[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