Proposed Content Revisions for the Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities

Appendix B

NSF Facilities Survey Questionnaire

Proposed Changes for Testing

We would like your feedback on the attached changes proposed for the upcoming FY 2017 Facilities Survey. In preparation for the phone call to collect your feedback:

• Please review all of the pages in this attachment, paying attention to the highlighted changes on each page.

• If these changes went into effect, would the data you report change or would it stay the same? Would these changes impact your ability to report data or cause confusion? We will be asking for your feedback on the revisions. (Note that the test questions have FY 2015 dates; the dates will be changed and highlights removed for FY 2017 survey administration.)

• Please fill out the new question 6 (page 3) based on your responses to question 2 in your institution’s FY 2015 Facilities Survey. Please provide your responses to question 6 prior to the phone discussion or have them available for the call. We will be asking about your experience and ability to answer this new question.

• Please review the definitions for start date and completion costs for new construction in question 9 (page 4). Based on the new definitions, please review your responses to questions 9, 9B, 9D, and 13 in your institution’s FY 2015 Facilities Survey. If the new definitions would have changed your responses to these questions, please let us know the reasons for the change during the phone discussion. You do not need to provide new answers to these questions.

• If you don’t have a copy of your institution’s FY 2015 responses, please contact [email protected].

Definition of science and engineering (S&E) research and research space

Please use these definitions when answering all questions in this survey.

Research is all research and experimental development (R&D) activities of your institution that are separately accounted for. These R&D activities comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge. This research can be funded by your own institution, the federal government, a state government, foundations, corporations, or other sources.

Research space is the net assignable square feet of space in buildings within which research activities take place.
Research facilities are located within buildings. A building is a roofed structure for permanent or temporary shelter of
persons, animals, plants, materials, or equipment. Structures should be included if they are (1) attached to a foundation,
(2) roofed, (3) serviced by a utility, exclusive of lighting, and (4) a source of significant maintenance and repair activities.

Net assignable square feet (NASF) is the sum of all areas on all floors of a building assigned to, or available to be
assigned to, an occupant for a specific use, such as research or instruction. NASF is measured from the inside faces of
walls.

Science and engineering (S&E) includes the following fields: agricultural sciences and natural resources sciences,
biological and biomedical sciences, computer and information sciences, engineering, health and clinical sciences,
mathematics and statistics, physical sciences, psychology, social sciences, and other science and engineering fields. See Question 2 on pages 5–7 for a detailed list of the disciplines included in each of these fields.

Question 6 (New): Shared research space

6. For each field of S&E below, please indicate whether any of the research NASF reported in Question 2 was (1) shared with any other field(s); and (2) used for purposes other than research (e.g., instruction) at the end of your FY 2015.

In Question 2, the instructions indicate “If research space was shared among fields or used for other purposes in addition to research, report the portion of space used for research for each field.” If you pro-rated the NASF in Question 2 according to these instructions, you should answer “yes” in column 1 and/or column 2 in the field(s) below that were pro-rated due to shared space.

Field of S&E (Include research animal space.)	Mark “X” if no research space in this field
		(1) Was the NASF reported in Question 2 shared with any other field(s)?		(2) Was the NASF reported in Question 2 used for purposes other than research?
		(Mark one “X” for each field with research space.)		(Mark one “X” for each field with research space.)
		Yes	No	Yes	No
a. Agricultural sciences
b. Biological and biomedical sciences
c. Computer and information sciences
d. Engineering
e. Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences
f. Health sciences
g. Mathematics and statistics
h. Natural resources and conservation
i. Physical sciences
j. Psychology
k. Social sciences
l. Other field of S&E

For Field of S&E definitions, see Question 2 on pages 5–7.

Question 9: New construction started in FY 2014 and FY 2015

9. Please provide the total number of new construction projects that included S&E research facilities that started during your FY 2014 or FY 2015. Include only projects whose prorated cost was estimated to be $250,000 or more for at least one field of S&E. Include research animal space in the relevant fields of S&E.

New construction is the construction of a new building or additions to an existing building.

Research facilities are defined on pages 2–3 of the survey questionnaire.

Start date is defined as the first placement of permanent construction of a building or addition on site, such as the
pouring of a slab or footing, the installation of piles, the construction of columns or any work beyond the stage of excavation. When determining start date, please exclude planning, demolition, or other site preparation work.

Completion costs include planning, site preparation, construction, fixed equipment, nonfixed equipment that costs $1 million or more, and building infrastructure such as plumbing, lighting, air exchange, and safety systems either in the building or within 5 feet of the building foundation. Include costs that meet this definition whether they occur before or after the project start date.

If facilities are shared for research and nonresearch activities, report only projects with completion costs of $250,000 or more for at least one field of S&E research. For example, if a $300,000 project involves space used for research only one-fourth of the time, this project of $75,000 for the research facilities should not be reported.

If facilities are shared by two or more fields of S&E, report the new construction project only if at least one field of S&E research has completion costs of $250,000 or more. For example, if two fields share the costs equally for a research project costing $400,000, neither field’s share of $200,000 meets the cost minimum.

If your institution had no new construction

projects, check this box and go to Question 10

If your institution had one or more new construction projects,
enter the number of projects here and fill out a separate
Individual Project Form for each one _____________ projects

Please make additional copies of this form as needed.

Individual Project Form for Question 9

_{Page 1 of 4}

Please complete this form for each new construction project that started during your FY 2014 or FY 2015. Include only projects that will cost $250,000 or more for at least one of the S&E fields.

9A. What is the name of this project? ________________________________________________

9B. During which of your fiscal years did the physical work of new construction begin for this project?

Start date is defined as the first placement of permanent construction of a building or addition on site, such as the pouring of a slab or footing, the installation of piles, the construction of columns or any work beyond the stage of excavation. When determining start date, please exclude planning, demolition, or other site preparation work.

FY 2014

FY 2015

9C. When this project is completed, what is (a) the entire project’s (research and nonresearch) gross square feet; (b) the entire project’s net assignable square feet; and (c) the S&E research facilities portion in net assignable square feet?

For multi-year projects, report the space expected when the project is completed.

a. Gross square feet (GSF) for entire project (research and nonresearch) __________ GSF

Gross square feet (GSF) is the floor area of a structure within the outside faces of
the exterior walls.

b. Net assignable square feet (NASF) for entire project
(research and nonresearch) __________ NASF

Net assignable square feet (NASF) is the sum of all areas on all floors of a building assigned to, or available to be assigned to, an occupant for a specific use, such as research or instruction. NASF is measured from the inside faces of walls.

NOTE: If the entire project is S&E research, the answers for row b and row c will be the same.

c. Net assignable square feet for S&E research facilities portion
(defined on pages 2–3 of the survey questionnaire) __________ NASF

Research facilities are defined on pages 2–3 of the survey questionnaire, including examples of what areas to include and exclude.

If the research facilities are also used for nonresearch activities, adjust the amount of space based on the amount of time the area is used for S&E research. For example, if an area is used for S&E research one-fourth of the time and for instruction the rest of the time, report one-fourth of the space as S&E research facilities.

If you have any questions about which projects to report or how to fill out

the Individual Project Form, please contact the Facilities Survey Help Desk.

Please make additional copies of this form as needed.

Individual Project Form for Question 9

_{Page 2 of 4}

9D. When this project is completed, what are the completion costs for (a) the entire project (research and nonresearch), and (b) the S&E research facilities portion of the project? For multi-year projects, report the costs expected when the project is completed.

Completion costs include planning, site preparation, construction, fixed equipment, nonfixed equipment that costs $1 million or more, and building infrastructure such as plumbing, lighting, air exchange, and safety systems either in the building or within 5 feet of the building foundation. Include costs that meet this definition whether they occur before or after the project start date.

a. Completion costs for the GSF of the entire project (research and nonresearch) $ __________

b. Completion costs for the S&E research facilities portion
(defined on pages 2–3 of the survey questionnaire) $ __________

If the research facilities are also used for nonresearch activities, adjust the completion costs based on the amount of time the facilities are used for S&E research. For example, if a facility is used for S&E research one-fourth of the time and for instruction the rest of the time, report one-fourth of the completion costs for S&E research facilities.

If you have any questions about which projects to report or how to fill out

the Individual Project Form, please contact the Facilities Survey Help Desk.

Please make additional copies of this form as needed.

Individual Project Form for Question 9

_{Page 3 of 4}

9E. For the portion of this project used for S&E research facilities, what are (1) the completion costs, and
(2) the net assignable square feet, for each field listed below? For multi-year projects, report costs and NASF expected when the project is completed.

Report only fields with costs of $250,000 or more for research facilities.

If research facilities are shared by two or more fields, allocate the appropriate share of the costs to each field in order to determine which fields to report. For example, if a field will have one-fourth of the costs for a $300,000 project, do not report that field’s share, which is $75,000. If a $400,000 project will have two fields with the same costs, do not report either field’s portion, which is $200,000 each.

If research facilities are also used for nonresearch activities, report the S&E research portion of the cost and net assignable square feet for the fields listed below if the research portion is $250,000 or more. For example, if a facility will be used for S&E research one-fourth of the time and for instruction the rest

of the time, report one-fourth of the completion costs for S&E research facilities.

For Field of S&E definitions, see Question 2 on pages 5–7.

	Research facilities
Field of S&E (Include research animal space.)	(1) Completion costs	(2) Net assignable square feet
a. Agricultural sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
b. Biological and biomedical sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
c. Computer and information sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
d. Engineering $ ___________		___________	NASF
e. Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
f. Health sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
g. Mathematics and statistics $ ___________		___________	NASF
h. Natural resources and conservation $ ___________		___________	NASF
i. Physical sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
j. Psychology $ ___________		___________	NASF
k. Social sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
l. Other field of S&E (Please describe.) $ ___________		___________	NASF
_________________________________________

If you have any questions about which projects to report or how to fill out

the Individual Project Form, please contact the Facilities Survey Help Desk.

Please make additional copies of this form as needed.

Individual Project Form for Question 9

_{Page 4 of 4}

Reminder: Please see page 1 for confidentiality of this item.

9F. How much of the completion costs and NASF reported in Question 9E are for research animal space?

Research animal space includes all departmental and central facilities, such as laboratories, housing, and associated support areas, that are subject to local, state, and federal government policies and regulations concerning humane care and use of laboratory animals.

	Completion costs	Net assignable square feet
Research animal portion included in Question 9E (If none, enter “0.”) $ ___________		___________	NASF

9G. If your institution has a medical school, how much of the completion costs and NASF reported in Question 9E are for research facilities located in the medical school?

Medical school is a school that awards the M.D. or D.O. degree.

If your institution does not have a medical

school, check this box and go to Question 10

	Completion costs	Net assignable square feet
Medical school portion included in Question 9E (If none, enter “0.”) $ ___________		___________	NASF

If you have any questions about which projects to report or how to fill out

the Individual Project Form, please contact the Facilities Survey Help Desk.

Question 13: Planned new construction to start in FY 2016 and FY 2017

13. Please provide the estimated completion costs and NASF for planned new construction of S&E research facilities that are funded and scheduled to start in your FY 2016 or FY 2017. Include research animal space in the relevant fields of S&E. Include only projects whose prorated cost was estimated to be $250,000 or more for at least one field of S&E listed below. For multi-year projects, report the entire completion cost even if some work will occur in future years.

Start date is defined as the first placement of permanent construction of a building or addition on site, such as the
pouring of a slab or footing, the installation of piles, the construction of columns or any work beyond the stage of excavation. When determining start date, please exclude planning, demolition, or other site preparation work.

New construction is the construction of a new building or additions to an existing building.

Completion costs include planning, site preparation, construction, fixed equipment, nonfixed equipment that costs
$1 million or more, and building infrastructure such as plumbing, lighting, air exchange, and safety systems either in the building or within 5 feet of the building foundation. Include costs that meet this definition whether they occur before or after the project start date.

If research facilities are shared by two or more fields, allocate the appropriate share of the costs to each field in order to determine which fields to report. For example, if a field will have one-fourth of the costs for a $300,000 project, do not report that field’s share, which is $75,000. If a $400,000 project will have two fields with the same costs, do not report either field’s portion, which is $200,000 each.

If research facilities are also used for nonresearch activities, report the S&E research portion of the costs and net assignable square feet for the fields listed below if the research portion is $250,000 or more. For example, if a facility will be used for S&E research one-fourth of the time and for instruction the rest of the time, report one-fourth of the completion costs for S&E research facilities.

If your institution does not have any planned new
construction projects, check this box and go to Question 15

For Field of S&E definitions, see Question 2 on pages 5–7.

Field of S&E (Include costs for research animal space.)	Planned new construction scheduled to start in FY 2016 or FY 2017
	Completion costs	Net assignable square feet
a. Agricultural sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
b. Biological and biomedical sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
c. Computer and information sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
d. Engineering $ ___________		___________	NASF
e. Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
f. Health sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
g. Mathematics and statistics $ ___________		___________	NASF
h. Natural resources and conservation $ ___________		___________	NASF
i. Physical sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
j. Psychology $ ___________		___________	NASF
k. Social sciences $ ___________		___________	NASF
l. Other field of S&E (Please describe.) $ ___________		___________	NASF

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