[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 239 (Friday, December 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65588-65589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32542]


      

[[Page 65587]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part IV





Department of Agriculture





_______________________________________________________________________



Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; Notice of 
Intent To Extend a Currently Approved Information Collection; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 1997 / 
Notices  

[[Page 65588]]



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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as 
amended, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, and Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320, 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 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants Programs.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by February 17, 1998 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Sarah J. Rockey, Deputy 
Administrator, Competitive Research Grants and Awards Management, 
CSREES, USDA, STOP 2240, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20250-2240, (202) 401-1761. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Grant Application Forms for the Small Business Innovation 
Research Grants Program.
    OMB Number: 0524-0025.
    Expiration Date of Current Approval: May 31, 1998.
    Type of Request: Intent to extend a currently approved information 
collection for three years.
    Abstract: In 1982, the SBIR Program was authorized by Pub. L. 97-
219, and in 1992 reauthorized through October 1, 2000, by Pub. L. 102-
564. This legislation requires each Federal agency with a research and 
research and development budget in excess of $100 million to establish 
an SBIR program. The objectives of the SBIR Program are to stimulate 
technological innovation in the private sector, strengthen the role of 
small businesses in meeting Federal research and development needs, 
increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from 
USDA-supported research and development efforts, and foster and 
encourage participation by women-owned and socially and economically 
disadvantaged small business firms in technological innovation. The 
Program is carried out in three separate phases. The purpose of Phase I 
is to determine the scientific or technical feasibility of ideas; Phase 
II is the principal research or research and development effort; and 
Phase III is to stimulate technological innovation and the national 
return on investment from research through the pursuit of commercial 
objectives resulting from work carried out in Phases I and II.
    USDA conducts its SBIR program through the use of grants awards and 
these grants are administered by the Grants Management Branch, Office 
of Extramural Programs, Competitive Research Grants and Awards 
Management, CSREES. Each year, USDA issues an SBIR program solicitation 
requesting Phase I proposals. These proposals are evaluated by peer 
review panels and awarded on a competitive basis. The SBIR Program 
Solicitation follows the format outlined in the Small Business 
Administration (SBA) Policy Directive for solicitation and proposal 
requirements. This simplified and standardized proposal format is used 
by all of the Federal agencies participating in the SBIR Program in 
order to reduce the application burden of the small business firms that 
wish to apply to more than one agency.
    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.
    This program uses forms that were approved in OMB-approved 
collection of information packages (OMB No. 0524-0022 and 0524-0033).
    Forms CSREES-667, ``Phase I and Phase II Proposal Cover Sheet;'' 
and CSREES-668, ``Phase I and Phase II Project Summary'' are used to 
obtain USDA recordkeeping data, required certifications, and 
information used to respond to inquiries from Congress, other 
Government agencies, and the grantee community concerning grant 
projects supported by the USDA SBIR Program.
    The following information has been collected and will continue to 
be collected:
    Form CSREES-667--Identification: designates the research topic area 
under which a proposal is submitted for consideration; USDA 
recordkeeping data: provides names and addresses of principal 
investigators and authorized agents of small business firms; and 
Certifications: Provides required certifications; for example, the 
applicant qualifies as a small business for purposes of the SBIR 
Program; the applicant qualifies as a socially and economically 
disadvantaged and/or women-owned small business.
    Form CSREES-668--Project Summary: Provides a Technical Abstract 
used when releasing information about grant projects supported and 
keywords to identify the technology/research thrust/commercial 
application of the projects.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 4 hours per response.
    Respondents: Businesses or other for-profits.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Form: 480 for Form CSREES-667 and 
480 for Form CSREES-668.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,920 hours, broken 
down by: 960 hours for Form CSREES-667 (two hours per 480 respondents) 
and 960 hours for Form CSREES-668 (two hours per 480 respondents).
    Frequency of Responses: Annually.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Suzanne 
Plimpton, Policy and Program Liaison Staff, CSREES, (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: Sarah J. Rockey, Deputy Administrator, Competitive Research 
Grants and Awards Management, CSREES, USDA, STOP 2240, 1400 
Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-2240, (202) 401-1761. 
E-mail: [email protected]. Comments also may

[[Page 65589]]

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 December, 1997.
Colien Hefferan,
Associate Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service.
[FR Doc. 97-32542 Filed 12-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P