Proposed Collection of Information; Comment Request; Proposed Data Collection Available for Public Comment and Recommendations

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Proposed Collection of Information; Comment Request; Proposed

Data Collection Available for Public Comment and Recommendations

Title of Proposed Collection. Assessment of the Minority Research

Centers of Excellence (MRCE) and Research Improvement in Minority

Institutions (RIMI) Programs

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 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: Assessment of the Minority Research Centers of

Excellence (MRCE) and Research Improvement in Minority Institutions

(RIMI) Programs. The MRCE program is designated to increase the number

of minorities in science and engineering by making substantial

resources available to upgrade the research capabilities of the most

research-productive minority institutions. The RIMI program is designed

to strengthen the research capacity of science and engineering

departments at colleges and universities with significant proportions

of minority students.

The objective of this project is to assess how effectively NSF is

enabling the MRCE and RIMI centers/projects to achieve the program

goals of increasing minority participation in science and engineering

and enhancing the contributions of minority institutions to the

nation's scientific and engineering research activities. The study's

focus is on the two programs as a whole rather than on the individual

centers and projects.

The project has three main components:

Review of existing NSF program materials and MRCE annual

reports.

Site visits to each of the eight MRCEs. The purpose of

the site visits is to interview the center directors, other core

faculty, students, and university administrators to better understand

the center's history, dynamics, and achievements, and expectations

regarding future funding.

Mail surveys, using structured questionnaires, of the

following groups:

--MRCE and RIMI directors or principal investigators.

--All other faculty who have received MRCE or RIMI funds.

--All students who have received MRCE or RIMI financial support.

The surveys include all eight current MRCEs and those RIMI projects

that received their initial award after January 1, 1985 (when the award

level increased to it current annual maximum) and that will have

completed at least one full funding cycle by June 1996. The survey

results are intended to provide quantitative, comparable information

about the extent and nature of support respondents have received from

the RIMI/MRCE program, their professional achievements(e.g.,

publications, presentations), experiences, and opinions about the

program.

Burden estimates: 500 respondents; 250 total burden hours.

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: March 11, 1996.

Herman G. Fleming,

NSF Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 96-6303 Filed 3-15-96; 8:45 am]

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