[Federal Register: June 3, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 106)]
[Notices]
[Page 33094-33095]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03jn03-49]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of the Census
[Docket Number 030527134-3134-01]
Proposed Data Sharing Activity
AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and request for public comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) conducts the Survey
of Industrial Research and Development (R&D). The National Science
Foundation (NSF) provides the funding for this data collection. The
Census Bureau proposes to provide data collected from the 1997 and 1999
R&D surveys to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) for statistical
purposes exclusively. In accordance with the requirement of Section
524(d) of the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA), we are providing the opportunity for
public comment on this data-sharing action. Through the use of these
shared data, the BEA will augment its existing R&D-related data,
identify data quality issues arising from reporting differences in the
BEA and Census Bureau surveys, and improve its survey sample frames.
The NSF will be provided non-confidential aggregate data (public use)
and reports that have cleared Census Bureau disclosure review.
Disclosure review is a process conducted to verify that the data to be
released do not reveal any confidential information.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 4, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Please direct all written comments on this proposed program
to the Director, U.S. Census Bureau, 4700 Silver Hill Road, Washington,
DC 20233-0100.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information on
this proposed program should be directed to Kimberly Moore, Assistant
Division Chief for Special Studies and M3 Programs, Manufacturing and
Construction Division, U.S. Census Bureau, 4700 Silver Hill Road,
Washington, DC 20233-6900, by phone on (301) 763-7643 or by fax (301)
457-4583.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
CIPSEA (Pub. L. 107-347, Subtitle V) allows the Census Bureau and
the BEA to share certain business data for exclusively statistical
purposes. Section 524(d) of the Act requires a Federal Register notice
announcing the intent to share data (allowing 60 days for public
comment).
Section 524(d) also requires us to provide information about the
terms of the agreement for data sharing. For purposes of this notice,
the Census Bureau has decided to group these terms by three categories.
The categories are:
[sbull] Shared data
[sbull] Statistical purposes for the shared data
[sbull] Data access and confidentiality
Shared Data
The Census Bureau proposes to provide the BEA with data collected
from the 1997 and 1999 Surveys of Industrial Research and Development
(R&D). The agreement also calls for the BEA to share data from its 1997
Foreign Direct Investment in the United States and 1999 U.S. Direct
Investment Abroad surveys with the Census Bureau. In the future, the
BEA will issue a separate notice addressing this issue.
The BEA will use these data for statistical purposes exclusively.
Through record linkage, the BEA will augment its existing R&D-related
data, identify data quality issues arising from reporting differences
in the BEA and Census Bureau surveys, and improve its survey sample
frames.
Statistical Purposes for the Shared Data
The data collected from the Survey of Industrial Research and
Development (R&D) estimate the expenditures of research and development
performed by United States-based industrial firms. The survey is
conducted annually; however, the proposed data to be shared are from
the 1997 and 1999 surveys only. Statistics from the annual surveys are
published in the NSF's annual publication series ``Research and
Development in Industry.'' Data collected by this survey include
company characteristics and R&D spending information. Characteristics
data include net sales, total employment, and employment of scientists
and engineers. R&D spending data include the following: total spending;
federally funded (total and by agency) spending for basic and applied
R&D, for basic research by field, and for applied R&D by product group
and energy and pollution abatement activities; R&D spending by state;
and R&D financed by domestic firms but performed abroad. All data are
collected under Sections 131, 182, 224, and 225 of Title 13, United
States Code (U.S.C.).
Data Access and Confidentiality
Title 13, U.S.C., protects the confidentiality of these data. The
data may be seen only by persons sworn to uphold the confidentiality of
the information. Access to the shared data will be restricted to
specifically authorized personnel and will be provided for statistical
purposes only. All BEA employees with access to these data will attain
Census Bureau Special Sworn Status--meaning that they, under penalty of
law, must uphold the data's confidentiality. Selected NSF employees
will provide the BEA with expertise on the aspects of R&D performance
in the United States and by U.S. companies abroad; these NSF
consultants assisting with the work at the BEA also will attain Census
Bureau Special Sworn Status. No confidential data will be provided to
the NSF. To further safeguard the confidentiality of the data, the
Census Bureau will conduct an Information Technology security review of
the BEA prior to sharing any data files. Any results of this research
are
[[Page 33095]]
subject to Census Bureau disclosure protection.
Dated: May 28, 2003.
Charles Louis Kincannon,
Director, Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. 03-13853 Filed 6-2-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P