[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63300-63301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22141]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Request for Information

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Request for Information.

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SUMMARY: The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 
requires federal agencies to develop evidence-building plans to 
identify and address questions relevant to Agency policies, programs, 
regulations, management, and operations. Through this Request for 
Information (RFI), the National Science Foundation (NSF), seeks to 
expand ongoing efforts to identify priority questions that can guide 
evidence-building activities by soliciting input from the public.

DATES: Please send comments on or before December 31, 2020. Comments 
received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. 
Send comments to the address below.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance 
Officer, [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, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 
days a year (including Federal holidays).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Foundations for Evidence-Based 
Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act, Pub. L. 115-435) requires 
federal agencies to develop evidence-building plans to identify and 
address questions relevant to Agency policies, programs, regulations, 
management, and operations.
    Invitation to Comment: NSF invites comments from the public to 
inform the development of NSF's evidence-building plan. NSF invites 
suggestions in many forms, as questions to be answered, hypotheses to 
be tested, or problems to be investigated. NSF will analyze information 
collected from this RFI to continue developing its evidence-building 
plan.

1.0 Background

    NSF was created ``to promote the progress of science; to advance 
the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national 
defense . . .'' (1950, as amended). NSF seeks to achieve these goals 
through an integrated strategy that advances the frontiers of 
knowledge; cultivates a world-class, broadly inclusive science and 
engineering workforce; expands the scientific literacy of all citizens; 
builds the nation's research capability through investments in advanced 
instrumentation and facilities; and supports excellence in science and 
engineering research and education. NSF by the numbers provides a brief 
overview of NSF's work. NSF is committed to evaluating the efficacy and 
efficiency of its strategy, leveraging research and evaluation to help 
the Agency achieve its mission.

2.0 Request for Information

    Through this RFI, NSF is soliciting suggestions from a broad array 
of stakeholders across public and private sectors that may be familiar 
with or interested in the work of NSF and wish

[[Page 63301]]

to volunteer suggestions to pursue studies that could help NSF improve 
its efficacy or efficiency. NSF invites suggestions in many forms--as 
questions to be answered, hypotheses to be tested, or problems to be 
investigated--and focused on any area of NSF's work, including policy, 
programs, and operations. Responses to this RFI will inform NSF's 
ongoing development of a set of questions that will guide evidence-
building activities, such as program evaluations and systems to monitor 
participation in NSF programs. This RFI is for information and planning 
purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or as an 
obligation on the part of NSF.

    Dated: October 2, 2020.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2020-22141 Filed 10-6-20; 8:45 am]
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