Notice2023-28046
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program Monitoring System
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
December 21, 2023
Issuing agencies
National Science Foundation
Abstract
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 the 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 244 (Thursday, December 21, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 244 (Thursday, December 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88420-88421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28046]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request;
National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program Monitoring
System
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice.
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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 the 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 February 20,
2024 to be assured consideration. Comments received after that date
will be considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to address
below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite
E7465, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone (703) 292-7556; or send
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1261627e7b7f62667d527c61743c757d64"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1c6f6c7075716c68735c726f7a327b736a">[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).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 88421]]
Title of Collection: National Science Foundation Research
Traineeship (NRT) Monitoring System.
OMB Number: 3145-0263.
Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 2024.
Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to renew an information
collection.
Proposed Project: The National Science Foundation's (NSF's)
Division of Graduate Education (DGE) in the Directorate for STEM
Education (EDU) administers the NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program.
The NRT program is designed to encourage the development and
implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative models for
STEM graduate education training. The NRT program seeks to ensure that
graduate students in research-based master's and doctoral degree
programs develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to
pursue a range of STEM careers. NRT is dedicated to effective training
of STEM graduate students in high-priority interdisciplinary or
convergent research areas through the use of a comprehensive
traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with
changing workforce and research needs.
Previously, NRT awardees provided NSF with information on their
activities through periodic research performance progress reports. The
NRT monitoring system (also referred to as the NRT reporting system)
has replaced these reports with a tailored program monitoring system
that uses internet-based information and communication technologies to
collect, review, and validate specific data on NRT awards. EDU is
committed to ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness with which
respondents provide and NSF staff can access and analyze data on funded
projects within the NRT programs.
The NRT monitoring system includes subsets of questions aimed at
the different project participants (i.e., Principal Investigators
(PIs), and trainees), and allows for data analysis and data report
generation by authorized NSF staff. The collection generally includes
three categories of descriptive data: (1) Staff and project
participants (data that are necessary to determine individual-level
treatment and control groups for future third-party study or for
internal evaluation); (2) project implementation characteristics (also
necessary for future use to identify well-matched comparison groups);
and (3) project outputs (necessary to measure baseline for pre- and
post- NSF-funding-level impacts). NRT awardees will be required to
report data on an annual basis for the life of their award.
Use of the Information: NSF will primarily use the data from this
collection for program planning, management, and audit purposes to
respond to queries from the Congress, the public, NSF's external merit
reviewers, who serve as advisors, including Committees of Visitors
(COVs), the NSF's Office of the Inspector General, and as a basis for
either internal or third-party evaluations of individual programs. This
information is required for effective administration, communication,
program and project monitoring and evaluation, and for measuring
attainment of NSF's program, project, and strategic goals, and as
identified by the President's Accountability in Government Initiative;
GPRA, and the NSF's Strategic Plan. The Foundation's FY 2022-2026
Strategic Plan may be found at: <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf22068">https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf22068</a>.
Since this collection will primarily be used for accountability and
evaluation purposes, including responding to queries from COVs and
other scientific experts, a census, rather than sampling design,
typically is necessary. At the individual project level, funding can be
adjusted based on individual project's responses to some of the
surveys. Some data collected under this collection will serve as
baseline data for separate research and evaluation studies.
NSF-funded contract or grantee researchers and internal or external
evaluators in part may identify control, comparison, or treatment
groups for NSF's education and training portfolio using some of the
descriptive data gathered through this collection to conduct well-
designed, rigorous research and portfolio evaluation studies.
Burden on the Public: Estimated at 82 hours per award for 120
awards for a total of 9,840 hours (per year).
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, 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.
Dated: December 15, 2023.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2023-28046 Filed 12-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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