[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 26, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44429-44430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15945]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

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 
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: Comments regarding (a) whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the NSF, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the NSF'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; 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 should be addressed to the points 
of contact in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    Copies of the submission 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: NCSES Generic Clearance for Improvement 
Projects.
    OMB Number: 3145-0174.
    Abstract: Established within the National Science Foundation 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)--one of 13 
principal federal statistical agencies--serves as a central Federal 
clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, analysis, and 
dissemination of objective data on science, engineering, technology, 
research and development for use by practitioners, researchers, 
policymakers, and the public. NCSES conducts about a dozen nationally 
representative surveys to obtain the data for these purposes. The 
Generic Clearance will be used to ensure that the highest quality data 
are obtained from these surveys. State of the art methodology will be 
used to develop, evaluate, and test questionnaires and survey concepts 
as well as to research and improve survey and statistical 
methodologies. This may include field or pilot tests of questions for 
future large-scale surveys, as needed. The Generic Clearance will also 
be used to test and evaluate data dissemination tools and methods in an 
effort to improve access for data users.
    Use of the Information: The purpose of these studies is to use the 
latest and most appropriate methodology to improve NCSES surveys, 
evaluate new data collection efforts, and evaluate data dissemination 
tools and mechanisms. Methodological findings may be presented 
externally. Improved NCSES surveys, data collections, and data 
dissemination will help policymakers in decisions on research and 
development funding, graduate education, and the scientific and 
engineering workforce, as well as contributing to reduced survey costs.
    Expected Respondents: The respondents will be from industry, 
academia, nonprofit organizations, members of the public, and State, 
local, and Federal governments. Respondents will be either individuals 
or institutions, depending on the topic under investigation. NCSES 
expects to use both qualitative and quantitative procedures, in various 
modes (e.g., in-person, telephone, web). Up to 28,515 respondents will 
be contacted across all projects. No respondent will be contacted more 
than twice in one year under this generic clearance. Every effort will 
be made to use technology to limit the burden on respondents from small 
entities.
    Estimate of Burden: NCSES estimates that a total reporting and 
recordkeeping burden of 11,500 hours will result from activities to 
improve its survey collections and data dissemination tools. The 
calculation is shown in Table 1.

[[Page 44430]]



 Table 1--Potential Surveys for Improvement Projects, With the Number of
                      Respondents and Burden Hours
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                                          2022-25 number  2022-25 number
    Survey or information collection      of respondents     of hours
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Survey of Doctorate Recipients..........            5000            1100
Survey of Earned Doctorates.............            2500             945
National Training, Education, and                    660             400
 Workforce Survey.......................
Other surveys of the science and                    1250             550
 engineering workforce..................
Higher Education Research & Development              450             350
 Survey.................................
Federally Funded Research & Development               80             100
 Centers (FFRDC) Survey.................
State Government Research & Development              150             225
 Survey.................................
Survey of Nonprofit Research Activities.             200             200
Business Enterprise Research &                        50             150
 Development Survey.....................
Survey of Scientific & Engineering                   300             200
 Facilities.............................
Public Perceptions of Science...........            1100             180
Data dissemination tools and mechanisms.            3100             800
Projects conducted under the NCSES Broad            3675            3300
 Agency Announcement (BAA)..............
Other surveys and projects not specified           10000            3000
                                         -------------------------------
    Total...............................           28515           11500
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    Dated: July 20, 2022.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2022-15945 Filed 7-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P