Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 37590 [2013-14843]

Agencies

• NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 120 (Friday, June 21, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 37590]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14843]



[[Page 37590]]

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request.

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    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. This is 
the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the 
Federal Register at 77 FR 74516 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. The full submission may be found at: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
    Comments: 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; or (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 email 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(s) may be obtained by 
calling 703-292-7556. 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).
    Title: Program Evaluation of the Scholarships in Science, 
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-NEW
    Overview of this information collection:
    The National Science Foundation (NSF) is supporting an evaluation 
of the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Mathematics (S-STEM) Program, which operates within NSF's Division of 
Undergraduate Education. The evaluation will include surveys of 
principal investigators, surveys of a sample of S-STEM scholarship 
recipients, and focus groups and interviews with project personnel and 
students during site visits to S-STEM awardee institutions. The S-STEM 
Program awards grants to a geographically diverse set of two- and four-
year institutions of higher education (IHEs) that then provide 
scholarships for academically talented students, in science and 
engineering disciplines, who have demonstrated financial need. The 
institutions also provide resources and support services to assist 
students in becoming and/or remaining engaged in science and 
engineering through to the successful attainment of associate, 
baccalaureate, or graduate-level degrees. Funding for the S-STEM 
Program comes from H-1B VISAs, funding which was reauthorized in FY 
2005 through Public Law 108-447. NSF is committed to providing 
stakeholders with information regarding the expenditures of taxpayer 
funds. The evaluation of the S-STEM Program will explore the 
strategies, practices, and characteristics of the implementation of 
exemplary S-STEM awardees; investigate S-STEM Program outcomes related 
to awarding scholarships to talented STEM students with demonstrated 
financial need; and investigate institutional-related outcomes of S-
STEM grantees. If NSF cannot collect information from S-STEM 
participants, NSF will have no other means to consistently document the 
outcomes, strategies, and experiences related to the program.

Consult With Other Agencies & the Public

    NSF has not consulted with other agencies. However, the contractor 
conducting the evaluation has gathered information from an external 
evaluation group of subject matter experts on the study design and data 
collection plan. A request for public comments will be solicited 
through announcement of data collection in the Federal Register.

Background

    The evaluation will involve data from extant sources, web surveys 
and site visits. OMB approval is being sought for the new data that 
will be collected for the study. Primary data sources will include web 
surveys of S-STEM Program Principal Investigators (PIs) and S-STEM 
scholarship recipients and in-depth interviews or focus groups with a 
series of respondents during site visits to a subset of awardee 
institutions.
    Respondents: Individuals (Principal Investigators, S-STEM 
scholarship recipients, other campus officials involved in the S-STEM 
program).
    Number of Respondents: 8,907
    Average Time per Response: 24 minutes
    Burden on the Public: 3,563 total hours

    Dated: June 18, 2013.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2013-14843 Filed 6-20-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P