[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50378-50380]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19286]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To Establish an Information 
Collection

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to 
request approval for the collection of research and development data 
through the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and 
Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites and 
Supplements Evaluation. In accordance with the requirement 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 that OMB approve 
clearance of this collection for no longer than 3 years.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by November 8, 
2021 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

[[Page 50379]]


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).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: Computer and Information Science and 
Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites and 
Supplements Evaluation.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-NEW.
    Expiration Date of Current Approval: Not applicable.
    Type of Request: Intent to establish an information collection.
    Abstract: Every year the National Science Foundation (NSF) funds 
hundreds of Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) activities 
through its REU program. The Directorate of Computer and Information 
Science and Engineering (CISE) is seeking to evaluate the effectiveness 
of the CISE REU program.
    The REU program provides undergraduate students at US higher 
education institutions with opportunities to work with faculty on a 
research project. They can take the form of REU Sites or REU 
Supplements. REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate 
and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU 
Supplements are included as a component of proposals for new or renewal 
NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing 
NSF-funded research projects.
    By offering this opportunity to undergraduate students, the REU 
program seeks to expand student participation in all kinds of 
research--both disciplinary and interdisciplinary--encompassing efforts 
by individual investigators, groups, centers, national facilities, and 
others. The REU experience integrates research and education to attract 
a diverse pool of talented students into careers in science and 
engineering, including teaching and education research related to 
science and engineering.
    The current data collection project intends to measure the impact 
of the undergraduate REU Sites and REU Supplements programs sponsored 
by NSF CISE. The project will conduct online surveys to track NSF CISE 
REU participants over time--including pre-program, post-program and 
one-year post-program measurement--alongside two comparison groups: (1) 
Students participating in other undergraduate research, and (2) 
students who do not participate in research. The researchers will 
supplement REU participants' survey data with demographic and 
background information collected via the NSF Education and Training 
Application (ETAP). The evaluation and research questions guiding this 
project include the following:
    1. Who are the students reached through the NSF REU Program, and 
how do they compare to students participating in other types of 
research experiences and to students in the broader CISE community?
    2. How do CISE REU Sites and REU Supplements differ from other 
research experiences (e.g., other REUs, internships, and independent 
research projects)?
    3. To what extent are the goals of the NSF REU Program being met by 
the individual projects within the program, including recruitment and 
retention of students in science and engineering fields and increasing 
diversity in these fields?
    4. In what ways does participation in REU Sites, REU Supplements, 
internships, and/or other independent research experiences impact 
student attitudes and pathways to CISE careers and other research 
experiences?
    5. In what ways does participation in the REU Sites and REU 
Supplements impact recruitment and retention of students who are 
underrepresented in computing?
    Ultimately, the findings from this data collection will be used to 
understand and improve the impact of the CISE REU program, including 
increasing recruitment and retention in science and engineering and 
promoting a diverse group of computing/STEM careers.
    Use of the information: The information collected through this 
survey will be used to evaluate the NSF CISE REU Program.
    Respondents: There will be three types of survey respondents: NSF 
CISE REU Site and Supplement participants, a comparison group of 
undergraduate students who participate in other, non-NSF REU research 
experiences, and a comparison group of undergraduate students who do 
not participate in research.
    NSF CISE REU participants will include undergraduate students who 
participate in REU projects in which the project's Principal 
Investigator chooses to use NSF-sponsored program evaluation services. 
Participants from the two comparison groups will be identified and 
recruited from a pool of undergraduates in computing fields who have 
participated in a prior survey of the Computing Research Association 
and have agreed to be contacted for future data collection.
    Estimated number of respondents: The study's data collection 
activities will occur over a span of 2\1/3\ years. It is estimated that 
during this time, there will be approximately 3,500 NSF CISE REU survey 
respondents and 6,000 comparison group survey respondents, for a total 
of 9,500 respondents.
    Average time per reporting: Each online survey is designed to be 
completed in 20 minutes or less.
    Frequency: Each NSF CISE REU participant will be asked to complete 
three surveys: (1) A pre-test before they begin their REU project; (2) 
a post-test, after their REU ends; and (3) a one-year follow-up survey. 
Within the data collection timeline for this project, this will allow 
for two full data collection cycles, plus a third subset of Year 3 
summer REU participants who will only complete a pre-test and a post-
test, but no follow-up survey. Each comparison group participant, 
including both those with a different research experience and those 
with no research experience, will be asked to complete a pre-test 
survey and a follow-up survey occurring approximately one year later. 
There will be two full data collection cycles for comparison group 
participants.
    Estimate burden on the public: For REU participants, there will be 
two full cycles of data collection (pre-test, post-test, and follow-up) 
and one partial cycle. It is expected that a total of 3,500 REU 
respondents will complete a 20-minute pre-survey in the project. Of 
these 3,500 REU participant respondents, we expect that approximately 
70%, or 2,450, will complete a 20-minute post-survey. For the follow-up 
survey, only the REU participants from the first two years of the data 
collection would be able to complete the survey within the time range 
of the study (N=3,000). It is expected that approximately 50% of these 
respondents, or 1,500, will complete a 20-minute one-year follow-up 
survey. This would result in a total of 7,450 20-minute surveys 
completed by REU respondents, for a total of 2,483 burden hours for 
this subset of respondents.
    For comparison group participations, there will be two full cycles 
of data collection. It is expected that a total of 6,000 respondents 
will complete a 20-minute pre-survey in the project. Of these 6,000 
comparison group respondents, approximately 50%, or

[[Page 50380]]

3,000, are expected to complete a 20-minute one-year follow-up survey.
    The total estimate for this collection is 9,000 surveys completed 
by comparison group respondents, for a total of 3,000 burden hours. 
Together, the total estimated survey burden for the project is 5,483 
hours. The calculations are shown in Table 1.

                                        Table 1--Estimated Survey Burden
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                                                                Number of year 3   Participation
    Category of respondent      Number of year  Number of year      responses       time (mins    Burden (hours)
                                  1 responses     2 responses    (partial year)        each)
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REU participant Pre-survey....           1,500           1,500  500.............              20        1,166.67
REU participant Post-survey              1,050           1,050  350.............              20          816.67
 (70% of original).
REU participant Follow-up                  750             750  Not conducted...              20             500
 survey (50% of original).
Comparison participant Pre-              3,000           3,000  Not conducted...              20           2,000
 survey.
Comparison participant Post-             1,500           1,500  Not conducted...              20           1,000
 survey (50% of original).
                               ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total surveys completed...           7,800           7,800  850.............              20           5,483
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    Comments: Comments are invited on:
    1. Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the evaluation of the CISE REU Sites and Supplements Program.
    2. The accuracy of the NSF's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information.
    3. 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.

    Dated: September 1, 2021.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2021-19286 Filed 9-7-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P