to pilot test alternative 
approaches to collecting data required by Congress in the America 
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, which states that students in the 
REU program must ``be tracked, for employment and continued 
matriculation in STEM fields, through receipt of the undergraduate 
degree and for at least three years thereafter'' (Section 514[a][6] of 
Public Law 111-358). The legislation also mentions specific demographic 
characteristics of participants that need to be reported, such as 
gender, ethnicity, and enrollment in a two-year college. In addition to 
needing these data to report to Congress, NSF program officers and 
leadership need a more robust data system to enhance their efforts to 
monitor participation in the program and eventually to assess its 
effectiveness.
    In addition to designing the system, the present study will pilot 
test different approaches to collecting data from a sample of REU Sites 
that volunteer to participate. By participating in this study, these 
Sites will have the opportunity to experience the data collections 
first hand and provide feedback that will be used to determine which 
approach will be the most effective, most efficient, and least 
burdensome for possible future implementation across all REU Sites.
    The pilot includes:
    1. Testing a web-based system that includes two approaches to 
obtain basic student background and participation information:
     Registration. The registration will be designed to collect 
the basic demographic and contact information needed for analysis and 
tracking purposes. Students will be asked to register at a website 
through which they will obtain a unique ID. With this unique ID, they 
will then apply directly to the REU Sites using the existing Site 
application processes. Staff at REU Sites will use the IDs provided by 
students to record application decisions and participation status of 
admitted applicants.
     Common Application. The common application will replace 
existing REU Site applications among participating Sites for the 2019 
cycle. It will enable students to apply to multiple Sites through one 
application. Students will first complete the REU Registration 
described above, and then proceed to the common application through 
which they will submit additional information commonly required by 
Sites as part of their applications, such as transcripts. Staff at REU 
Sites will use the system to provide information needed by potential 
applicants, retrieve applicant information, record application 
decisions and participation status among admitted applicants, and 
produce reports and run queries of data submitted by applicants to 
their Sites.
    2. Obtaining and integrating educational and employment 
information. The study will follow the subset of rising seniors who 
participate in the REU program in 2019 (as seniors are the large 
majority of participants) to:
     Obtain educational outcomes information from the National 
Student Clearinghouse (NSC)
     Administer a survey to obtain information on employment 
outcomes (among those not enrolled in graduate school at the time of 
the survey)
    3. Conducting site visits to a few REU Sites participating in the 
pilot to interview principal investigators and program administrators, 
and to conduct focus groups with REU students. The site visits will be 
used to elicit in-depth feedback on the registration and common 
application systems as well as the tools available for PIs to obtain 
data and reports through the REU data system.
    Estimate of Burden: At present, applications to the REU program are 
submitted yearly directly to each Site. For those participating in the 
registration pilot, it is estimated that applicants will spend 2 hours 
submitting basic information through the REU Data System and then 
complete the rest of their applications through the individual REU 
sites. For those participating in the common application pilot, it is 
estimated that each submission will take, on average, 12 hours. 
Reference writers are expected to take 0.5 hours to draft a letter in 
support of students' application to the program. It is estimated that 
REU Principal Investigators will spend 8.9 hours using the system to 
track applications.
    Respondents: Individuals.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 30,455.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 96,130 hours.
    Frequency of Responses: One round of pilot data collection.

    Dated: May 18, 2018.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2018-11036 Filed 5-22-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P