Dec 6 -- The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites comments by February 6, 2023 on its plans to collection information to evaluate NSF partnership activities.
Building partnerships is a high priority for NSF, as evidenced by two consecutive Agency Priority Goals (APGs for FY 2018 and FY 2020) focused on developing a partnerships strategy. The importance of partnerships is also echoed in the recent National Science Board's Vision 2030 report and reflected in the new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP). Partnerships are hypothesized to accelerate discovery in several ways: they can enable access to expertise, resources, and infrastructure; accelerate the flow of knowledge and expertise; and expand communities of researchers. NSF direct partnerships are established by NSF with other federal agencies, industry, private foundations, non-governmental organizations, and foreign science agencies.
NSF is requesting OMB approval for the NSF to collect information from past and present participants and partners in NSF partnership programs. The information collection will enable the Evaluation and Assessment Capability (EAC) Section within NSF to garner quantitative and qualitative information that will be used to inform programmatic improvements related to partnership models at NSF including partnerships between NSF and other entities and funding opportunities that require or encourage partnerships between grantees. This information collection, which entails collecting information from relevant NSF grantees and partners, is in accordance with the Agency's commitment to improving service delivery as well as the Agency's strategic goal to “advance the capability of the Nation to meet current and future challenges.”
The data collected will be used for NSF internal and external reports related to partnerships, program level studies, and evaluations. These outputs will inform decisions NSF makes regarding future activities.
Respondents: Participants in NSF grants (principal investigators, partners, research personnel, etc.). Partners involved in NSF partnership programs. Estimated Number of Respondents: 300
NSB 2030 Vision Report:
https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/NSBActivities/vision-2030.jsp
Evaluation and Assessment Capability (EAC) Section:
https://beta.nsf.gov/od/oia/eac
Draft survey instruments and technical documentation are requested from NSF by AEAStat.
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26465
