Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To Extend and Revise a Current Information Collection

Title of Collection: Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering. OMB Approval Number: 3145-0062. Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 1999. Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend with revision an information collection for three years.

Proposed Project

Graduate students in science, engineering, and health fields in U.S. colleges and universities, by source and mechanism of support and by demographic characteristics. An electronic/mail survey, the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering originated in 1966 and has been conducted annually since 1972. The survey is the academic graduate enrollment component of the NSF statistical program that seeks to ``provide a central clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data on the availability of, and the current and projected need for, scientific and technical resources in the United States, and to provide a source of information for policy formulation by other agencies of the Federal government'' as mandated in the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. The proposed project will continue the current survey cycle for three to five years. The annual Fall surveys for 1999 through 2003 will survey the universe of approximately 725 reporting units at approximately 600 institutions offering accredited graduate programs in science, engineering, or health. The survey has provided continuity of statistics on graduate school enrollment and support for graduate students in all science & engineering (S&E) and health fields, with separate data requested on demographic characteristics (race/ethnicity and gender by full-time and part-time enrollment status). Statistics from the survey are published in NSF's annual publication series Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, in NSF publications Science and Engineering Indicators, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, and are available electronically on the World Wide Web. NSF proposes to revise the questionnaire in 1999 to include the Department of Energy as a source of funding of graduate students and to ask for the number of first-time full-time graduate students by race/ ethnicity. These changes are being proposed for purposes of planning, policy formulation, and program evaluation and to provide consistency with other NSF surveys (e.g., on R&D expenditures). Two redundant items will be deleted from the questionnaire: The number of part-time students and the number of women part-time students. In addition, the names of the race/ethnicity categories will be changed to comply with the new OMB guidelines. The new categories will be: Black or African American; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; Hispanic or Latino; and White. These changes are expected to result in minimal change in burden. Overall burden is expected to be reduced from 1999 to 2003 due to expansion of the Web- based data collection. The survey will be sent primarily to the administrators at the Institutional Research Offices. To minimize burden, NSF instituted a Web-based survey in 1998 through which institutions can enter data directly or upload preformatted files. The Web-based survey includes a complete program for editing and trend checking and allows institutions to receive their previous year's data for comparison. Respondents will be encouraged to participate in this Web-based survey should they so wish. Traditional paper questionnaires will also be available, with editing and trend checking performed as part of the survey processing.

In Fall 1997, the survey achieved a total response rate of 98.5% for institutions and 98.3% for departments. Estimate of Burden: Burden estimates are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total number of Departments Burden institutions hours ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FY 1995........................... 722 11,598 1.87 FY 1996........................... 722 11,592 1.95 FY 1997........................... 723 11,597 2.23 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Respondents: Individuals. Estimated Number of Responses: 11,597 (from the 1997 collection). Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 23,690. Frequency of Responses: Annually. Comments: 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; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Dated: May 28, 1999. Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 99-14035 Filed 6-2-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555-01-M