Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; National Survey of College Graduates

AGENCY:

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to renew this collection. In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are providing opportunity for public comment on this action. After obtaining and considering public comment, NSF will prepare the submission requesting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance of this collection for no longer than 3 years.

DATES:

Written comments on this notice must be received by July 5, 2022 to be assured consideration. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to the address below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite E7400, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone (703) 292-7556; or send email to splimpto@nsf.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339, which is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (including Federal holidays).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title of Collection: 2023 National Survey of College Graduates.

OMB Control Number: 3145-0141.

Expiration Date of Current Approval: November 30, 2023.

Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend an information collection for three years.

Abstract: Established within the NSF by the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 § 505, codified in the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) serves as a central Federal clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, analysis, and dissemination of objective data on science, engineering, technology, and research and development for use by practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and the public.

The National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) is designed to comply with these mandates by providing information on the supply and utilization of the nation's scientists and engineers. The purpose of the NSCG is to collect data that will be used to provide national estimates on the size, composition, and activities of the science and engineering workforce and changes in their employment, education, and demographic characteristics. The NSCG has been conducted biennially since the 1970s. The 2023 NSCG sample will be selected from the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) and the 2021 NSCG. By selecting the sample from these two sources, the 2023 NSCG will provide coverage of the college graduate population residing in the United States.

The U.S. Census Bureau, as the agency responsible for the ACS, will serve as the NSCG data collection contractor for NCSES. The survey data collection is expected to begin in February 2023 and continue for approximately seven months. Data will be collected using web and mail questionnaires, and follow-up will be conducted with nonrespondents by computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). The individual's response to the survey is voluntary. The survey will be conducted in conformance with Census Bureau statistical quality standards and, as such, the NSCG data will be afforded confidentiality protection under the applicable Census Bureau confidentiality statutes.

Use of the Information: NSF uses the information from the NSCG to prepare congressionally mandated reports such as Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering ( https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/women/ ) and Science and Engineering Indicators ( https://ncses.nsf.gov/indicators ), both of which are available online. A public release file of collected data, designed to protect respondent confidentiality, will be made available on the internet and will be accessible through an online data tool ( https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/ids/ ).

Expected Respondents: A statistical sample of approximately 166,000 individuals (106,000 returning sample members and 60,000 new sample members) will be contacted in 2023. Of the new sample members, 5,000 will form a non-production bridge panel, intended to quantify the potential impacts of question modifications on key survey estimates. Based on recent survey cycles, NCSES expects the overall response rate to be 65 to 75 percent.

Estimate of Burden: The amount of time to complete the questionnaire may vary depending on an individual's educational history, employment status, and past response to the NSCG. The time to complete the 2021 NSCG web survey ranged from 19.6 minutes for some returning sample members to 27.3 minutes for members of the non-production bridge panel, and approximately 89% of respondents completed the web mode. Likewise, CATI interview times during the 2021 NSCG ranged from 32.5 minutes for some returning sample members to 42.2 minutes for new sample members, and about 4% of respondents completed via CATI. It was estimated that all forms of the 2021 NSCG paper questionnaire took 30 minutes to complete, and about 7% of respondents completed the paper form. Based on the 2021 cycle's survey completion times, it is estimated that it will take approximately 25 minutes, on average, to complete the 2023 NSCG questionnaire. NSF estimates that the average annual burden for the 2023 survey cycle over the course of the three-year OMB clearance period will be no more than 17,292 hours [(166,000 individuals × 75% response × 25 minutes)/3 years].

Comments: Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the NSF, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the NSF's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, use, and clarity of the information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; 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.