[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 52 (Monday, March 18, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9839-9840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04980]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Higher
Education Research and Development Survey
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to
renew this collection. In accordance with the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are providing opportunity for
public comment on this action. After obtaining and considering public
comment, NSF will prepare the submission requesting Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) clearance of this collection for no longer
than 3 years.
DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by May 17, 2019
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, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite
W18200, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; 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: Higher Education Research and Development
Survey.
OMB Approval Number: 3145-0100.
Expiration Date of Current Approval: September 30, 2019.
Type of Request: Intent to Extend a Current Information Collection.
Abstract: Established within NSF by the America COMPETES
Reauthorization Act of 2010 Sec. 505, codified in the NSF Act of 1950,
as amended, NCSES--one of 13 principal federal statistical agencies--
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.
The Higher Education Research and Development (R&D) Survey
(formerly known as the Survey of R&D Expenditures at Universities and
Colleges) originated in fiscal year (FY) 1954 and has been conducted
annually since FY 1972. The survey represents one facet of the research
and development component of NCSES's statistical program, which also
includes R&D surveys on the business, federal government, higher
education, state government, and nonprofit sectors.
Use of the Information: The proposed project will continue the
annual survey cycle for three years. The Higher Education R&D Survey
will provide continuity of statistics on R&D expenditures by source of
funding, type of R&D (basic research, applied research, or experimental
development), and field of research, with separate data requested on
research equipment by field. Further breakdowns are collected on funds
passed through to subrecipients and funds received as a subrecipient,
and on R&D expenditures by field from specific federal agency sources.
As of FY 2010, the survey also requests total R&D expenditures funded
from foreign sources, R&D within an institution's medical school,
clinical trial expenditures, R&D by type of funding mechanism
(contracts vs. grants), and R&D by cost category (salaries, equipment,
software, etc.). The survey also requests headcounts of principal
investigators and other personnel paid from R&D funds.
Data are published in NCSES's annual publication series Higher
Education Research and Development, available on the web at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvyherd/.
Expected respondents: The FY 2019 Higher Education R&D Survey will
be administered to approximately 650 institutions. In addition, a
shorter version of the survey asking for R&D expenditures by source of
funding and broad field will be sent to approximately 300 institutions
spending under $1 million on R&D in their previous fiscal year.
Finally, a survey requesting R&D expenditures by source of funds, cost
categories, and type of R&D will be administered to the 42 Federally
Funded Research and Development Centers.
Estimate of burden: The survey is a fully automated web data
collection effort and is handled primarily by administrators in
university sponsored programs and accounting offices. To minimize
burden, institutions are provided with an abundance of guidance and
resources on the web and are able to respond via downloadable
spreadsheet if desired. Each institution's record is pre-loaded with
the 2 previous years of comparable data that facilitate editing and
trend checking. Response to this voluntary survey has exceeded 95
percent each year.
The average burden estimate is 54 hours for the approximately 650
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institutions reporting at least $1 million in R&D expenditures, 8 hours
for the approximately 300 institutions reporting less than $1 million,
and 11 hours for the 42 organizations completing the FFRDC survey. The
total calculated burden across all forms is 37,962 hours.
Comments: Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Agency, including whether the information shall
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency'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.
Dated: March 13, 2019.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2019-04980 Filed 3-15-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P