[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 116 (Wednesday, June 17, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36621-36622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-12214]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Survey
of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering
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 request for revision of the approved collection of research
and development data in accordance with 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 renewal 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, Randolph Building, 401 Dulany
Street, 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).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NSF may not conduct or sponsor a collection
of information unless the collection of
[[Page 36622]]
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.
Title of Collection: Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates
in Science and Engineering.
OMB Control Number: 3145-0062.
Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend an information
collection for three years.
Summary of Collection: The Survey of Graduate Students and
Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS), sponsored by the NCSES
within the U.S. NSF and the National Institutes of Health, is designed
to comply with legislative mandates by providing information on the
characteristics of academic graduate enrollments in science,
engineering and health fields. This request to extend the information
collection for three years is to cover the 2026, 2027, and 2028 GSS
survey cycles. The information collected by the GSS is solicited under
the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as
amended and the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. Data
collection starts each fall in October and data are obtained primarily
through a Web survey. Data are disseminated annually. All information
will be used for statistical purposes only. Participation in the survey
is voluntary.
To improve coverage of postdocs, the GSS periodically collects
information on postdocs employed in Federally Funded Research and
Development Centers (FFRDCs). This survey of postdocs at FFRDCs will be
conducted as part of the 2027 GSS survey cycle.
Additional details regarding this survey are provided in an earlier
Federal Register Notice, at 91 FR 11340.
Use of the Information: The GSS data are routinely provided to
Congress, other parts of NSF, other Federal agencies, the GSS
institutions themselves, and several professional societies. In
addition, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) publish GSS data
annually in the NIH Data Book https://report.nih.gov/nihdatabook/ .
Expected Respondents: The GSS is an annual census of all eligible
academic institutions in the U.S. with graduate programs in science,
engineering, and health fields. The response rate is calculated based
on the number of reporting units (departments, programs, research
centers, and health care facilities) that respond to the survey. For
reference, in 2024, the GSS population was 23,121 units reported from
635 academic institutions. Based on recent cycles NCSES expects the
annual response rate to be around 98 percent.
Estimate of Burden: The total estimated respondent burden of the
GSS, including 2,000 hours for potential methodological studies to
improve the survey procedures, will be 52,855 hours over the three-
cycle survey clearance period.
Table 1--GSS Estimated Response Burden
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Respondents (#
Category of school Total burden
coordinators) (hours)
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Total burden for 2026................... 793 16,886
Total burden for 2027................... 839 17,009
GSS institutions.................... 798 16,923
FFRDCs.............................. 41 86
Total burden for 2028................... 803 16,960
Potential future methodological studies .............. 2,000
(across all 3 survey cycles)...........
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Total estimated burden.............. 2,435 52,855
Estimated average annual burden..... 812 17,618
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Comments: As required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), comments on the
information collection activities as part of this study were solicited
through publication of a 60-Day Notice in the Federal Register on March
9, 2026, at 91 FR 11340. NCSES received no comments.
Dated: June 15, 2026.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2026-12214 Filed 6-16-26; 8:45 am]
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