[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10404-10405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5334]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Office of Loan Repayment and Scholarship; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Programs

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment 
on proposed data collection projects, the Office of Loan Repayment and 
Scholarship, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will publish 
periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.

Proposed Collection

    Title: National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Programs. Type 
of Information Collection Request: Revision of currently approved 
collection (OMB No. 0925-0361, expiration date 6/30/98). Form Numbers: 
NIH 2674-1, NIH 2674-2, and NIH 2674-3. Need and Use of Information 
Collection: The NIH makes available financial assistance, in the form 
of educational loan repayment, to M.D., Ph.D., D.D.S., D.M.D., and 
D.V.M. degree holders, or the equivalent, who perform biomedical or 
biobehavioral research in NIH intramural laboratories for a minimum of 
2 years in research areas supporting the mission and priorities of the 
NIH. The AIDS Research Loan Repayment Program (AIDS-LRP) is authorized 
by Section 487A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 288-1); the 
General Research Loan Repayment Program (General-LRP) is authorized by 
section 487C of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 288-3); and 
the Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program (CR-LRP) is authorized by 
section 487E (42 U.S.C. 288-5). The loan repayment programs can repay a 
maximum of $20,000 per year toward a participant's extant eligible 
educational loans, directly to lenders, in addition to NIH salary and 
benefits. Participants must have qualifying educational debt in excess 
of 20 percent of their annual NIH base salaries on the expected data of 
program eligibility. The information proposed for collection will be 
used by the Office of Loan Repayment and Scholarship to

[[Page 10405]]

determine an applicant's eligibility for participation in the program. 
Frequency of Response: Initial application and annual renewal 
application. Affected Public: Applicants, financial institutions, 
recommenders. Type of Respondents: Physicians and other scientific or 
medical personnel.
    The annual reporting burden is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      Estimated 
                                                                            Estimated     Average       total   
                                                               Estimated    number of      burden       annual  
                     Type of respondents                       number of    responses    hours per      burden  
                                                              respondents      per        response      hours   
                                                                            respondent                requested 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applicant...................................................          110          1.0         9.80        1,078
Recommenders................................................          330          1.0         0.50          165
Financial Institutions......................................          550          1.0         0.33          181
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
      Totals................................................          990  ...........  ...........        1,424
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at $33,575.46. 
There are no capital costs, operating costs, or maintenance costs to 
report.

Request for Comments

    Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1) 
Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) 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; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including the 
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other 
technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy 
of the data collection plans and instruments, contact: Marc S. 
Horowitz, J.D., Director, Office of Loan Repayment and Scholarship, 
National Institutes of Health, 7550 Wisconsin Avenue, Room 604, 
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9121. Dr. Horowitz can be contacted via e-mail 
at [email protected] or by calling (301) 402-5666 (not a toll-free number).

COMMENTS DUE DATE: Comments regarding this information collection are 
best assured of having their full effect if received on or before May 
4, 1998.

    Dated: February 19, 1998.
Ruth L. Kirschstein,
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 98-5334 Filed 3-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M