[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 23 (Friday, February 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8385-8386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02449]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Survey 
of Earned Doctorates

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Submission for OMB review; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the 
following information collection requirement to OMB for review and 
clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second 
notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal 
Register, and one comment was received. NSF is forwarding the proposed 
submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance 
simultaneously with the publication of this second notice.

DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAmain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance 
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, 
Alexandria, VA 22314, 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).
    Copies of the submission may be obtained by calling 703-292-7556.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NSF may not conduct or sponsor a collection 
of information unless the collection of information displays a 
currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential 
persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such 
persons are not required to respond to the collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
    Title of Collection: Survey of Earned Doctorates.
    OMB Control Number: 3145-0019.
    Summary of Collection: The SED has been conducted annually since 
1958 and is jointly sponsored by four Federal agencies (NSF/NCSES, 
National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Education/National 
Center for Education Statistics, and National Endowment for the 
Humanities) to avoid duplication of effort in collecting such data. The 
authority to collect information for the Survey of Earned Doctorates 
(SED) is established under the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, 
as amended, Public Law 507 (42 U.S.C. 1862), Section 3(a) (6), which 
directs the NSF ``. . . to provide a central clearinghouse for the 
collection, interpretation, and analysis of data on scientific and 
engineering resources and to provide a source of information for policy 
formation by other agencies of the federal government.''
    This request to extend the information collection for three years 
is to cover the 2022 and 2023 SED survey cycles. Data are obtained 
primarily via Web survey from each person earning a research doctorate 
at the time they receive the degree. Graduate schools help distribute 
the SED to their graduating doctorate recipients.
    The survey will be collected in conformance with the NSF Act of 
1950, as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974. Responses from 
individuals are voluntary. NCSES will ensure that all individually 
identifiable information collected will be kept strictly confidential 
and will be used for research or statistical purposes, analyzing data, 
and preparing scientific reports and articles.
    Use of the Information: NCSES, as the lead agency, publishes 
statistics from the survey in several reports, but primarily in the 
annual publication series reporting on all fields of study, titled 
Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities. Information from the SED 
is also used to prepare congressionally mandated reports such as 
Science and Engineering Indicators and Women, Minorities and Persons 
with Disabilities in Science and Engineering.
    Expected Respondents: The SED is a census of all individuals 
receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. academic 
institution in an academic year (AY) beginning 1 July and ending 30 
June of the following year. Based on the historical trend, NCSES 
expects that approximately 57,000 individuals will receive a research 
doctorate from U.S. institutions in AY2022, and approximately 58,000 in 
AY2023. NCSES estimates the response rate will be 92 percent for both 
the 2022 and 2023 SED survey cycles. In addition to the survey 
completion of individuals receiving their research doctorates, the SED 
requires the collection of administrative data such as graduation lists 
from approximately 600 Institutional Coordinators at the participating 
institutions who help to distribute the Web survey link, track survey 
completions, and submit information to the SED survey contractor.
    Estimate of Burden: Based on an average Web survey completion time 
of 20 minutes, the respondent burden for completing the SED is 
estimated at 17,480 hours in 2022 (57,000 doctorate recipients x 92% 
response x 20 minutes) and 17,787 hours in 2023 (58,000 doctorate 
recipients x 92% response x 20 minutes). With about 600 schools 
expected to participate in the 2022 and 2023 SED, the estimated burden 
to Institutional Coordinators is 12,000 hours for each survey cycle. 
Therefore, the total burden for the SED is estimated to be 29,480 
(17,480 + 12,000) hours in the 2022 survey cycle and 29,787 (17,787 + 
12,000) hours in the 2023 survey cycle. NCSES estimates that the 
average annual burden for the 2022 and 2023 survey cycles over the 
course of the three-year OMB clearance period will be no more than 
19,756 hours [(29,480 hours + 29,787 hours)/3 years].
    Comment: As required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), comments on the 
information collection activities were solicited through publication of 
a 60-day notice in the Federal Register on 14 October 2020 at 85 FR 
65078. NCSES received one public comment from the Federation of 
American Societies for Experimental Biology advocating for the 
collection of information on the participation of sexual and gender 
minorities in doctoral education. NCSES informed the commenter that it 
shares their interest in improving federal data collections and 
providing reliable measures for important segments of the population. 
NCSES also informed the commenter that it is conducting research to 
evaluate these measures with the goal that this research, in 
combination with on-going sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) 
survey content research being conducted by other federal agencies, will 
enable the development of standard guidance for collecting SOGI data in 
the near future.
    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 
burden of the proposed

[[Page 8386]]

collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and 
clarity of the information on respondents, including 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: February 2, 2021.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2021-02449 Filed 2-4-21; 8:45 am]
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