82 FR 57704 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 234 (December 7, 2017)

Page Range		57704-57705
FR Document		2017-26385
Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 234 (Thursday, December 7, 2017)
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 234 (Thursday, December 7, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57704-57705]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26385]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: 2017-2019 Business Research & Development Survey (BRDS).
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0912.
    Form Number(s): BRD-1.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Number of Respondents: 45,000.
    Average Hours per Response: 3 hours and 18 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 148,600.
    Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau is requesting clearance to 
conduct the Business Research and Development Survey (BRDS) for the 
2017-2019 survey years with the revisions outlined in this document. 
Companies are the major performers of research and development (R&D) in 
the United States, accounting for over 70 percent of total U.S. R&D 
outlays each year. A consistent business R&D information base is 
essential to government officials formulating public policy, industry 
personnel involved in corporate planning, and members of the academic 
community conducting research. To develop policies designed to promote 
and enhance science and technology, past trends and the present status 
of R&D must be known and analyzed. Without comprehensive business R&D 
statistics, it would be impossible to evaluate the health of science 
and technology in the United States or to make comparisons between the 
technological progress of our country and that of other nations.
    The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 as amended authorizes 
and directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) ``. . . 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.'' One of the methods used by NSF to fulfill this mandate is 
the BRDS--the primary federal source of information on R&D in the 
business sector. NSF together with the Census Bureau, the collecting 
and compiling agent, analyze the data and publish the resulting 
statistics.
    NSF has published annual R&D statistics collected from the Survey 
of Industrial Research and Development (1953-2007) and the Business R&D 
and Innovation Survey (BRDIS) (2008-2016) for 63 years. The results of 
the surveys are used to assess trends in R&D expenditures by industry 
sector, investigate productivity determinants, formulate science and 
tax policy, and compare individual company performance with industry 
averages. This survey is the Nation's primary source for international 
comparative statistics on business R&D spending.
    The BRDS will continue to collect the following types of 
information:
     R&D expense based on accounting standards.
     Worldwide R&D of domestic companies.
     Business segment detail.
     R&D related capital expenditures.
     Detailed data about the R&D workforce.
     R&D strategy and data on the potential impact of R&D on 
the market.
     R&D directed to application areas of particular national 
interest.
     Data measuring intellectual property protection 
activities.
    The following changes will be made to the 2017-2019 BRDS compared 
to the 2016 BRDIS:
     Removed four innovation questions from Section 1.
     Moved Capital Expenditures questions from Section 2 to 
their own section, Section 4.
     Added a Yes/No question to determine if any capital 
expenditures were reimbursed by others.

[[Page 57705]]

     Reinstated question on Intellectual Property Protection in 
Section 7 which had been collected in previous years.
    From 2008-2015, the BRDIS collected R&D and innovation data from 
companies with five or more employees. In 2016, the BRDIS collected R&D 
and innovation data from companies with at least one paid employee. 
Beginning with the 2017 survey (collected in 2018), the BRDS will no 
longer collect innovation data, and only companies with at least 10 
paid employees will be in scope. The Census Bureau will continue to 
collect R&D data from companies with fewer than 10 employees, and 
innovation data from all companies, however, beginning in 2017, these 
data will be collected on a new survey, the Annual Business Survey. 
Accordingly, we are also changing the name of the collection to the 
Business Research and Development Survey--dropping Innovation (BRDS).
    Information from the BRDS will continue to support the America 
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 as well as other R&D-related 
initiatives introduced during the clearance period. Other initiatives 
that have used BRDS statistics include: The Science of Science and 
Innovation Policy (NSF); and Rising Above the Gathering Storm (National 
Research Council).
    Policy officials from many Federal agencies rely on these 
statistics for essential information. Businesses and trade 
organizations rely on BRDS data to benchmark their industry's 
performance against others. For example, total U.S. R&D expenditures 
statistics have been used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to 
update the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs) and, in fact, 
the BEA recently has recognized and incorporated R&D as fixed 
investment in the NIPA. Accurate R&D data are needed to continue the 
development and effect subsequent updates to this detailed satellite 
account. Also, NSF, BEA and the Census Bureau periodically update a 
data linking project that utilizes BRDS data to augment global R&D 
investment information that is obtained from BEA's Foreign Direct 
Investment (FDI) and U.S. Direct Investment Abroad (USDIA) surveys. 
Further, the Census Bureau links data collected by BRDS with other 
statistical files. At the Census Bureau, historical company-level R&D 
data are linked to a file that contains information on the outputs and 
inputs of companies' manufacturing plants. Researchers are able to 
analyze the relationships between R&D funding and other economic 
variables by using micro-level data.
    Individuals and organizations access the survey statistics via the 
Internet in annual InfoBriefs published by NSF's National Center for 
Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) that announce the 
availability of statistics from each cycle of BRDS and detailed 
statistical table reports that contain all of the statistics NSF 
produces from BRDS. Information about the kinds of projects that rely 
on statistics from BRDS is available from internal records of NSF's 
NCSES. In addition, survey statistics are regularly cited in trade 
publications and many researchers use the survey statistics from these 
secondary sources without directly contacting NSF or the Census Bureau.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 8(b), 131, 
and 182; Title 42, United States Code, Sections 1861-76 (National 
Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended).
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce 
collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-26385 Filed 12-6-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
57704 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 234 / Thursday, December 7, 2017 / Notices

and regulations of the U.S. Commission become available, both before and after and enhance science and technology,
on Civil Rights (Commission) and the the meeting. Records of the meeting will past trends and the present status of
Federal Advisory Committee Act that be available via www.facadatabase.gov R&D must be known and analyzed.
the Arkansas Advisory Committee under the Commission on Civil Rights, Without comprehensive business R&D
(Committee) will hold meetings on Arkansas Advisory Committee link statistics, it would be impossible to
Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 12 p.m. (https://www.facadatabase.gov/ evaluate the health of science and
Central time. The Committee will committee/meetings.aspx?cid=236). technology in the United States or to
continue discussion and preparations to Click on ‘‘meeting details’’ and then make comparisons between the
study civil rights and criminal justice in ‘‘documents’’ to download. Persons technological progress of our country
the state. interested in the work of this Committee and that of other nations.
DATES: The meeting will take place on are directed to the Commission’s Web The National Science Foundation Act
Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 12 p.m. site, http://www.usccr.gov, or may of 1950 as amended authorizes and
Central time. contact the Regional Programs Unit at directs the National Science Foundation
Public Call Information: the above email or street address. (NSF) ‘‘. . . to provide a central
• Wednesday January 10, 2018: clearinghouse for the collection,
• Dial: 877–719–9801, Conference ID: Agenda interpretation, and analysis of data on
7938515. Welcome and Roll Call scientific and engineering resources and
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Civil Rights in Arkansas: Criminal to provide a source of information for
Melissa Wojnaroski, DFO, at Justice policy formulation by other agencies of
mwojnaroski@usccr.gov or 312–353– Future Plans and Actions the Federal government.’’ One of the
8311. Public Comment methods used by NSF to fulfill this
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Members
Adjournment mandate is the BRDS—the primary
of the public can listen to these Dated: December 1, 2017. federal source of information on R&D in
discussions. These meetings are David Mussatt, the business sector. NSF together with
available to the public through the the Census Bureau, the collecting and
Supervisory Chief, Regional Programs Unit.
above call in numbers. Any interested compiling agent, analyze the data and
[FR Doc. 2017–26350 Filed 12–6–17; 8:45 am]
member of the public may call this publish the resulting statistics.
BILLING CODE P NSF has published annual R&D
number and listen to the meeting. An
statistics collected from the Survey of
open comment period will be provided
Industrial Research and Development
to allow members of the public to make
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (1953–2007) and the Business R&D and
a statement as time allows. The
Innovation Survey (BRDIS) (2008–2016)
conference call operator will ask callers Submission for OMB Review; for 63 years. The results of the surveys
to identify themselves, the organization Comment Request are used to assess trends in R&D
they are affiliated with (if any), and an
The Department of Commerce will expenditures by industry sector,
email address prior to placing callers
submit to the Office of Management and investigate productivity determinants,
into the conference room. Callers can
Budget (OMB) for clearance the formulate science and tax policy, and
expect to incur regular charges for calls
following proposal for collection of compare individual company
they initiate over wireless lines,
information under the provisions of the performance with industry averages.
according to their wireless plan. The
Paperwork Reduction Act. This survey is the Nation’s primary
Commission will not refund any
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau. source for international comparative
incurred charges. Callers will incur no
Title: 2017–2019 Business Research & statistics on business R&D spending.
charge for calls they initiate over land-
Development Survey (BRDS). The BRDS will continue to collect the
line connections to the toll-free
OMB Control Number: 0607–0912. following types of information:
telephone number. Persons with hearing • R&D expense based on accounting
impairments may also follow the Form Number(s): BRD–1.
Type of Request: Revision of a standards.
proceedings by first calling the Federal • Worldwide R&D of domestic
Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 and currently approved collection.
companies.
providing the Service with the Number of Respondents: 45,000. • Business segment detail.
conference call number and conference Average Hours per Response: 3 hours • R&D related capital expenditures.
ID number. and 18 minutes. • Detailed data about the R&D
Members of the public are also Burden Hours: 148,600. workforce.
entitled to submit written comments; Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau • R&D strategy and data on the
the comments must be received in the is requesting clearance to conduct the potential impact of R&D on the market.
regional office within 30 days following Business Research and Development • R&D directed to application areas of
the meeting. Written comments may be Survey (BRDS) for the 2017–2019 particular national interest.
mailed to the Regional Programs Unit, survey years with the revisions outlined • Data measuring intellectual
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 55 W. in this document. Companies are the property protection activities.
Monroe St., Suite 410, Chicago, IL major performers of research and The following changes will be made
60615. They may also be faxed to the development (R&D) in the United States, to the 2017–2019 BRDS compared to the
Commission at (312) 353–8324, or accounting for over 70 percent of total 2016 BRDIS:
U.S. R&D outlays each year. A • Removed four innovation questions
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

emailed to Corrine Sanders at csanders@
usccr.gov. Persons who desire consistent business R&D information from Section 1.
additional information may contact the base is essential to government officials • Moved Capital Expenditures
Regional Programs Unit at (312) 353– formulating public policy, industry questions from Section 2 to their own
8311. personnel involved in corporate section, Section 4.
Records generated from this meeting planning, and members of the academic • Added a Yes/No question to
may be inspected and reproduced at the community conducting research. To determine if any capital expenditures
Regional Programs Unit Office, as they develop policies designed to promote were reimbursed by others.

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Document Created: 2017-12-07 00:34:54
Document Modified: 2017-12-07 00:34:54
Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
FR Citation		82 FR 57704