[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 6 (Friday, January 10, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2034-2035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00379]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Intent To Renew a Current Information Collection
AGENCY: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics,
National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
(NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing
plans to request renewal of the Higher Education Research and
Development Survey. 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 that OMB approve
clearance of this collection for three years.
DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by March 11,
2025 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date
will be
[[Page 2035]]
considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to the address
below:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite
E6300, 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 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.,
Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Higher Education Research and Development
Survey.
OMB Approval Number: 3145-0100.
Expiration Date of Current Approval: July 31, 2025.
Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend an information
collection for three years.
Abstract: Established within NSF by the America COMPETES
Reauthorization Act of 2010 Sec. 505, codified in the NSF 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, and research and development for use by practitioners,
researchers, policymakers, and the public.
The Higher Education Research and Development (R&D) Survey
(formerly known as the Survey of R&D Expenditures at Universities and
Colleges) originated in fiscal year (FY) 1954 and has been conducted
annually since FY 1972. The survey represents one facet of the research
and development component of NCSES's statistical program, which also
includes R&D surveys on the business, federal government, higher
education, state government, and nonprofit sectors.
Use of the Information: The proposed project will continue the
annual survey cycle for three years. The Higher Education R&D Survey
will provide continuity of statistics on R&D expenditures by source of
funding, type of R&D (basic research, applied research, or
development), and field of research, with separate data requested on
research equipment by field. Further breakdowns are collected on funds
passed through to subrecipients and funds received as a subrecipient,
and on R&D expenditures by field from specific federal agency sources.
The survey also requests total R&D expenditures funded from foreign
sources, R&D within an institution's medical school, clinical trial
expenditures, R&D by type of funding mechanism (contracts vs. grants),
and R&D by cost category (salaries, equipment, software, etc.). In
addition, the survey requests headcounts and full-time equivalents of
R&D personnel (researchers, R&D technicians, and R&D support staff).
Data are published in NSF's annual publication series Higher
Education Research and Development, available on the web at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvyherd/.
Expected respondents: The FY 2025 Higher Education R&D Survey
standard form will be administered to approximately 690 institutions.
In addition, a shorter version of the survey asking for R&D
expenditures by source of funding and broad field will be sent to
approximately 270 institutions spending at least $150 thousand but less
than $1 million on R&D in their previous fiscal year. A short
population review screener is also sent to approximately 140
institutions before the survey cycle to identify potential eligible
institutions not already in the survey frame. Finally, a survey
requesting R&D expenditures by source of funds, cost categories, and
type of R&D will be administered to the 42 Federally Funded Research
and Development Centers.
Estimate of burden: The survey is a fully automated web data
collection effort and is handled primarily by administrators in
university sponsored programs and accounting offices. To minimize
burden, institutions are provided with an abundance of guidance and
resources on the web and can respond via a downloadable spreadsheet if
desired. Each institution's record is pre-loaded with the 2 previous
years of comparable data that facilitate editing and trend checking.
Response to this voluntary survey has exceeded 95 percent each year.
The average burden estimate per survey cycle is 64 hours for the
approximately 690 institutions reporting at least $1 million in R&D
expenditures, 8 hours for the approximately 270 institutions reporting
at least $150 thousand but less than $1 million, 1 hour for the
approximately 140 institutions in the population screener, and 11 hours
for the 42 organizations completing the FFRDC survey. The total
calculated burden across all forms is 46,922 hours.
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 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.
Dated: January 6, 2025.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2025-00379 Filed 1-8-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P