Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension of Current Information Collection, 57299-57301 [2017-26028]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 231 / Monday, December 4, 2017 / Notices
Agency: DOL–VETS.
Title of Collection: Federal Contractor
Veterans’ Employment Report.
OMB Control Number: 1293–0005.
Affected Public: Private Sector—
businesses or other for-profits and notfor-profit institutions.
Total Estimated Number of
Respondents: 21,000.
Total Estimated Number of
Responses: 378,000.
Total Estimated Annual Time Burden:
129,200 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Other Costs
Burden: $1,298.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).
Dated: November 28, 2017.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017–26091 Filed 12–1–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–79–P
NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR THE
ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES
Institute of Museum and Library
Services
Notice of Proposed Information
Collection Requests: 2019–2021 IMLS
Grant Application Forms
Institute of Museum and
Library Services, National Foundation
for the Arts and the Humanities.
ACTION: Notice, request for comments,
collection of information.
AGENCY:
The Institute of Museum and
Library Services (IMLS), as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to
provide the general public and federal
agencies with an opportunity to
comment on proposed and/or
continuing collections of information in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act. This pre-clearance
consultation program helps to ensure
that requested data can be provided in
the desired format, reporting burden
(time and financial resources) is
minimized, collection instruments are
clearly understood, and the impact of
collection requirements on respondents
can be properly assessed. By this notice,
IMLS is soliciting comments concerning
the three year approval of the forms
necessary to submit an application for
all IMLS grant programs.
A copy of the proposed information
collection request can be obtained by
contacting the individual listed below
in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be
submitted to the office listed in the
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SUMMARY:
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Jkt 244001
addressee section below on or before
January 30, 2018.
IMLS is particularly interested in
comments that help the agency to:
• Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
• Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
• 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, e.g., permitting
electronic submissions of responses.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Dr.
Sandra Webb, Senior Advisor, Office of
the Director, Institute of Museum and
Library Services, 955 L’Enfant Plaza
North SW., Suite 4000, Washington, DC
20024–2135. Dr. Webb can be reached
by Telephone: 202–653–4718 Fax: 202–
653–4608, or by email at swebb@
imls.gov, or by teletype (TTY/TDD) for
persons with hearing difficulty at 202–
653–4614.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Sandra Webb, Senior Advisor, Office of
the Director, Institute of Museum and
Library Services, 955 L’Enfant Plaza
North SW., Suite 4000, Washington, DC
20024–2135. Dr. Webb can be reached
by Telephone: 202–653–4718 Fax: 202–
653–4608, or by email at swebb@
imls.gov, or by teletype (TTY/TDD) for
persons with hearing difficulty at 202–
653–4614.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Institute of Museum and Library
Services is the primary source of federal
support for the nation’s approximately
120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums
and related organizations. Our mission
is to inspire libraries and museums to
advance innovation, lifelong learning,
and cultural and civic engagement. Our
grant making, policy development, and
research help libraries and museums
deliver valuable services that make it
possible for communities and
individuals to thrive. To learn more,
visit www.imls.gov.
II. Current Actions
To administer the IMLS processes of
grants and cooperative agreements,
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57299
IMLS uses standardized application
forms, guidelines and reporting forms
for eligible libraries, museums, and
other organizations to apply for its
funding. These forms submitted for
public review in this Notice are the
Program Information Sheet, the Budget
Form spreadsheet, and the Digital
Product Form. This collection of
information from these forms are a part
of the IMLS grant application process.
Agency: Institute of Museum and
Library Services.
Title: Grant Application Forms.
OMB Number: 3137–0092.
Frequency: Twenty times per year.
Affected Public: Library and Museum
grant applicants.
Number of Respondents: 4,186.
Estimated Average Burden per
Response: 4.25 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden:
5484.50 hours.
Total Annualized Capital/Startup
Costs: n/a.
Total Annual Costs: $138,319.09.
Public Comments Invited: Comments
submitted in response to this notice will
be summarized and/or included in the
request for OMB’s clearance of this
information collection.
Dated: November 28, 2017.
Kim Miller,
Grants Management Specialist, Office of Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017–25959 Filed 12–1–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7036–01–P
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Extension of Current
Information Collection
National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics, National Science
Foundation.
ACTION: Submission for OMB review;
comment request.
AGENCY:
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. This is the
second notice for public comment; the
first was published in the Federal
Register at 82 FR 20921 and one
comment was received. NSF/NCSES 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.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 231 / Monday, December 4, 2017 / Notices
Comments should be
addressed to: Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention:
Desk Officer for National Science
Foundation, 725 7th Street NW., Room
10235, Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance
Officer, National Science Foundation,
2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Room
W18000, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, or
send email to splimpto@nsf.gov. Copies
of the submission may be obtained by
calling Ms. Plimpton at (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).
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: Comments
are invited on (a) whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the NSF, including whether
the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the NSF’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.
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 60Day Notice in the Federal Register on
May 4, 2017, at 82 FR 20921. One
comment came from Andrew Reamer,
Research Professor in the George
Washington Institute of Public Policy at
George Washington University via email
on May 4, 2017, who requested a copy
of the questionnaire and the OMB
supporting statement.
Response: The questionnaire was
provided to Mr. Reamer on August 18,
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:22 Dec 01, 2017
Jkt 244001
2017, and the supporting statement will
be provided upon submission to OMB.
Title of Collection: Nonprofit Research
Activities Survey.
OMB Approval Number: 3145–0240.
Expiration Date of Current Approval:
July 31, 2019.
Type of Request: Revision of a
currently approved collection.
Abstract: Established within NSF by
the America COMPETES
Reauthorization Act of 2010 § 505,
codified in the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950, as amended,
the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics (NCSES) 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 primary objective of the new
survey is to fill data gaps in the NCSES
publication National Patterns of R&D
Resources in such a way that it is (a)
compatible with data collected on the
business, government, and higher
education sectors of the U.S. economy
and (b) appropriate for international
comparisons. Since the last survey of
research activity in the nonprofit sector
occurred in 1996 and 1997, interest
from the community has grown
significantly in recent years. Thus, it is
important that a full survey be fielded
again to update current national
estimates for the nonprofit sector.
NCSES recently concluded a pilot test
of the Nonprofit Research Activities
Survey (NPRA) with 3,640 nonprofit
organizations. Using the lessons learned
from the pilot, NCSES now plans to
conduct a full survey. The full NPRA
survey will collect R&D and other
related data from U.S. nonprofit
organizations. This survey will collect
the following:
• Total amount spent on R&D
activities within nonprofit
organizations;
• Number of employees and R&D
employees;
• Sources of funds for R&D
expenditures;
• Expenditures by field of R&D
(biological and health sciences,
engineering, physical sciences, social
sciences, etc.);
• Expenditures by type of R&D (basic
research, applied research, or
experimental development);
• Total amount of R&D funding
provided to entities outside the
nonprofit organization;
• Types of recipients receiving R&D
funding; and
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• Funding by field of R&D (biological
and health sciences, engineering,
physical sciences, social sciences, etc.).
Use of the information: The primary
purpose of this survey is to collect
nationally representative data on
nonprofit research spending and
funding. The nonprofit sector is one of
four major sectors that perform and/or
fund research and development (R&D)
in the U.S. Historically, the National
Science Foundation (NSF) has
combined this sector’s data with the
business, government, and higher
education sectors’ data to estimate total
national R&D expenditures via the
annual National Patterns of R&D
Resources report. These data will help
federal agencies develop longrange
plans and policies for R&D funding
opportunities and the nonprofit sector
as a whole. We also expect the
Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) will request
that NSF provide NPRA Survey data for
use in its periodic publications and for
international comparisons of R&D
efforts. The data will be made available
in public data tables as well as public
use microdata files.
Expected respondents: The sample
will be approximately 6,500 nonprofit
organizations. The target population for
the NPRA Survey includes all NPOs
categorized by the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) as 501(c)(3) public
charities, 501(c)(3) private foundations,
and other exempt organizations [e.g.,
501(c)(1), 501(c)(2)]. To increase the
efficiency of sampling organizations that
perform or fund research—and to
reduce burden among organizations that
do not perform or fund research—
organizations that are highly unlikely to
be conducting research activities or
already included in the other NCSES
R&D surveys will be removed from the
frame. In addition, organizations that do
not meet a minimum size threshold,
based on assets for private foundations
and expenses for public charities, will
be excluded from the frame. The sample
will be allocated to obtain a minimum
of 1,600 completed surveys from R&D
active organizations (800 from
performers and 800 from funders).
Estimate of burden: The survey will
include approximately 6,500
organizations and will be conducted in
two phases. Phase 1 will be a screening
phase for all organizations in the sample
that have not been identified as research
performers or funders (approximately
4,100 organizations). This will include a
postage paid response card to be
completed by the organization, with an
estimated burden of 10 minutes. NCSES
estimates a 70% response rate for this
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 231 / Monday, December 4, 2017 / Notices
screening phase, yielding a burden of
478 hours.
Phase 2 of the survey will be the
questionnaire, which will be sent to (a)
all of the known research performers
and funders, (b) those screened in from
Phase 1, and (c) those who did not
respond to the Phase 1 contacts. NCSES
expects a response rate of 60% to Phase
2. Based on the responses to the pilot
survey, if the organization both funds
and performs research, it will take an
estimated 4 hours to complete the
survey. If the organization neither funds
nor performs research, the response
time should be less than 20 minutes.
There will also be 40 debriefings held as
the surveys are submitted, 20 for
respondents and 20 for nonrespondents.
The debriefings are estimated to take 1
hour for respondents and 30 minutes for
nonrespondents, resulting in a total
burden of 30 hours. The estimate of
burden for Phase 2 of the survey is 4,888
hours for the 1,222 estimated performers
and funders that complete the survey
and debriefings and 317 hours for the
remaining 951 organizations estimated
to complete the survey that do not
perform or fund research. The total
combined burden for Phases 1 and 2 is
5,713 hours.
Dated: November 29, 2017.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science
Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2017–26028 Filed 12–1–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Applications Received
Under the Antarctic Conservation Act
of 1978
AGENCY:
National Science Foundation.
Notice of permit applications
received.
ACTION:
The National Science
Foundation (NSF) is required to publish
a notice of permit applications received
to conduct activities regulated under the
Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978.
NSF has published regulations under
the Antarctic Conservation Act in the
Code of Federal Regulations. This is the
required notice of permit applications
received.
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
Interested parties are invited to
submit written data, comments, or
views with respect to this permit
application by January 3, 2018. This
application may be inspected by
interested parties at the Permit Office,
address below.
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:22 Dec 01, 2017
Jkt 244001
Comments should be
addressed to Permit Office, Office of
Polar Programs, National Science
Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at
the above address, 703–292–8030, or
ACApermits@nsf.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
National Science Foundation, as
directed by the Antarctic Conservation
Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–541, 45 CFR
670), as amended by the Antarctic
Science, Tourism and Conservation Act
of 1996, has developed regulations for
the establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica and
designation of certain animals and
certain geographic areas a requiring
special protection. The regulations
establish such a permit system to
designate Antarctic Specially Protected
Areas.
ADDRESSES:
Application Details
Permit Application: 2018–016
1. Applicant: Daniel Costa, Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology Department,
University of California Santa Cruz,
115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz,
CA 95062.
Activity for Which Permit is
Requested: Take, Harmful Interference,
Enter Antarctic Specially Protected
Areas, Import into USA. The applicant
proposes to study the foraging behavior,
habitat utilization, and physiology of
leopard seals, and potentially additional
Antarctic seal species, near Cape
Shirreff in the Antarctic Peninsula.
Additional seal species could include:
Crabeater seals, Weddell seals, Antarctic
fur seals, Ross seals, and southern
elephant seals. The applicant would
capture and tag 10–15 seals of each
species, in each of three field seasons.
Seals would be sedated and
anesthetized during tagging and
biological sample collection procedures.
The tags to be attached to the seals with
marine epoxy include a combined timedepth recorder and GPS receiver and a
separate VHF radio tag. Other
procedures would include: Flipper
tagging, dye marking, collecting blood
samples, measuring blood volume,
measuring girth and length, and
determining body composition by
morphometric measurements. These
procedures are currently authorized
under National Marine Fisheries Service
Marine Mammal Protection Act Permit
No. 19439.
Location: ASPA 149, Cape Shirreff,
Livingston Island, South Shetland
Islands, Antarctic Peninsula.
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57301
Dates of Permitted Activities: January
1, 2018–June 1, 2020.
Permit Application: 2018–028
2. Applicant: Alexander Simms,
University of California Santa
Barbara, 1006 Webb Hall, Santa
Barbara, CA 93106.
Activity for Which Permit is
Requested: Enter Antarctic Specially
Protected Area (ASPA). The applicant
proposes to enter ASPA 126, Byers
Peninsula, Livingston Island, to survey
beach ridges using GPS and groundpenetrating radar as well as collecting
small sediment samples. The applicant
would camp on-site for approximately
two weeks while conducting the
proposed research. The applicant and
agents would adhere to the ASPA
management plan.
Location: ASPA 126, Byers Peninsula,
Livingston Island, South Shetland
Islands, Antarctica.
Dates of Permitted Activities:
February 15, 2018–April 1, 2020.
Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Office of Polar
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2017–26030 Filed 12–1–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 72–11; NRC–2017–0110]
Sacramento Municipal Utility District;
Rancho Seco Independent Spent Fuel
Storage Installation
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: License amendment application;
issuance.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) reviewed an
application by Sacramento Municipal
Utility District (SMUD or the licensee)
for amendment of Materials License No.
SNM–2510, which authorizes the
storage of spent nuclear fuel and greater
than Class C waste at the Rancho Seco
Independent Spent Fuel Storage
Installation, located in Herald,
California. The licensee requested
authorization to allow the continued
storage of byproduct nuclear material to
check the functionality of radiation
detection instruments.
DATES: December 4, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID
NRC–2017–0110 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of
information regarding this document.
You may obtain publicly-available
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM
04DEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 231 (Monday, December 4, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57299-57301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26028]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension of Current
Information Collection
AGENCY: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics,
National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Submission for OMB review; comment request.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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. This is the second
notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal
Register at 82 FR 20921 and one comment was received. NSF/NCSES 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.
[[Page 57300]]
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to: Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for National Science
Foundation, 725 7th Street NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Room
W18000, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, or send email to splimpto@nsf.gov.
Copies of the submission may be obtained by calling Ms. Plimpton at
(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).
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: Comments are invited on (a) whether the
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the NSF, including whether the
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the NSF'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.
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 May 4, 2017,
at 82 FR 20921. One comment came from Andrew Reamer, Research Professor
in the George Washington Institute of Public Policy at George
Washington University via email on May 4, 2017, who requested a copy of
the questionnaire and the OMB supporting statement.
Response: The questionnaire was provided to Mr. Reamer on August
18, 2017, and the supporting statement will be provided upon submission
to OMB.
Title of Collection: Nonprofit Research Activities Survey.
OMB Approval Number: 3145-0240.
Expiration Date of Current Approval: July 31, 2019.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: Established within NSF by the America COMPETES
Reauthorization Act of 2010 Sec. 505, codified in the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics (NCSES) 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 primary objective of the new survey is to fill data gaps in the
NCSES publication National Patterns of R&D Resources in such a way that
it is (a) compatible with data collected on the business, government,
and higher education sectors of the U.S. economy and (b) appropriate
for international comparisons. Since the last survey of research
activity in the nonprofit sector occurred in 1996 and 1997, interest
from the community has grown significantly in recent years. Thus, it is
important that a full survey be fielded again to update current
national estimates for the nonprofit sector.
NCSES recently concluded a pilot test of the Nonprofit Research
Activities Survey (NPRA) with 3,640 nonprofit organizations. Using the
lessons learned from the pilot, NCSES now plans to conduct a full
survey. The full NPRA survey will collect R&D and other related data
from U.S. nonprofit organizations. This survey will collect the
following:
Total amount spent on R&D activities within nonprofit
organizations;
Number of employees and R&D employees;
Sources of funds for R&D expenditures;
Expenditures by field of R&D (biological and health
sciences, engineering, physical sciences, social sciences, etc.);
Expenditures by type of R&D (basic research, applied
research, or experimental development);
Total amount of R&D funding provided to entities outside
the nonprofit organization;
Types of recipients receiving R&D funding; and
Funding by field of R&D (biological and health sciences,
engineering, physical sciences, social sciences, etc.).
Use of the information: The primary purpose of this survey is to
collect nationally representative data on nonprofit research spending
and funding. The nonprofit sector is one of four major sectors that
perform and/or fund research and development (R&D) in the U.S.
Historically, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has combined this
sector's data with the business, government, and higher education
sectors' data to estimate total national R&D expenditures via the
annual National Patterns of R&D Resources report. These data will help
federal agencies develop longrange plans and policies for R&D funding
opportunities and the nonprofit sector as a whole. We also expect the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will
request that NSF provide NPRA Survey data for use in its periodic
publications and for international comparisons of R&D efforts. The data
will be made available in public data tables as well as public use
microdata files.
Expected respondents: The sample will be approximately 6,500
nonprofit organizations. The target population for the NPRA Survey
includes all NPOs categorized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as
501(c)(3) public charities, 501(c)(3) private foundations, and other
exempt organizations [e.g., 501(c)(1), 501(c)(2)]. To increase the
efficiency of sampling organizations that perform or fund research--and
to reduce burden among organizations that do not perform or fund
research--organizations that are highly unlikely to be conducting
research activities or already included in the other NCSES R&D surveys
will be removed from the frame. In addition, organizations that do not
meet a minimum size threshold, based on assets for private foundations
and expenses for public charities, will be excluded from the frame. The
sample will be allocated to obtain a minimum of 1,600 completed surveys
from R&D active organizations (800 from performers and 800 from
funders).
Estimate of burden: The survey will include approximately 6,500
organizations and will be conducted in two phases. Phase 1 will be a
screening phase for all organizations in the sample that have not been
identified as research performers or funders (approximately 4,100
organizations). This will include a postage paid response card to be
completed by the organization, with an estimated burden of 10 minutes.
NCSES estimates a 70% response rate for this
[[Page 57301]]
screening phase, yielding a burden of 478 hours.
Phase 2 of the survey will be the questionnaire, which will be sent
to (a) all of the known research performers and funders, (b) those
screened in from Phase 1, and (c) those who did not respond to the
Phase 1 contacts. NCSES expects a response rate of 60% to Phase 2.
Based on the responses to the pilot survey, if the organization both
funds and performs research, it will take an estimated 4 hours to
complete the survey. If the organization neither funds nor performs
research, the response time should be less than 20 minutes. There will
also be 40 debriefings held as the surveys are submitted, 20 for
respondents and 20 for nonrespondents. The debriefings are estimated to
take 1 hour for respondents and 30 minutes for nonrespondents,
resulting in a total burden of 30 hours. The estimate of burden for
Phase 2 of the survey is 4,888 hours for the 1,222 estimated performers
and funders that complete the survey and debriefings and 317 hours for
the remaining 951 organizations estimated to complete the survey that
do not perform or fund research. The total combined burden for Phases 1
and 2 is 5,713 hours.
Dated: November 29, 2017.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2017-26028 Filed 12-1-17; 8:45 am]
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