[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2639-2641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00834]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; 
Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Experiences 
for Undergraduates Sites and Supplements Evaluation

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 no comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed 
renewal 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). Comments regarding this information collection are 
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of 
this notification. Copies of the submission(s)

[[Page 2640]]

may be obtained by calling 703-292-7556.
    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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: Computer and Information Science and 
Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites and 
Supplements Evaluation.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-NEW.
    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 basic REU information and 
perceptions of impact from NSF CISE REU Principal Investigators (PIs). 
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 four types of respondents: NSF CISE REU 
Site and Supplement participants, a comparison group of undergraduate 
students who participate in other, non-NSF REU research experiences, a 
comparison group of undergraduate students who do not participate in 
research, and NSF CISE REU PIs.
    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. The 
participating NSF CISE REU PIs will also complete PI REU Information 
Forms at the beginning and end of their REUs.
    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 2,333 NSF CISE REU survey 
respondents, 2,000 comparison group survey respondents, and 233 NSF 
CISE REU PI Information Form respondents, for a total of 4,566 
respondents.
    Average time per reporting: Each online survey for REU participants 
and comparison group respondents is designed to be completed in 20 
minutes or less. Each REU PI Information Form is designed to be 
completed in 10 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. Each NSF CISE REU PI will complete a Time 1 PI REU 
Information Form before their REU begins and a Time 2 REU PI 
Information Form when their REU ends.
    Estimate burden on the public: For REU participants, in the 2\1/3\ 
years of data collection, there will be two cohorts of complete data 
collection (pre-test, post-test, and follow-up) and one cohort with a 
partial data collection cycle (pre-test and post-test only). Based on 
an expected 1,000 REU participant respondents per year, It is expected 
that a total of approximately 2,333 REU respondents will complete a 20-
minute pre-survey in the project. Of these 2,333 REU participant 
respondents, we expect that approximately 70%, or 1,633, 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

[[Page 2641]]

range of the study (N = 2,000). It is expected that approximately 50% 
of these respondents, or 1,000, will complete a 20-minute one-year 
follow-up survey. This would result in a total of 4,966 20-minute 
surveys completed by REU respondents, for a total of 1,655 burden hours 
for this subset of respondents.
    For comparison group participations, there will be two cohorts with 
full cycles of data collection (pre-test and follow-up). It is expected 
that a total of 2,000 respondents will complete a 20-minute pre-survey 
in the project. Of these 2,000 comparison group respondents, 
approximately 50%, or 1,000, are expected to complete a 20-minute one-
year follow-up survey. This would result in a total of 3,000 surveys 
completed by comparison group respondents, for a total of 1,000 burden 
hours.
    For REU PIs, there will be 2\1/3\ years of complete data collection 
(Time 1 and Time 2 REU PI Information Forms). Based on an expected 100 
NSF CISE REU PIs choosing to receive evaluation services each year, It 
is expected that a total of approximately 233 REU PIs will complete 
both the Time 1 and Time 2 PI REU Information Forms (each one takes 10 
minutes to complete). This would result in a total of 466 10-minute 
forms completed by REU PIs, for a total of 77.67 burden hours for this 
subset of respondents.
    Together, the total estimated survey burden for the project is 
2,733 hours. The calculations are shown in Table 1.

                                        Table 1--Estimated Survey Burden
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                                    Number of   Number of   Number of cohort 3
      Category of respondent        cohort 1    cohort 2    responses (partial    Participation time     Burden
                                    responses   responses          year)                                (hours)
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REU participant Pre-survey.......       1,000       1,000  333.................  20 mins each........     777.67
REU participant Post-survey (70%          700         700  233.................  20 mins each........     544.33
 of original).
REU participant Follow-up survey          500         500  Not conducted.......  20 mins each........     333.33
 (50% of original).
Comparison participant Pre-survey       1,000       1,000  Not conducted.......  20 mins each........     666.67
Comparison participant Follow-up          500         500  Not conducted.......  20 mins each........     333.33
 survey (50% of original).
REU PI Time 1 Information Form...         100         100  33..................  10 mins each........     777.67
REU PI Time 12 Information Form..         100         100  33..................  10 mins each........     544.33
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    Total surveys completed......       3,900       3,900  632.................  466 @10 min, 7,966        2,733
                                                                                  @20 mins.
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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: January 12, 2022.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2022-00834 Filed 1-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P