Submission for OMB Review: Comment Request

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Submission for OMB Review: Comment Request

Title of Collection: Survey of Earned Doctorates.

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3508(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) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects. Such a notice

was published at 62 FR 2691, dated January 17, 1997. No comments were

received.

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

written comments to Desk Office, OMB, 3145-033, OIRA, OMB, Washington,

D.C. 20503. OMB should receive comments within 30 days after the date

of this notice.

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 data collection techniques and

other forms of information.

Proposed Project: The Survey of Earned Doctorates has been

conducted continuously since 1958 and is jointly sponsored by five

Federal agencies in order to avoid duplication. It is an accurate,

timely source of information on our Nation's most precious resource--

highly educated individuals.

Data is obtained from each person earning a research doctorate on

their field of specialty, educational background, sources of support in

graduate school, postgraduation plans for employment, and demographic

characteristics. The information is used extensively by the Federal

government, universities and others. The National Science Foundation,

as the lead agency, publishes statistics from the survey in the annual

publication series Selected Data on Science and Engineering Doctorates

(available in print and electronically on the World Wide Web). The

National Academy of Sciences also disseminates a free report entitled

Summary Report: Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities.

We anticipate a response rate of 95% and expect a total of 42,750

(45,000 x .95) respondents who earned a research doctorate. We estimate

the average burden per respondent to be 20 minutes and the entire

information burden for the respondents to be 14,250 hours.

Dated: March 27, 1997.

Gail. A. McHenry,

NSF Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97-8352 Filed 4-1-97; 8:45 am]

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