[Federal Register: August 28, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 166)]
[Notices]
[Page 49254-49255]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28au07-60]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Expenditures
Incurred by Recipients of Bio-Medical Research and Development Awards
From the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public
and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing
information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. October
29, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230, or via e-mail at
dhynek@doc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlotte Anne Bond, Government Fixed
Assets Branch, Government Division (BE-57), Bureau of Economic
Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; phone:
(202) 606-5581; fax: (202) 606-5369; or via e-mail at
CharlotteAnne.Bond@bea.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) will administer a survey to
obtain the distribution of expenditures incurred by recipients of bio-
medical research awards from the National Institutes of Health Research
(NIH) and will provide information on how the NIH award amounts are
expended across several major categories. This information, along with
wage and price data from other published sources, will be used to
generate the Bio-medical Research and Developmental Price Index
(BRDPI). BEA develops this index for NIH under a reimbursable contract.
The BRDPI is an index of prices paid for the labor, supplies,
equipment, and other inputs required to perform the bio-medical
research the NIH supports in its intramural laboratories and through
its awards to extramural organizations. The BRDPI is a vital tool for
planning the NIH research budget and analyzing future NIH programs. A
survey of award recipient entities is currently the only means for
updating the expenditure categories that are used to prepare the BRDPI.
II. Authority
This survey will be voluntary. The authority for NIH to collect
information for the BRDPI is provided in 45 CFR subpart C, Post-Award
Requirements, section 74.21. This sets forth explicit standards for
grantees in establishing and maintaining financial management systems
and records, and section 74.53 which provides for the retention of such
records as well as NIH access to such records.
BEA will administer the survey and analyze the survey results on
behalf of NIH, through an interagency agreement between the two
agencies. The authority for the NIH to contract with DOC is the Economy
Act (31 U.S.C. 1535 and 1536).
The ``Special Studies'' authority, 15 U.S.C. 1525 (first
paragraph), permits DOC to provide, upon the request of any person,
firm or public or private organization (a) Special studies on matters
within the authority of the Department of Commerce, including preparing
from its records special compilations, lists, bulletins, or reports,
and (b) furnishing transcripts or copies of its studies, compilations
and other records. BEA has programmatic authority to perform this work
pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1527a. NIH's support for this research is
consistent with the Agency's duties and authority under 42 U.S.C. 282.
The information provided by the respondents will be held
confidential and be used for exclusively statistical purposes. This
pledge of confidentiality is made under the Confidential Information
Protection provisions of title V, subtitle A, Public Law 107-347. Title
V is the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency
Act of 2002 (CIPSEA). Section 512 (on Limitations on Use and Disclosure
of Data and Information) of the Act, provides that ``data or
information acquired by an agency under a pledge of confidentiality and
for exclusively statistical purposes shall be used by officers,
employees, or agents of the agency exclusively for statistical
purposes. Data or information acquired by an agency under a pledge of
confidentiality for exclusively statistical purposes shall not be
disclosed by an agency in identifiable form, for any use other than an
exclusively statistical purpose, except with the informed consent of
the respondent.''
Responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in
identifiable form to anyone other than employees or
[[Page 49255]]
agents of BEA without prior written permission of the person filing the
report. By law, each employee as well as each agent is subject to a
jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both for
disclosing to the public any identifiable information that is reported
about a business or institution.
Section 515 of the Information Quality Guidelines applies to this
survey. The collection and use of this information complies with all
applicable information quality guidelines, i.e., those of the Office of
Management and Budget, Department of Commerce, and BEA.
III. Method of Collection
A survey with a cover letter that includes a brief description of,
and rationale for, the survey will be sent by e-mail to potential
respondents by the first week of June of each year. A report of the
respondent's expenditures of the NIH award amounts, following the
proposed format for expenditure categories included with the survey's
cover letter, will be requested to be completed and submitted online no
later than 60 days after mailing. Survey respondents will be selected
on the basis of award levels, which determine the weight of the
respondent in the bio-medical research and development price index.
Potential respondents will include (1) the top 100 organizations in
total awards, which account for about 74 percent of total awards; (2)
40 additional organizations that are not primarily in the ``Research
and Development (R&D) contracts'' category; and (3) 10 additional
organizations that are primarily in the ``R&D contracts'' category.
IV. Data
OMB Number: 0608-0069.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: Universities or other organizations that are NIH
award recipients.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 90.
Estimated Time per Response: 11 hours and 12 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,008.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $41,610.
V. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the NIH, including whether the information has practical utility: (b)
the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours
and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on respondents, including through the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; They also will become a matter of public record.
Dated: August 22, 2007.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-16965 Filed 8-27-07; 8:45 am]
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