Notice2022-00834
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites and Supplements Evaluation
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 18, 2022
Issuing agencies
National Science Foundation
Abstract
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the following information collection requirement to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal Register and no comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed renewal submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2639-2641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00834]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request;
Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Experiences
for Undergraduates Sites and Supplements Evaluation
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Submission for OMB review; comment request.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the
following information collection requirement to OMB for review and
clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second
notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal
Register and no comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed
renewal submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice.
DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAmain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAmain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue,
Alexandria, VA 22314, or send email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#92e1e2fefbffe2e6fdd2fce1f4bcf5fde4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2251524e4b4f52564d624c51440c454d54">[email protected]</span></a>. 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). Comments regarding this information collection are
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of
this notification. Copies of the submission(s)
[[Page 2640]]
may be obtained by calling 703-292-7556.
NSF may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless
the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control
number, and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to
the collection of information that such persons are not required to
respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Computer and Information Science and
Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites and
Supplements Evaluation.
OMB Approval Number: 3145-NEW.
Type of Request: Intent to establish an information collection.
Abstract: Every year the National Science Foundation (NSF) funds
hundreds of Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) activities
through its REU program. The Directorate of Computer and Information
Science and Engineering (CISE) is seeking to evaluate the effectiveness
of the CISE REU program.
The REU program provides undergraduate students at US higher
education institutions with opportunities to work with faculty on a
research project. They can take the form of REU Sites or REU
Supplements. REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate
and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU
Supplements are included as a component of proposals for new or renewal
NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing
NSF-funded research projects.
By offering this opportunity to undergraduate students, the REU
program seeks to expand student participation in all kinds of
research--both disciplinary and interdisciplinary--encompassing efforts
by individual investigators, groups, centers, national facilities, and
others. The REU experience integrates research and education to attract
a diverse pool of talented students into careers in science and
engineering, including teaching and education research related to
science and engineering.
The current data collection project intends to measure the impact
of the undergraduate REU Sites and REU Supplements programs sponsored
by NSF CISE. The project will conduct online surveys to track NSF CISE
REU participants over time--including pre-program, post-program and
one-year post-program measurement--alongside two comparison groups: (1)
Students participating in other undergraduate research, and (2)
students who do not participate in research. The researchers will
supplement REU participants' survey data with basic REU information and
perceptions of impact from NSF CISE REU Principal Investigators (PIs).
The evaluation and research questions guiding this project include the
following:
1. Who are the students reached through the NSF REU Program, and
how do they compare to students participating in other types of
research experiences and to students in the broader CISE community?
2. How do CISE REU Sites and REU Supplements differ from other
research experiences (e.g., other REUs, internships, and independent
research projects)?
3. To what extent are the goals of the NSF REU Program being met by
the individual projects within the program, including recruitment and
retention of students in science and engineering fields and increasing
diversity in these fields?
4. In what ways does participation in REU Sites, REU Supplements,
internships, and/or other independent research experiences impact
student attitudes and pathways to CISE careers and other research
experiences?
5. In what ways does participation in the REU Sites and REU
Supplements impact recruitment and retention of students who are
underrepresented in computing?
Ultimately, the findings from this data collection will be used to
understand and improve the impact of the CISE REU program, including
increasing recruitment and retention in science and engineering and
promoting a diverse group of computing/STEM careers.
Use of the information: The information collected through this
survey will be used to evaluate the NSF CISE REU Program.
Respondents: There will be four types of respondents: NSF CISE REU
Site and Supplement participants, a comparison group of undergraduate
students who participate in other, non-NSF REU research experiences, a
comparison group of undergraduate students who do not participate in
research, and NSF CISE REU PIs.
NSF CISE REU participants will include undergraduate students who
participate in REU projects in which the project's Principal
Investigator chooses to use NSF-sponsored program evaluation services.
Participants from the two comparison groups will be identified and
recruited from a pool of undergraduates in computing fields who have
participated in a prior survey of the Computing Research Association
and have agreed to be contacted for future data collection. The
participating NSF CISE REU PIs will also complete PI REU Information
Forms at the beginning and end of their REUs.
Estimated number of respondents: The study's data collection
activities will occur over a span of 2\1/3\ years. It is estimated that
during this time, there will be approximately 2,333 NSF CISE REU survey
respondents, 2,000 comparison group survey respondents, and 233 NSF
CISE REU PI Information Form respondents, for a total of 4,566
respondents.
Average time per reporting: Each online survey for REU participants
and comparison group respondents is designed to be completed in 20
minutes or less. Each REU PI Information Form is designed to be
completed in 10 minutes or less.
Frequency: Each NSF CISE REU participant will be asked to complete
three surveys: (1) A pre-test before they begin their REU project; (2)
a post-test, after their REU ends; and (3) a one-year follow-up survey.
Within the data collection timeline for this project, this will allow
for two full data collection cycles, plus a third subset of Year 3
summer REU participants who will only complete a pre-test and a post-
test, but no follow-up survey. Each comparison group participant,
including both those with a different research experience and those
with no research experience, will be asked to complete a pre-test
survey and a follow-up survey occurring approximately one year later.
There will be two full data collection cycles for comparison group
participants. Each NSF CISE REU PI will complete a Time 1 PI REU
Information Form before their REU begins and a Time 2 REU PI
Information Form when their REU ends.
Estimate burden on the public: For REU participants, in the 2\1/3\
years of data collection, there will be two cohorts of complete data
collection (pre-test, post-test, and follow-up) and one cohort with a
partial data collection cycle (pre-test and post-test only). Based on
an expected 1,000 REU participant respondents per year, It is expected
that a total of approximately 2,333 REU respondents will complete a 20-
minute pre-survey in the project. Of these 2,333 REU participant
respondents, we expect that approximately 70%, or 1,633, will complete
a 20-minute post-survey. For the follow-up survey, only the REU
participants from the first two years of the data collection would be
able to complete the survey within the time
[[Page 2641]]
range of the study (N = 2,000). It is expected that approximately 50%
of these respondents, or 1,000, will complete a 20-minute one-year
follow-up survey. This would result in a total of 4,966 20-minute
surveys completed by REU respondents, for a total of 1,655 burden hours
for this subset of respondents.
For comparison group participations, there will be two cohorts with
full cycles of data collection (pre-test and follow-up). It is expected
that a total of 2,000 respondents will complete a 20-minute pre-survey
in the project. Of these 2,000 comparison group respondents,
approximately 50%, or 1,000, are expected to complete a 20-minute one-
year follow-up survey. This would result in a total of 3,000 surveys
completed by comparison group respondents, for a total of 1,000 burden
hours.
For REU PIs, there will be 2\1/3\ years of complete data collection
(Time 1 and Time 2 REU PI Information Forms). Based on an expected 100
NSF CISE REU PIs choosing to receive evaluation services each year, It
is expected that a total of approximately 233 REU PIs will complete
both the Time 1 and Time 2 PI REU Information Forms (each one takes 10
minutes to complete). This would result in a total of 466 10-minute
forms completed by REU PIs, for a total of 77.67 burden hours for this
subset of respondents.
Together, the total estimated survey burden for the project is
2,733 hours. The calculations are shown in Table 1.
Table 1--Estimated Survey Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Number of Number of cohort 3
Category of respondent cohort 1 cohort 2 responses (partial Participation time Burden
responses responses year) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REU participant Pre-survey....... 1,000 1,000 333................. 20 mins each........ 777.67
REU participant Post-survey (70% 700 700 233................. 20 mins each........ 544.33
of original).
REU participant Follow-up survey 500 500 Not conducted....... 20 mins each........ 333.33
(50% of original).
Comparison participant Pre-survey 1,000 1,000 Not conducted....... 20 mins each........ 666.67
Comparison participant Follow-up 500 500 Not conducted....... 20 mins each........ 333.33
survey (50% of original).
REU PI Time 1 Information Form... 100 100 33.................. 10 mins each........ 777.67
REU PI Time 12 Information Form.. 100 100 33.................. 10 mins each........ 544.33
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total surveys completed...... 3,900 3,900 632................. 466 @10 min, 7,966 2,733
@20 mins.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments: Comments are invited on:
1. Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the
evaluation of the CISE REU Sites and Supplements Program
2. The accuracy of the NSF's estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information
3. 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
Dated: January 12, 2022.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2022-00834 Filed 1-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 18, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.