Proposed Data Collection: Comment Request; Title of Proposed Collection: National Survey of College Graduates

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Proposed Data Collection: Comment Request; Title of Proposed

Collection: National Survey of College Graduates

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(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 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 to be collected; and (d) ways

to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,

including through the use of automated collection techniques or other

forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: The National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG),

formerly called National Survey of Natural and Social Scientists and

Engineers, has been conducted biennially since the 1970's. In the 1997

NSCG, persons identified as trained and/or working in science and

engineering, who responded to the 1995 survey, will be contacted again.

The purpose of this longitudinal study is to provide national estimates

on the science and engineering workforce and changes in employment,

education and demographic characteristics. The study is one of three

components of the Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System

(SESTAT), formerly called the Scientific and Technical Personnel Data

System (STPDS), which produces national estimates of the size and

characteristics of the nation's science and engineering population.

The National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as subsequently

amended, includes a statutory charge to ``* * * provide a central

clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data

on scientific and engineering resources, and to provide a source of

information for policy formulation by other agencies of the Federal

Government.'' The National Survey of College Graduates is designed to

comply with these mandates by providing information on the supply and

utilization of nation's scientists and engineers. The NSCG provides the

majority of records into the SESTAT data system. The NSF uses this

information to prepare congressionally mandated reports such as Science

and Engineering Indicators and Women and Minorities in Science and

Engineering. A public release file of collected data, edited to protect

respondent confidentiality, will be made available to researchers on

CD-ROM and on the World Wide Web.

The Bureau of the Census, as in the past, will conduct the study

for NSF through an interagency agreement. Respondents from the 1995

NSCG, who had at least a bachelor's degree in science engineering as of

1990 Decennial Census, or who worked in science and engineering jobs as

of April 1993, will be contacted in 1997. The sample design included

oversampling of minority college graduate population and varying

sampling rates to represent specific fields of science and engineering.

Sample members will be sent mail questionnaires, and non-respondents to

the mail questionnaire will be followed up by telephone or personal

visit interview.

The 1997 NSCG sample size will be about 53,000 and an unweighted

response rate of 95 percent is anticipated (94 percent was obtained on

the previous cycle). The amount of time required to complete the

questionnaire may vary depending on individuals' circumstances but on

the average, it will take about 25 minutes. The survey will be

collected in conformance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and the

individual's response to the survey will be entirely voluntary. NSF

will insure that all information collected will be kept strictly

confidential and will be used only for research or statistical

purposes, analyzing data, and preparing scientific reports and

articles.

Send comments to Herman Fleming, National Science Foundation

Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard,

Suite 485, Arlington, VA 22230.

Writen comments should be received by December 1, 1996:

Dated: September 30, 1996.

Herman G. Fleming,

NSF Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 96-25347 Filed 10-2-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555-01-M