# Directorate for Education and Human Resources Proposed Data Collection Available for Public Comment and Recommendations > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A95-26229 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** October 24, 1995 - **Citation:** 60 FR 54522 ## Text NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Directorate for Education and Human Resources Proposed Data Collection Available for Public Comment and Recommendations In compliance with the requirement of Section 2506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the NSF Clearance Officer on (703) 306-1243. 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 [[Page 54523]] 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. Proposed Project: Program Evaluation of the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). EPSCoR is an ongoing initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF)--and, in parallel, of six other federal agencies--to increase the research competitiveness of faculty and universities in selected states. The design calls for five sub-studies drawn from the broader framework of the program's objectives, structure, and strategies, which was developed in conjunction with several workgroups. New, non-archival data collections in subsidies 3, 4, and 5 are being submitted for OMB review. The studies are: Substudy No. 1: Has There Been an Increase in Funded Research? The substudy will be conducted for each EPSCoR state, across EPSCoR states, and between EPSCoR and non-EPSCoR states. The study will be conducted using total levels of external awards, disaggregated by sector (federal/state/industry), and within the federal sector by agency. These data are currently available from existing NSF databases for the period from EPSCoR's inception through FY 1992. Substudy No. 2: How Competitive Was EPSCoR Research at the Time of Award? The data for Substudy No. 2 will come from the archival records maintained by NSF. The results of each round of reviews have been kept in a separate notebook, reflecting the applications and their components, the nature of the peer review, and the disposition of the review. From these notebooks and the award jackets, the evaluation team will reconstruct the peer review outcomes for the last two program announcements: EPSCoR's Advanced Development Program awards (n=17) and the Systemic Improvement awards (n=19) made between 1992 and 1995. Substudy No. 3: How Competitive Was EPSCoR-Funded Research Later On? Substudy No. 3 will involve three complementary data collection activities at the level of the individual research investigator and research group. The first of these activities consists of a citation analysis utilizing data from the NSF Database of EPSCoR Projects. The second two activities, which utilize the sample from the citation analysis, are a mail survey and a telephone survey. Sampling. As of 1994, according to the NSF EPSCoR Database, an estimated 1,184 faculty were participating in the EPSCoR program. Using the database, a random sample (with replacement in case of 0 publications) of 10 researchers from the 13 states will be drawn. To allow for the practice of co-principal investigators in many fields, the second author, where practical, will also be included as a separate, independent researcher. Thus, an initial list of between 130 to 260 faculty (13 states x 10 (or 20) researchers), will be identified. From this list, up to three publications per faculty member will be selected, for a total number of between 130 and 780 observations, with the actual number likely to be between 390 and 780. The article is the unit of analysis. Mail Survey: Editors of the journals in which EPSCoR researchers have published will be invited to conduct qualitative assessments of the article authored by the EPSCoR faculty member with the comparison article by the non-EPSCoR author plus an additional number of articles that appeared in the same journal issue. This comparison will be made for a 10 percent sample of the articles selected above (n=390 to 780 articles or 39-78 journals). The review protocol will be structured and brief to minimize burden and facilitate response. Telephone Survey. The lead authors of the same 10 percent sample will be contacted telephonically, to determine whether (or not) their own research and the research of colleagues in a research cluster have thrived over time. This will involve telephone discussions with a sample of the investigators, to determine their post-EPSCoR experiences, both as individuals and as part of a research cluster. The authors will be asked to respond to a brief, structured interview protocol. Substudies No. 4 and 5: Have Universities Implemented Research- Supporting Changes? and Have States Initiated Research-Supporting Changes? Both field-based studies will involve the same five sites, with separate site visits approximately one year apart. The fieldwork for both studies is to be conducted by COSMOS. Field-Based Studies. The site visits for each year will consist of structured and consistent--but not identical--interviews at the same 5 states. In year one, interviews will be held with university officials (provosts, vice presidents for research, deans, department heads, and sponsored program officers) involved in formulating and implementing institutional policies. In year two, the focus is on state technology development, inter-institutional coordination, and state financing and regulation of university activities. These structured interviews will be held with state officials. It is anticipated that 10 individuals will be interviewed at each site. Burden estimates across all data collections are as follows: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Burden Year Respondents hours ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1996.............................................. 50 100 1997.............................................. 128 228 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Send comments to Herman Fleming, Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 485, Arlington, VA 22230. Written comments should be received within 60 days of publication. Dated: October 17, 1995. Herman G. Fleming, NSF Reports Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 95-26229 Filed 10-23-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555-01-M --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A95-26229. Public record. Not legal advice.