[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 82 (Tuesday, April 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23537-23538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09000]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request;
National Survey of College Graduates
AGENCY: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics;
National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
(NCSES), within the National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing
plans to request renewal of the National Survey of College Graduates
(OMB Control Number 3145-0141). 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, NCSES 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 June 29,
2020 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date
will be considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to the
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: 2021 National Survey of College Graduates.
OMB Control Number: 3145-0141.
Expiration Date of Current Approval: February 28, 2022.
Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend an information
collection for three years.
Abstract
Established within the NSF by the America COMPETES Reauthorization
Act of 2010 Sec. [thinsp]505, codified in the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics (NCSES) 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 National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) is designed to
comply with these mandates by providing information on the supply and
utilization of the nation's scientists and engineers. The purpose of
the NSCG is to collect data that will be used to provide national
estimates on the size, composition, and activities of the science and
engineering workforce and changes in their employment, education, and
demographic characteristics. The NSCG has been conducted biennially
since the 1970s. The 2021 NSCG sample will be selected from the 2019
American Community Survey (ACS) and the 2019 NSCG. By selecting the
sample from these two sources, the 2021 NSCG will provide coverage of
the college graduate population residing in the United States.
The U.S. Census Bureau, as the agency responsible for the ACS, will
serve as the NSCG data collection contractor for NCSES. The survey data
collection is expected to begin in February 2021 and continue for
approximately seven months. Data will be collected using web and mail
questionnaires, and follow-up will be conducted with nonrespondents by
computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). 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 confidentiality protection under
the applicable Census Bureau confidentiality statutes.
Use of the Information: The NSF uses the information from the NSCG
to prepare congressionally mandated reports such as Women, Minorities
and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering (https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/women/) and Science and Engineering Indicators
(https://ncses.nsf.gov/indicators), both of which are available online.
A public release file of collected data, designed to protect respondent
confidentiality, will be made available on the internet and will be
accessible through an online data tool (https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/ids/
).
Expected Respondents: A statistical sample of approximately 164,000
individuals (90,000 returning sample members and 74,000 new sample
members) will be contacted in 2021. Based on recent survey cycles,
NCSES expects the response rate to be 65 to 75 percent.
Estimate of Burden: The amount of time to complete the
questionnaire may vary depending on an individual's educational
history, employment status, and past response to the NSCG. The time to
complete the 2019 NSCG web survey ranged from 15.4 minutes for some
returning sample members to 23.6 minutes for new sample members, and
approximately 85% of respondents completed the web mode. Likewise, CATI
interview times during the 2019 NSCG ranged from 29.6 minutes for some
returning sample members to 34.3 minutes for new sample members, and
about 5% of respondents completed via CATI. It was estimated that all
forms of the 2019 NSCG paper questionnaire took 30 minutes to complete,
and about 10% of respondents completed the paper form. Based on the
2019 cycle's survey completion times, it is estimated that it will take
approximately 25 minutes, on average, to complete the 2021 NSCG
questionnaire. NSF estimates that the average annual burden for the
2021 survey cycle over the course of the three-year OMB clearance
period will be no more than 17,083 hours [(164,000 individuals x 75%
response x 25 minutes)/3 years].
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.
[[Page 23538]]
Dated: April 22, 2020.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2020-09000 Filed 4-27-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P