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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 6 (Friday, January 10, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2034-2035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00379]

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Notice of Intent To Renew a Current Information Collection

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics 
(NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing 
plans to request renewal of the Higher Education Research and 
Development Survey. 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 
comment, NSF will prepare the submission requesting that OMB approve 
clearance of this collection for three years.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by March 11, 
2025 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be

[[Page 2035]]

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 
E6300, 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 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., 
Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: Higher Education Research and Development 
Survey.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0100.
    Expiration Date of Current Approval: July 31, 2025.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend an information 
collection for three years.
    Abstract: Established within NSF by the America COMPETES 
Reauthorization Act of 2010 Sec.  505, codified in the NSF Act of 1950, 
as amended, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics 
(NCSES)--one of 13 principal federal statistical agencies--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 Higher Education Research and Development (R&D) Survey 
(formerly known as the Survey of R&D Expenditures at Universities and 
Colleges) originated in fiscal year (FY) 1954 and has been conducted 
annually since FY 1972. The survey represents one facet of the research 
and development component of NCSES's statistical program, which also 
includes R&D surveys on the business, federal government, higher 
education, state government, and nonprofit sectors.
    Use of the Information: The proposed project will continue the 
annual survey cycle for three years. The Higher Education R&D Survey 
will provide continuity of statistics on R&D expenditures by source of 
funding, type of R&D (basic research, applied research, or 
development), and field of research, with separate data requested on 
research equipment by field. Further breakdowns are collected on funds 
passed through to subrecipients and funds received as a subrecipient, 
and on R&D expenditures by field from specific federal agency sources. 
The survey also requests total R&D expenditures funded from foreign 
sources, R&D within an institution's medical school, clinical trial 
expenditures, R&D by type of funding mechanism (contracts vs. grants), 
and R&D by cost category (salaries, equipment, software, etc.). In 
addition, the survey requests headcounts and full-time equivalents of 
R&D personnel (researchers, R&D technicians, and R&D support staff).
    Data are published in NSF's annual publication series Higher 
Education Research and Development, available on the web at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvyherd/.
    Expected respondents: The FY 2025 Higher Education R&D Survey 
standard form will be administered to approximately 690 institutions. 
In addition, a shorter version of the survey asking for R&D 
expenditures by source of funding and broad field will be sent to 
approximately 270 institutions spending at least $150 thousand but less 
than $1 million on R&D in their previous fiscal year. A short 
population review screener is also sent to approximately 140 
institutions before the survey cycle to identify potential eligible 
institutions not already in the survey frame. Finally, a survey 
requesting R&D expenditures by source of funds, cost categories, and 
type of R&D will be administered to the 42 Federally Funded Research 
and Development Centers.
    Estimate of burden: The survey is a fully automated web data 
collection effort and is handled primarily by administrators in 
university sponsored programs and accounting offices. To minimize 
burden, institutions are provided with an abundance of guidance and 
resources on the web and can respond via a downloadable spreadsheet if 
desired. Each institution's record is pre-loaded with the 2 previous 
years of comparable data that facilitate editing and trend checking. 
Response to this voluntary survey has exceeded 95 percent each year.
    The average burden estimate per survey cycle is 64 hours for the 
approximately 690 institutions reporting at least $1 million in R&D 
expenditures, 8 hours for the approximately 270 institutions reporting 
at least $150 thousand but less than $1 million, 1 hour for the 
approximately 140 institutions in the population screener, and 11 hours 
for the 42 organizations completing the FFRDC survey. The total 
calculated burden across all forms is 46,922 hours.
    Comments: Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency'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.

    Dated: January 6, 2025.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2025-00379 Filed 1-8-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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