[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 53 (Monday, March 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16672-16673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05642]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: 2024 and 2025 Survey of 
Earned Doctorates

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Submission for OMB review; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics 
(NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the 
following information collection requirements 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 two 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, Suite 
E7400, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone (703) 292-7556; 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: 
    Comments: 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 9 December 2022 at 87 FR 
75670. NCSES received two questions about whether there will be any 
content changes in the 2024-25 SED. We responded to both comments that 
the content changes planned for the 2024 SED are inclusion of 
experimental sets of biological sex at birth, sexual orientation and 
gender identity (SOGI) questions, and the experiment data will be used 
to determine the most appropriate set of questions that best meets the 
data needs while ensuring confidentiality of the SOGI data for the 2025 
SED.
    Title of Collection: Survey of Earned Doctorates.
    OMB Control Number: 3145-0019.
    Summary of Collection: The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) is 
part of NCSES' survey system that collects data on individuals in an 
effort to provide information on science and engineering education and 
careers in the United States. 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

[[Page 16673]]

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 2024 and 2025 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. Nonrespondents to the 
web survey are followed up by computer-assisted telephone interviewing.
    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. Data are collected on their field of 
specialty, educational background, sources of support in graduate 
school, debt level, postgraduation plans, and demographic 
characteristics. 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 AY2024, and approximately 58,000 in 
AY2025. NCSES estimates the response rate will be 92 percent for both 
the 2024 and 2025 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 620 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 21 minutes, the respondent burden for completing the SED is 
estimated at 18,354 hours in 2024 (57,000 doctorate recipients x 92% 
response x 21 minutes) and 18,676 hours in 2025 (58,000 doctorate 
recipients x 92% response x 21 minutes). With about 620 schools 
expected to participate in the 2024 and 2025 SED, the estimated burden 
to Institutional Coordinators is 12,400 hours for each survey cycle. 
Therefore, the total burden for the SED is estimated to be 30,754 
(18,354 + 12,400) hours in the 2024 survey cycle and 31,076 (18,676 + 
12,400) hours in the 2025 survey cycle. NCSES estimates that the 
average annual burden for the 2024 and 2025 survey cycles over the 
course of the three-year OMB clearance period will be no more than 
20,610 hours [(30,754 hours + 31,076 hours)/3 years].

    Dated: March 15, 2023.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2023-05642 Filed 3-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P