Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request, 43795 [E8-17182]

Agencies

• NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 145 (Monday, July 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 43795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-17182]



[[Page 43795]]

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

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 information collection requirement to OMB for review and 
clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. 
The full submission may be found at: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was 
published in the Federal Register at 73 FR 24615, 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. Comments regarding (a) whether 
the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance 
of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information 
to be collected; (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: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, 
Attention: Desk Officer for National Science Foundation, 725--17th 
Street, NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, and to Suzanne H. 
Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 
Wilson Boulevard, Suite 295, Arlington, Virginia 22230 or send e-mail 
to splimpto@nsf.gov. Comments regarding these information collections 
are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days 
of this notification. 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:
    Title of Collection: 2008 Survey of Graduate Students and 
Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0062.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend an information 
collection for three years.

1. Abstract

    The Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and 
Engineering (GSS) has been conducted since 1966. The GSS is a census of 
all eligible academic institutions and all departments in science and 
engineering and health (SEH) programs in the United States. The GSS is 
the only national survey that collects information on the 
characteristics of graduate enrollment for specific science, 
engineering, and health disciplines at the department level. It 
collects information on race/ethnicity, citizenship, gender, sources of 
support, mechanisms of support, and enrollment status for graduate 
students; and gender, citizenship and sources of support for 
postdoctorates. It also collects counts by gender of other nonfaculty 
research staff with doctorates.
    The National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as subsequently 
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 of the Federal 
Government.'' The GSS is designed to comply with these mandates by 
providing information on the characteristics of academic graduate 
enrollment and postdoctoral components in science, engineering and 
health fields. The Foundation uses this information to prepare 
congressionally mandated reports such as Women, Minorities and Persons 
with Disabilities in Science and Engineering and Science and 
Engineering Indicators.
    Survey results are made available in a variety of formats. A four-
page InfoBrief and selected summary tables are published. All tables 
and reports are made available in various electronic formats on the Web 
(https://www.nsf/gov/statistics/). The results are also in the Web-based 
Computer-Aided Science Policy Analysis and Research (WebCASPAR) 
database system. The URL for WebCASPAR is https://caspar.nsf.gov/
webcaspar. A public release file is also made available on the World 
Wide Web.
    RTI International (RTI) will conduct the study for NSF. Data 
collection will begin in October 2008 primarily by Web survey (with 
paper worksheets available upon request). All information will be used 
for statistical purposes only. Participation in the survey is 
voluntary.

2. Expected Respondents

    In 2008, the number of departments is expected to grow by 5 percent 
resulting in a total number of 13,253 departments. In addition, the 
2008 GSS will be conducting pilot studies with 80 potentially eligible 
institutions and with 40 institutions where undercoverage (not all 
eligible departments are being listed) may be occurring. Finally, in 
2008-2010 the GSS will be including the Federally Funded Research and 
Development Centers (FFRDCs) as part of the GSS in order to gather 
information about the number and characteristics of postdoctoral 
appointments in these centers.

3. Burden on the Public

    The amount of time to complete the GSS varies and depends to a 
large degree on the extent to which the school's records are centrally 
stored and computerized. On average, it takes 2.5 hours to complete the 
GSS. Based on estimates provided by the respondents to the 2007 GSS, 
the total estimated burden for the 2008 GSS will be 36,721 hours. This 
estimate includes the 33,133 annual burden hours for the 2008 GSS; 
2,800 annual burden hours for the pilot study of the newly eligible 
institutions; 600 burden hours for the undercoverage pilot study; and 
188 burden hours for FFRDC study. The total estimated burden for the 
three years of this clearance (2008-2010) will be 127,423 hours, 
including 360 hours for field testing of data collection instruments 
prior to implementation.

    Dated: July 23, 2008.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
 [FR Doc. E8-17182 Filed 7-25-08; 8:45 am]
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