[Federal Register: March 3, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 41)] [Notices] [Page 10329-10330] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr03mr99-122] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Notice of Intent to Seek Approval to Extend and Revise a Current Information Collection AGENCY: 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, Pub. L. 104-13. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal Register at 63 FR 71960, 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; 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 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. Pilmpton, 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 703-306-1125 X 2017. 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. Title of Collection: Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges, FY 1999 through FY 2001; OMB Control Number 3145-0100. OMB Control Number: 3145-0100. Summary of Collection: Separately budgeted current fund expenditures on research and development in the sciences and engineering performed by universities and colleges and their affiliated federally funded research and development centers--A mail/electronic survey, the Survey of Scientific and Engineering Expenditures at Universities and Colleges, originated in fiscal year (FY) 1954 and has been conducted annually since FY 1972. The survey is the academic expenditure component of the NSF statistical program that seeks to provide a ``central clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data on the availability of, and the current and projected need for, scientific and technical resources in the United States, and to provide a source of information for policy formulation by other agencies of the Federal government,'' as mandated in the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. Use of the Information: The proposed project will return to and maintain a full survey cycle population of about 700 institutions. The survey which was conducted as a full survey population only every 5 years and as a statistical sample in each of the 4 intervening years was based primarily on reducing respondent burden. Consistency of records of the non-sampled institutions and frequent personnel changes, added to their burden. With the onset of Web-based data collection and a change for a minimum requirement of $150K in expenditures for any master's or bachelor's degree-granting institution, the respondent burden and timelines is expected to decrease. These institutions account for over 98 percent of the Nation's academic R&D funds. The survey has provided continuity of statistics on R&D expenditures by source of funds and passed through dollars; by science & engineering (S&E) field, and separate data requested on current fund expenditures for research equipment by S&E field, and selected non-science and engineering fields. In addition, statistics from the survey are published in NSF's annual publication series Academic Science and Engineering R&D Expenditures and are available electronically on the World Wide Web. [[Page 10330]] The survey will be mailed primarily to the administrators at the Institutional Research Offices. To minimize burden, institutions are provided with (in addition to paper copy) file specifications needed to upload data from the web data collection system (http://www.qrc.com/ exp). Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions. Number of Respondents: 698 (average). Frequency of Responses: Reporting annually. Total Burden Hours: 9,014. Approximately 65% responded electronically using the previous Automatic Survey Questionnaire on diskette to this voluntary survey in FY 1997 and a total response rate of 98.0% was obtained. Burden estimates are as follows: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Burden Hours Total number ----------------------------------------------- of Doctorate- Masters- Bachelors or institutions granting granting below ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FY 1997......................................... 692 19.0 7.0 7.0 FY 1996......................................... 692 21.5 7.1 6.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dated: February 26, 1999. Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 99-5231 Filed 3-2-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555-01-M