[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5495-5496]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2508]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 22 / Tuesday, February 3, 1998 / 
Notices  

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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, 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 Higher Education Programs (HEP) unit.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 9, 1998 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, (202) 401-1761. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: CSREES/Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs 
Graduate Fellowships Grants Program Application Guidelines.
    OMB Number: 0524-0024.
    Expiration Date of Current Approval: August 31, 1998.
    Type of Request: Intent to extend a currently approved information 
collection for three years.
    Abstract: The HEP unit of USDA/CSREES administers a competitive, 
peer-reviewed research and teaching program, under which grants of a 
high-priority nature are awarded. This program is authorized pursuant 
to the authorities contained in section 1417(b)(6) of the National 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as 
amended (7 U.S.C. 3152(b)(6)), for the Food and Agricultural Sciences 
National Needs Graduate Fellowships Program.
    This program is conducted to help meet the Nation's needs for food 
and agricultural scientific and professional expertise. These 
fellowships are intended to encourage outstanding students to pursue 
and complete a graduate degree in an area of the food and agricultural 
sciences for which development of scientific expertise is designated by 
HEP-CSREES as a national need.
    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 teaching areas targeted for support. Applicants submit 
proposals for these targeted 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.
    This program uses forms that were approved in an OMB-approved 
collection of information package (OMB No. 0524-0024).
    The National Needs Graduate Fellowships Grants Program Summary (not 
numbered), Forms CSREES-701, ``Proposal Cover Page;'' CSREES-702, 
``National Need Summary;'' CSREES-703, ``Proposal Budget;'' CSREES-706, 
``Intent to Submit;'' CSREES-707, ``Fellowship Appointment 
Documentation;'' CSREES-708, ``Summary Vita--Teaching Proposal;'' 
CSREES-709, ``Graduate Fellow Exit Report'' 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 science.
    The following information is collected from each applicant:
    Form CSREES-701--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-702--National Need Summary: Provides a summary for the 
national need area addressed in the proposal.
    Form CSREES-703--Budget: Provides a breakdown of the purposes for 
which funds will be spent in the event of a grant award.
    Form CSREES-706--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-707--Fellowship Appointment Documentation: Completed by 
project directors awarded grants under the program. Provides 
documentation of fellowship appointments, pertinent demographic data on 
fellows supported under the program.
    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-709--Graduate Fellow Exit Report: Provides 
documentation of fellows' completion of the program.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 23 hours per response for 
applicants and two hours per response for grantees.
    Respondents: Non-profit institutions, individuals, and State, 
local, or Tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Form: For applicants: 200 each 
for the

[[Page 5496]]

National Needs Narrative (not numbered), Forms CSREES-701, CSREES-702, 
CSREES-703, CSREES-706, and 400 for CSREES-708. For grantees: 100 each 
for Forms CSREES-707 and CSREES-709.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: For applicants: 9,233 
hours, broken down by: 50 hours for Form CSREES-701 (one-quarter hour 
per 200 respondents); 300 hours for Form CSREES-702 (one and one-half 
hours per 200 respondents); 50 hours for Form CSREES-703 (one-quarter 
hour per 200 respondents); 33 hours for Form CSREES-706 (10 minutes per 
200 respondents); 2,800 hours for Form CSREES-708 (seven hours per 400 
respondents); and 6,000 hours for the National Need Narrative (30 hours 
per 200 respondents). For grantees, this estimate is 225 hours, broken 
down by: 25 hours for Form CSREES-707 (one-quarter hour per 100 
respondents); and 200 hours for Form CSREES-709 (two hours per 100 
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: 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, (202) 401-1761. 
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 22nd day of January, 1998.
B.H. Robinson,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-2508 Filed 2-2-98; 8:45 am]
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