Notice2026-18351
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request
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
September 9, 2026
Issuing agencies
National Science Foundation
Abstract
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the following request for revision of the approved collection of research and development data in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal Register and one comment was 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
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 173 (Wednesday, September 9, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57390-57391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18351]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request: National Science
Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Monitoring System.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the
following request for revision of the approved collection of research
and development data in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was
published in the Federal Register and one comment was 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, 401 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA
22314; or send email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#780b08141115080c1738160b1e561f170e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="453635292c2835312a052b36236b222a33">[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: Comments regarding (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; 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 should be addressed to the points
of contact in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
Copies of the submission 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:
Comments: As required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), comments on the
information collection were solicited through publication of a 60-Day
Notice in the Federal Register on January 30, 2026, at 91 FR 4113, and
one comment was received. Because it was in support of the information
collection, we are moving forward with the request to OMB.
Title of Collection: National Science Foundation Research
Traineeship (NRT) Monitoring System.
OMB Number: 3145-0263.
Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to renew an information
collection.
Proposed Project: The National Science Foundation's 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.
[[Page 57391]]
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 takes a census
approach and 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, external third parties who serve as advisors, the NSF 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. The data collection is primarily
used for accountability and evaluation purposes, including responding
to queries from external experts. Some data collected under this
collection will serve as baseline data for future 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:
Table A.12.1--Surveys and Burden Comprising the NRT Monitoring System
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Respondent Response Number of Total annual
Survey responsible frequency Burden estimate respondents hour burden
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Project Survey............... PI*............. Once annually... 30 hours........ 130 3,900
PI Survey.................... PI.............. Once annually... 10 minutes...... 130 22
Faculty Survey (includes Faculty/Co-PI... Once annually... 10 minutes...... 1,560 260
CoPIs).
Trainee Survey............... Trainee......... Once annually... 90 minutes...... 1,300 1,950
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Total.................... ................ ................ ................ 3,120 6,132
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Dated: September 4, 2026.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2026-18351 Filed 9-8-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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