03-23526. Data Sharing Activity

AGENCY:

Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of determination.

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 [phone] or by fax [phone].

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 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.