[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 23 (Friday, February 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8384-8385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02447]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Survey 
of Doctorate Recipients

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 April 6, 
2021 to be assured 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 Survey of Doctorate Recipients.
    OMB Control Number: 3145-0020.
    Expiration Date of Current Approval: August 31, 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.  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.
    NCSES is the primary sponsor of the Survey of Doctorate Recipients 
(SDR); the National Institutes of Health (NIH) serves as a co-sponsor. 
The SDR has been conducted biennially since 1973 and is a longitudinal 
survey. The 2021 SDR will consist of a sample of individuals under 76 
years of age who have earned a research doctoral degree in a science, 
engineering, or health (SEH) field from a U.S. academic institution. 
The purpose of this panel survey is to collect data to provide national 
estimates on the doctoral science and engineering workforce and changes 
in their employment, education, and demographic characteristics. NCSES 
uses these data to prepare essential congressionally mandated reports 
(explained below). Government agencies and academic researchers use SDR 
data and publications to make planning decisions regarding science and 
engineering research, training, and employment opportunities. Employers 
also use the SDR to understand trends in employment sectors, industry 
types, and salary. Students who want to learn about the relationship 
between graduate education and careers often obtain valuable 
information from the SDR. Data and publications from the SDR are 
available to the public on the NCSES website: https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvydoctoratework/.
    The SDR will collect data by web survey, mail questionnaire, and 
computer-assisted telephone interviews beginning in July 2021. The 
survey will be collected in conformance with the Confidential 
Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 and the 
individual's response to the survey is voluntary. NCSES will ensure 
that all information collected will be kept strictly confidential and 
will be used only for statistical purposes.
    Use of the Information: NCSES uses the information from the SDR to 
prepare two congressionally mandated reports: Women, Minorities, and 
Persons With Disabilities in Science and Engineering and Science and 
Engineering Indicators. NCSES publishes statistics from the SDR in many 
reports, but primarily in the biennial series, Characteristics of 
Scientists and Engineers with U.S. Doctorates. As with prior SDR data 
collections, a cross-sectional public release file of collected data, 
designed to protect respondent confidentiality, will be made available 
to researchers on the NCSES website: https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/datadownload/.
    Expected Respondents: The U.S. Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) previously directed that NCSES enhance and expand the sample to 
measure employment outcomes by the fine field of degree taxonomy used 
in the Survey of Earned Doctorates. NCSES initiated this change in the 
2015 cycle and maintained it in each subsequent cycle. For the 2021 
SDR, a statistical sample of approximately 131,000 individuals with 
U.S. earned doctorates in science, engineering, or health will be 
contacted. As with prior SDR data collection cycles, the sample 
consists of all eligible cases from the previous cycle (116,000), as 
well as a sample of 10,000 new doctoral graduates. In addition, the 
sample includes 5,000 cases that will be part of a non-production 
bridge panel designed to quantify the potential impact of question 
wording modifications on key survey estimates. For 2021, the new 
graduate sample received their doctorate between July 2017 and June 
2019. Across the full sample, approximately 116,760 individuals will 
reside in the U.S. and 14,240 will reside abroad.
    Estimate of Burden: NCSES expects the overall 2021 SDR response 
rate to be approximately 70 percent. The amount of time to complete the 
questionnaire may vary depending on an individual's circumstances; 
however, based on 2019 SDR completion times, NCSES estimates an average 
completion time of approximately 21 minutes. NCSES 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 10,699 hours 
[(131,000 individuals x 70% response x 21 minutes)/3 years/60 minutes].
    Comments: Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of NCSES, including whether the information shall have 
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of NCSES'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.


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    Dated: February 2, 2021.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2021-02447 Filed 2-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P