[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22750-22751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06970]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; NSF 
Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) 
Program

AGENCY: National Science Foundation (NSF).

ACTION: Notice and Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to 
establish this collection. In accordance with the requirements 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 Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) clearance of this collection for no longer 
than 3 years.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by June 3, 2024 
to be assured consideration. Comments received after that date will be 
considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to address below.

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).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: NSF INTERN Program Assessment.
    OMB Number: 3145-0259.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 09/30/2024.
    Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: Fostering the growth of a globally competitive and 
diverse research workforce and advancing the scientific and innovation 
skills of the Nation is a strategic objective of the National Science 
Foundation (NSF). The Nation's global competitiveness depends 
critically on the readiness of the Nation's Science, Technology, 
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce and NSF seeks to continue 
to invest in programs that directly advance this workforce.
    As part of this effort, NSF invests in a number of graduate student 
preparedness activities to ensure they are well-prepared for the 21st 
century STEM Workforce and a supplemental funding opportunity is 
available to provide support for graduate students through non-academic 
research internships (INTERN Program) in any sector of the U.S. 
economy.
    The goal of the INTERN program is three-fold:
    1. To provide graduate students with the opportunity to augment 
their research assistantships with non-academic research internship 
activities and training opportunities that will complement their 
academic research training;
    2. To allow graduate students to pursue activities aimed at 
acquiring professional development experience that will enhance their 
preparation for multiple career pathways after graduation; and
    3. To encourage the participation of graduate students from groups 
that have traditionally been underrepresented and underserved in the 
STEM enterprise: women, persons with disabilities, African Americans/
Blacks, Hispanic Americans, American Indian, and Alaska Natives.
    Since 2017, the NSF's INTERN program has expanded with supports 
from other federal agency partners; as of March 2024, NSF has six (6) 
INTERN funding opportunities providing participants with direct access 
in exploring career pathways across various federal agencies and/or 
government laboratories:

 Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students 
(INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity (NSF 21-013)
 Research Internships for Graduate Students at Air Force 
Research Laboratory (NSF-AFRL INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity 
(NSF 21-029)
 Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students in 
Geothermal Energy Supplemental Funding Opportunity (Geothermal INTERN) 
(NSF 23-024)
 Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) Opportunity for Graduate 
Students Supplemental Funding to Link Geosciences and Human Health 
(GeoHealth INTERN) (NSF 23-112)
 Graduate Research Internships in Forensic Science and Criminal 
Justice Contexts (NSF-NIJ INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity (NSF 
23-150)
 Research Internships for Graduate Students at U.S. Army Combat 
Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory and Ground 
Vehicle Systems Center

[[Page 22751]]

(NSF-DEVCOM INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity (NSF 24-071)

    In order to support the agency's mission and continue meeting the 
program's goals, we are asking the graduate students who participated 
in the INTERN program to report the following information on:

 Program Participant
    [cir] Name
    [cir] Academic institution
    [cir] Type of research degree
    [cir] Degree start and expected/conferred dates
    [cir] Primary field of study
    [cir] Demographic information
    [ssquf] Sex
    [ssquf] Race
    [ssquf] Ethnicity
    [ssquf] Disability status
    [ssquf] Veteran status
 Logistics of the Internship
    [cir] Start and end dates
    [cir] Principal Investigator (supporting the internship)
    [cir] Host organization
    [ssquf] Location
    [ssquf] Business sector
    [cir] Host mentor
 Internship Experience
    [cir] Primary and secondary work activities
    [cir] Application of academic knowledge/skills learned
    [cir] Hours worked
    [cir] Job Training/skill development
    [cir] Interaction with host mentor and/or other colleagues 
(professional network)
    [cir] Work environment
    [cir] Company culture
    [cir] Project scope
    [cir] Overall satisfaction
 Industry Best Practices & Skills Development
    [cir] Introducing industry best practices to academic environment
    [cir] Forthcoming publications and/or IP activities resulting from 
the internship
    [cir] Experiential learning and professional preparation
 Post-graduate/Career Plans
    [cir] General career direction after graduation
    [cir] Helpfulness of the internship experience in making career 
choices
    [cir] Likelihood of working at the host organization or similar 
organizations
 Impact of Covid-19 [only for respondents who postponed/delayed 
their internship due to the pandemic]
    [cir] Hardship/challenges experienced
    [cir] Change(s) in career plan
 General comments/feedback about the Program

    Since the agency will not be able to receive feedback from students 
by way of annual reports, being able to collect this information will 
help the managing Program Directors to assess whether the INTERN 
program helps participants in terms of workforce development, career 
decisions, and professional preparation, thereby ensuring the program 
goals are met. In addition, these data will also allow NSF to evaluate 
the intellectual merit of the program, its broader impact in developing 
the STEM workforce and its potential to enhance the participation of 
underrepresented and underserved STEM communities in such traineeships. 
Finally, in compliance with the Evidence Act of 2019, information 
collected will be used in satisfying congressional requests, responding 
to queries from the public, informing the NSF's external Committees of 
Visitors who serve to evaluate the foundation, working with the NSF's 
Office of the Inspector General, and supporting the agency's 
policymaking and internal evaluation and assessment needs.
    Information collected in this survey will include the name of the 
participants, their affiliated organizations, email addresses, and home 
states. These personal identifiable information (PII) are collected 
primarily for record tracking and organizing. In addition, questions 
pertaining to participants' gender, race, ethnicity, disability status, 
and veteran status will also be asked but those questions will be 
marked as voluntary. These PII data will be accessed only by the 
managing Program Directors, NSF senior management, and supporting staff 
conducting analyses using the data as authorized by NSF. Any public 
reporting of data will be in aggregate form, and any personal 
identifiers will be removed.
    Use of the Information: The information collected is primarily for 
program assessment and agency internal evaluation.
    Estimate burden on the public: Estimated 20 minutes per survey for 
350 participants (per year) for a total of 7,000 hours per year.
    Respondents: Graduate students who participate in the INTERN 
program.
    Estimated number of respondents: 350 per year.
    Average Time per Reporting: 20 minutes.
    Frequency: Each participant will only be asked to submit the survey 
once.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) 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; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    Please submit one copy of your comments by only one method. All 
submissions received must include the agency name and collection name 
identified above for this information collection. Commenters are 
strongly encouraged to transmit their comments electronically via 
email. Comments, including any personal information provided become a 
matter of public record. They will be summarized and/or included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information 
collection request.

    Dated: March 28, 2024.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2024-06970 Filed 4-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P