Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request: Survey of Earned Doctorates, 92177-92178 [2024-27334]

Agencies

• NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 225 (Thursday, November 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 92177-92178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27334]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request: Survey 
of Earned Doctorates

AGENCY: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 
National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to 
renew this collection 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 
comments, NSF will prepare the submission requesting OMB clearance of 
this collection for three years.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by January 21, 
2025 to be assured consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be 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 
E6400, 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, which is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 
days a week, 365 days a year (including Federal holidays).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: Survey of Earned Doctorates.
    OMB Control Number: 3145-0019.
    Expiration Date of Current Approval: May 31, 2026.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend an information 
collection for three years.
    Abstract: Established within the NSF by the America COMPETES 
Reauthorization Act of 2010 section 505, codified in the NSF 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 Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) is part of NCSES' survey 
system that collects data on individuals to provide information on 
science and engineering education and careers in the United States. The 
SED has been conducted annually since 1958 and is jointly sponsored by 
four Federal agencies (NSF/NCSES, National Institutes of Health, U.S. 
Department of Education/National Center for Education Statistics, and 
National Endowment for the Humanities) to avoid duplication of effort 
in collecting such data. It is an accurate, timely source of 
information on one of our Nation's most important resources--highly 
educated individuals. This request to extend the information collection 
for three years is to cover the 2026 and 2027 SED survey cycles.
    Data are obtained via Web survey from each person earning a 
research doctorate at the time they receive the degree. Data are 
collected on their field of specialty, educational background, sources 
of support in graduate school, debt level, postgraduation plans, and 
demographic characteristics. NCSES publishes statistics from the survey 
in several reports. The survey will be collected in conformance with 
the Privacy Act of 1974. Responses from individuals are voluntary. 
NCSES will ensure that all individually identifiable information 
collected will be kept strictly confidential and will be used only for 
research or statistical purposes.
    Use of the Information: The Federal Government, universities, 
researchers, policy makers, and others use the information extensively. 
Results from the SED are used to assess characteristics of the 
doctorate population and trends in doctoral education and degrees. Data 
from the survey are published annually on the NCSES website in a 
publication series reporting on all fields of study, titled Doctorate 
Recipients from U.S. Universities (https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/doctorates). Information from the SED is also included in other series 
available online: Science and Engineering Indicators (https://ncses.nsf.gov/indicators); and Women, Minorities, and Persons with 
Disabilities in Science and Engineering (https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/women). In addition, access to tabular data from selected 
variables is available through the NCSES online data tool (https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/builder/sed) and the SED Restricted Data System 
(https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/rdas).
    Expected Respondents: The SED is a census of all individuals 
receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. academic 
institution in the academic year beginning 1 July and ending 30 June of 
the subsequent year. As such, the population for the 2026 SED consists 
of all individuals receiving a research doctorate in the 12-month 
period beginning 1 July 2025 and ending 30 June 2026. Likewise, the 
population for the 2027 SED consists of all individuals receiving a 
research doctorate in the 12-month period beginning 1 July 2026 and 
ending 30 June 2027. A research doctorate is a doctoral degree that (1) 
requires completion of an original intellectual contribution in the 
form of a dissertation or an equivalent

[[Page 92178]]

culminating project (e.g., musical composition) and (2) is not 
primarily intended as a degree for the practice of a profession. The 
most common research doctorate degree is the Ph.D. Recipients of 
professional doctoral degrees, such as MD, DDS, JD, DPharm, and PsyD, 
are not included in the SED. The 2026 and 2027 SED are expected to 
include about 630 separately reporting schools with eligible research 
doctoral programs from about 460 doctorate-granting institutions. Based 
on the historical trend and the disruptive impacts of the COVID 19 
pandemic that suppressed the enrollment of research doctoral programs 
since 2020, NCSES expects a stable turnout of research doctorates for 
the next few years with a nominal increase from the 2025 cycle, 
estimating that approximately 58,000 individuals will receive a 
research doctorate from U.S. institutions in each of the 2026 and 2027 
cycle.
    In addition to the questionnaire for individuals receiving their 
research doctorates, the SED needs to collect administrative data such 
as graduation lists from participating academic institutions. The 
Institutional Coordinator at the institution helps distribute the Web 
survey link, track survey completions, and submit information to the 
SED survey contractor.
    Estimate of Burden: An average overall response rate of 91.5% of 
the persons who earned a research doctorate from a U.S. institution was 
obtained in the academic years 2021, 2022, and 2023. Using the past 
response rate, the number of SED respondents is estimated to be 53,070 
(58,000 doctorate recipients x 0.915 response rate) in each of the 2026 
and 2027 cycles.
    Based on the average Web survey completion time for the 2023 SED 
(19.5 minutes), NCSES estimates that, on average, 20 minutes per 
respondent will be required to complete the 2026 or 2027 SED Web 
survey. The annual respondent burden for completing the SED is 
therefore estimated at 17,690 hours each in 2026 and 2027 (based on 
53,070 respondents x 20 minutes).
    Based on focus groups conducted with Institutional Coordinators, it 
is estimated that the SED takes no more than 1% of the Institutional 
Coordinator's time over the course of a year, which computes to 20 
hours per year per Institutional Coordinator (40 hours per week x 50 
weeks per year x .01). With about 650 schools expected to participate 
in the SED in 2026 and 2027, the estimated annual burden to 
Institutional Coordinators of administering the SED is 13,000 hours per 
survey cycle.
    Therefore, the total information burden for the SED is estimated to 
be 30,690 (17,690 + 13,000) hours each in the 2026 and 2027 survey 
cycle. NCSES estimates that the average annual burden for the 2026 and 
2027 survey cycles over the course of the three-year OMB clearance 
period will be no more than 20,460 hours [(30,690 hours + 30,690 
hours)/3 years].
    Comments: 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, use, 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: November 18, 2024.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2024-27334 Filed 11-20-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P