Mar 30 -- The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to request renewal of the Higher Education Research and Development Survey. Comments are invited by May 31, 2022.
The Higher Education Research and Development (R&D) Survey (formerly known as the Survey of R&D Expenditures at Universities and Colleges) originated in fiscal year (FY) 1954 and has been conducted annually since FY 1972. The survey represents one facet of the research and development component of NCSES's statistical program, which also includes R&D surveys on the business, federal government, higher education, state government, and nonprofit sectors.
The proposed project will continue the annual survey cycle for three years. The Higher Education R&D Survey will provide continuity of statistics on R&D expenditures by source of funding, type of R&D (basic research, applied research, or development), and field of research, with separate data requested on research equipment by field. Further breakdowns are collected on funds passed through to subrecipients and funds received as a subrecipient, and on R&D expenditures by field from specific federal agency sources. The survey also requests total R&D expenditures funded from foreign sources, R&D within an institution's medical school, clinical trial expenditures, R&D by type of funding mechanism (contracts vs. grants), and R&D by cost category (salaries, equipment, software, etc.). Since FY 2020, the survey has requested headcounts and full-time equivalents of R&D personnel (researchers, R&D technicians, and R&D support staff).
The FY 2022 Higher Education R&D Survey will be administered to approximately 650 institutions. In addition, a shorter version of the survey asking for R&D expenditures by source of funding and broad field will be sent to approximately 275 institutions spending at least $150 thousand but less than $1 million on R&D in their previous fiscal year. A short population review screener is also sent to approximately 125 institutions before the survey cycle to identify potential eligible institutions not already in the survey frame. Finally, a survey requesting R&D expenditures by source of funds, cost categories, and type of R&D will be administered to the 43 Federally Funded Research and Development Centers.
NCSES writes "We don’t have any changes planned for the HERD survey for FY 2022, only some minor wording edits to the guidance."
HERD survey webpage:
https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvyherd/ Includes access to current questionnaires and technical documentation.
FR notice inviting comments:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-06725