[Federal Register: September 16, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 179)]
[Notices]
[Page 54201-54202]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16se03-24]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of the Census
[Docket Number 030527134-3220-02]
Data Sharing Activity
AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of determination.
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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 will 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 provided the opportunity for public
comment on this data-sharing action (see the June 3, 2003, edition of
the Federal Register (68 FR 33094)). 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: The Census Bureau will make the data collected from the 1997 and
1999 Survey of Industrial Research and Development available to BEA on
September 16, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information on
this 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 statistical purposes
exclusively. Section 524(d) of the Act required a Federal Register
notice announcing the intent to share data (allowing 60 days for public
comment).
On June 3, 2003 (68 FR 33094), the Census Bureau published in the
Federal Register a notice of this proposed data-sharing activity and
request for comment on the subject. The Census Bureau did not receive
any public comments.
Shared Data
The Census Bureau will provide the BEA with data collected from the
1997 and 1999 R&D surveys. The BEA also will share data from its 1997
Foreign Direct Investment in the United States and 1999 U.S. Direct
Investment Abroad surveys with the Census Bureau. The BEA issued 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 R&D survey estimate the expenditures of
research and development performed by United States-based industrial
firms. The survey is conducted annually; however, the 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. These
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
[[Page 54202]]
attain Census Bureau Special Sworn Status. No confidential data will be
provided to the NSF. To further safeguard the confidentiality of these
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 subject to Census Bureau disclosure protection.
Dated: September 10, 2003.
Charles Louis Kincannon,
Director, Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. 03-23526 Filed 9-15-03; 8:45 am]
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