Submission for OMB Review: Comment Request

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Submission for OMB Review: Comment Request

Title of Proposed Collection: Survey of Doctorate Recipients.

[[Page 68307]]

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. Such a

notice was published at Federal Register 51723, dated; October 3, 1996.

No comments were received.

The materials are now being sent to OMB for Review. Send any

written comments to Desk Officer, OMB, 3145-0020, OIRA, Office of

management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Comments should be

received by February 4, 1996.

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 Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) has been

conducted biennially since 1973. For the 1997 cycle, a sample of

individuals under the age of 76 who have earned doctoral degrees in

science and engineering from U.S. institutions will be surveyed. The

purpose of the study is to provide national estimates describing the

relationship between education and employment for Ph.D. recipients in

science and engineering. 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).

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 Survey of Doctorate Recipients is designed to comply

with these mandates by providing information on the supply and

utilization of doctorate level scientists and engineers. Collected data

will be used to produce estimates of the characteristics of these

individuals. They will also provide necessary input into the SESTAT

labor force model, which produces national estimates of the size and

characteristics of the country's science and engineering population.

The Foundation uses this information to prepare congressionally

mandated reports such as Women and Minorities in Science and

Engineering and Science and Engineering Indicators. A public release

file of collected data, designed to protect respondent confidentiality,

is expected to be made available to researchers on CD-ROM and on the

World Wide Web.

The survey sample design includes oversampling of recent Ph.D.

recipients and minority recipients and varying sampling rates to

represent specific fields of science and engineering. A total of

approximately 58,000 individuals is expected to be sampled for the

survey. Sample members will be requested to complete a 30 minute

interview conducted by computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)

or mail. An unweighted response rate of 85 percent is anticipated. The

survey will be collected in conformance with the Privacy Act of 1974.

Each sample member's participation 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.

Dated: December 23, 1996.

Herman G. Fleming,

NSF Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 96-32932 Filed 12-26-96; 8:45 am]

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