This action provides for the design (or re-design) and pre- test of several questions intended for inclusion in the annual Survey of Industrial Research and Development conducted for NSF by the Bureau of the Census. NSF and Census staff have previously identified several key areas where questionnaire improvements are needed; efforts to identify additional areas will continue during the conduct of this project. Under authority granted by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, NSF collects and disseminates descriptive economic statistics, as well as other pertinent information, about scientific and technological resource utilization and activities. Data collected by the Survey of Research and Development in Industry, when used in combination with data obtained through other NSF statistical and analytical activities, provides policy makers with an overview of R&D funding and performance in the United States.
