[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 134 (Monday, July 14, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37538-37539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-18299]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


Notice of Intent to Extend a Currently Approved Information 
Collection

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, 
USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995(Pub. L. 
104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR 
Part 1320 (60 FR 44977, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the 
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service's (CSREES) 
intention to request an extension for three years for a currently 
approved information collection in support of programs administered by 
CSREES's Higher Education Programs (HEP) unit.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by September 17, 1997 
to be assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Sally J. Rockey, Deputy 
Administrator, Competitive Research Grants and Awards Management, 
CSREES, USDA, STOP 2240, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20250-2240; Telephone: (202) 401-1766; E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: CSREES/Higher Education Grants Program.
    OMB Number: 0524-0030.
    Expiration Date of Current Approval: September 30, 1997.
    Type of Request: Intent to extend a currently approved information 
collection for three years.
    Abstract: The HEP unit of USDA/CSREES administers several 
competitive, peer-reviewed research and teaching programs, under which 
grants of a high-priority nature are awarded. These programs are 
authorized pursuant to the authorities contained in the National 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as 
amended (7 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), section 1417(b)(1) for the Challenge 
Grants Program (7 U.S.C. 3152), section 1417(b)(4) for the Capacity 
Building Grants Program (7 U.S.C. 3152), section 1455 for the Hispanic-
Serving Institutions Education Grants Program (7 U.S.C. 3241), and the 
Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 et 
seq.) for the Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants Program.
    The Challenge Grants Program is intended to assist colleges and 
universities in the United States in providing high quality educational 
programs in the food and agricultural sciences. The Capacity Building 
Grants Program is intended to strengthen the teaching and research 
capabilities of the sixteen 1890 historically black Land-Grant 
Institutions and Tuskegee University. The Hispanic-Serving Institutions 
Education Grants Program is intended to promote and strengthen the 
ability of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to carry out educational 
programs. The Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants Program is 
intended to support projects that strengthen academic programs at the 
1994 Land-Grant Institutions. All of these programs will, in turn, 
attract outstanding students and produce graduates capable of 
strengthening the Nation's food and agricultural scientific and 
professional work force.
    Before awards can be made, certain information is required from 
applicants as part of an overall proposal package. In addition to 
project summaries, descriptions of the research or teaching efforts, 
literature reviews, curricula vitae of principal investigators, and 
other, relevant technical aspects of the proposed project, supporting 
documentation of an administrative and budgetary nature also must be 
provided. Because of the nature of the competitive, peer-reviewed 
process, it is important that information from applicants be available 
in a standardized format to ensure equitable treatment.
    Each year, HEP solicitations are issued requesting proposals for 
various

[[Page 37539]]

research and teaching areas targeted for support. Applicants submit 
proposals for these targeted research and teaching areas following the 
format outlined in the proposal application guidelines accompanying 
each solicitation. These proposals are evaluated by peer review panels 
and awarded on a competitive basis.
    These programs have been using forms that have been approved in an 
OMB-approved collection of information package (OMB No. 0524-0030).
    Forms CSREES-662, ``Assurance Statement(s);'' CSREES-663, ``Current 
and Pending Support;'' CSREES-708, ``Summary Vita--Teaching Proposal;'' 
CSREES-710, ``Summary Vita--Research Proposal;'' CSREES-711, ``Intent 
to Submit a Proposal;'' CSREES-712, ``Higher Education Proposal Cover 
Page;'' and CSREES-713, ``Higher Education Budget'' are mainly used for 
proposal evaluation and administration purposes. While some of the 
information will be used to respond to inquiries from Congress and 
other government agencies, the forms are not designed to be statistical 
surveys or data collection instruments. Their completion by potential 
recipients is a normal part of the application to Federal agencies 
which support basic and applied scientific research.
    The following information has been collected and will continue to 
be collected:
    Form CSREES-662--Assurances: Provides required assurances of 
compliance with regulations involving the protection of human subjects, 
animal welfare, and recombinant DNA research.
    Form CSREES-663--Current and Pending Support: Provides information 
for active and pending projects an applicant may have.
    Form CSREES-708--Teaching Credentials: Identifies key personnel 
contributing substantially to the conduct of a teaching project and 
provides pertinent information concerning their backgrounds.
    Form CSREES-710--Research Credentials: Identifies key personnel 
contributing substantially to the conduct of a research project and 
provides pertinent information concerning their backgrounds. Currently, 
the only program using this form is the Capacity Building Grants 
Program.
    Form CSREES-711--Intent to Submit: Provides names, addresses, and 
phone numbers of project directors and authorized agents of applicant 
institutions and general information regarding potential proposals.
    Form CSREES-712--Proposal Identification: Provides names, 
addresses, and phone numbers of project directors and authorized agents 
of applicant institutions and general information regarding the 
proposals.
    Form CSREES-713--Budget: Provides a breakdown of the purposes for 
which funds will be spent in the event of a grant award.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 6.75 hours per response.
    Respondents: Non-profit institutions, individuals, businesses, 
Federal Government, and State, Local, or Tribal Governments.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Form: 200 for Form CSREES-710; 
400 for Form CSREES-708; and 600 each for Forms CSREES-662, CSREES-663, 
CSREES-711, CSREES-712 and CSREES-713.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 3,450 hours, broken 
down by: 150 hours for Form CSREES-662 (one-quarter hour per 600 
respondents); 150 hours for Form CSREES-663 (one-quarter hour per 600 
respondents); 400 hours for Form CSREES-708 (one hour per 400 
respondents); 200 hours for Form CSREES-710 (one hour per 200 
respondents); 150 hours for Form CSREES-711 (one-quarter hour per 600 
respondents); 1,800 hours for Form CSREES-712 (3 hours per 600 
respondents); 600 hours for Form CSREES-713 (one hour per 600 
respondents).
    Frequency of Responses: Annually.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Suzanne 
Plimpton, Policy and Program Liaison Staff, CSREES; Telephone: (202) 
401-1302; E-mail: [email protected].
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (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 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments may be 
sent to: Sally J. Rockey, Deputy Administrator, Competitive Research 
Grants and Awards Management, CSREES, USDA, STOP 2240, 1400 
Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-2240; Telephone: 
(202) 401-1766; E-mail: [email protected]. Comments also may be submitted 
directly to OMB and should be addressed to: Desk Officer for 
Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. 20502.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments also will become a matter of 
public record.

    Done at Washington, D.C., this 8th day of July, 1997.
B.H. Robinson,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service .
[FR Doc. 97-18299 Filed 7-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P