[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 209 (Monday, October 31, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65570-65571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-23658]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Survey of State Government Research and Development

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the 
proposed extension of the Survey of State Government Research and 
Development, prior to the submission of the information collection 
request (ICR) to OMB for approval.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before December 30, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
email to [email protected]. Please reference Survey of State 
Government Research and Development in the subject line of your 
comments. You may also submit comments, identified by Docket Number 
USBC-2022-0021, to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of the public 
record. No comments will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov for 
public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments will 
generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable 
Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by 
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential 
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. 
You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, 
Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Michael Flaherty, Chief Research, Development & Innovation Surveys 
Branch, 301-763-7699, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau conducts the Survey of State Government Research 
and Development (SGRD) to measure research and development performed 
and funded by state government agencies in the United States. The 
Census Bureau conducts the survey on behalf of the National Center for 
Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science 
Foundation.
    The National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, includes a 
statutory charge 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 
formulation by other agencies in the Federal Government.'' This mandate 
was further codified in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 
2010 section 505, which requires NCSES to ``collect, acquire, analyze, 
report, and disseminate . . . statistical data on (A) research and 
development trends . . .'' Under the aegis of these legislative 
mandates, NCSES has sponsored

[[Page 65571]]

surveys of research and development (R&D) since 1951, including the 
SGRD since 2006. The Census Bureau's authorization to undertake this 
work is found at 13 U.S.C. 8(b) which provides that the Census Bureau 
``may make special statistical compilations and surveys for 
departments, agencies, and establishments of the Federal government, 
the government of the District of Columbia, the government of any 
possession or area (including political subdivisions thereof) . . . 
State or local agencies, or other public and private persons and 
agencies.''
    The SGRD is the only comprehensive source of state government 
research and development expenditure data collected on a nationwide 
scale using uniform definitions, concepts, and procedures. The 
collection covers the expenditures of all agencies in the fifty state 
governments, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico that perform or 
fund R&D. The NCSES coordinates with the Census Bureau for the data 
collection. The NCSES uses this collection to satisfy, in part, its 
need to collect research and development expenditures data.
    Fiscal data provided by respondents aid data users in measuring the 
effectiveness of resource allocation. The products of this data 
collection make it possible for data users to obtain information on 
such things as expenditures according to source of funding (e.g., 
federal funds or state funds), by performer of the work (e.g., 
intramural and extramural to state agencies), by function (e.g., 
agriculture, energy, health, transportation, etc.), by type of work 
(e.g., basic research, applied research, or experimental development) 
for intramural performance of R&D, and by R&D plant (e.g., construction 
projects). Final results produced by NCSES contain state and national 
estimates useful to a variety of data users interested in research and 
development performance including: The National Science Board; the 
Office of Management and Budget; the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy and other science policy makers; institutional researchers; and 
private organizations.
    We have analyzed responses to a question about burden which appears 
on the instrument. That analysis indicates that the average burden for 
agency respondents should be 2 hours rather than the current estimate 
of 3 hours. We are adjusting the burden of the collection downward 
accordingly.
    The survey announcements and forms used in the SGRD are: Survey 
Announcement. An introductory email from the Directors of the NCSES and 
the Census Bureau is sent to Chief of Staff of Governor's Office to 
announce the survey collection and to solicit assignment of a State 
Coordinator. The State Coordinator's Announcement is sent 
electronically at the beginning of each survey period to solicit 
assistance in identifying state agencies which may perform or fund R&D 
activities.
    Form SRD-1. This form contains item descriptions and definitions of 
the research and development items collected by the Census Bureau on 
behalf of the NCSES. All states supply their data by electronic means.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau emails Chief of Staff for the 50 state governors, 
the mayor of DC, and the governor of Puerto Rico requesting that they 
appoint a state coordinator for the survey. The Census Bureau then 
emails the state coordinators a spreadsheet asking them to identify 
state agencies that may have the capacity to perform or fund R&D. The 
Census Bureau subsequently emails the survey form to each state agency 
identified by the respective state coordinators. The form contains 
embedded data checks and auto-summing functionality. Agencies are asked 
to complete and email back the form. Alternatively, agencies are able 
to report to the Census Bureau by telephone.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0933.
    Form Number(s): SRD-1.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, request for an extension, 
without change, of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: State government agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 51 governors, 1 mayor, 52 state 
coordinators, and approximately 700 state government agencies.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5 minutes for each governor or mayor, 
1 hour for each state coordinator, and 2 hours for each state agency 
surveyed.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,456.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 (This is not the cost of 
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for 
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to 
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services 
required specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: National Science Foundation Act of 1950 as amended 
and the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, title 42 U.S.C. 
1861-76; title 13, U.S.C. 8(b).

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment in our 
request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, 
phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information 
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2022-23658 Filed 10-28-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P