[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 91 (Thursday, May 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23878-23879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11817]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


Notice of Intent To Revise and Request an Extension of 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 and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) implementing regulations, this 
notice announces the Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service's (CSREES) intention to revise and extend a currently 
approved information collection, Form CSREES-667 ``Proposal Cover 
Sheet,'' and Form CSREES-668, ``Project Summary.''

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before July 16, 
2001 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments regarding this notice to Sally J. 
Rockey, Deputy Administrator, Competitive Research Grants and Awards 
Management, CSREES, USDA, STOP 2240, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-2240. E-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sally J. Rockey, (202) 401-1761.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Grant Application Forms for the Small Business Innovation 
Research Grants Program.
    OMB Number: 0524-0025.
    Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 2001.
    Type of Request: Intent to revise and extend a currently approved 
information collection for three years.
    Abstract: In 1982, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 
Program was authorized by Pub. L. 97-219, and in 1992 reauthorized 
through October 1, 2000, by Pub. L. 102-564. In 2000, the SBIR program 
was reauthorized through September 30, 2008, by Pub. L. 106-554. 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 Agreements and Special Projects 
Branch and 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 requests that 
applicants submit proposals following the format outlined in the Small 
Business Administration (SBA) Policy Directive. 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 also uses forms approved in the OMB-approved 
collection of information package 0524-0039. These forms include Form

[[Page 23879]]

CSREES-2004, ``Budget;'' Form CSREES-2006, ``National Environmental 
Policy Act Exclusions Form;'' and Form CSREES-2008, ``Assurance 
Statement(s)--For Research Projects.''
    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:
    Forms 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 minority and 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 5.15 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 Number of Responses Per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,472 hours, broken 
down by: 672 hours for Form CSREES-667 (1.4 hours per 480 respondents) 
and 1,800 hours for Form CSREES-668 (3.75 hours per 480 respondents).
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Duane 
Alphs, Policy and Program Liaison Staff, CSREES, (202) 401-3319. 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 should be 
sent to the address stated in the preamble.
    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, DC 
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, DC, this 2d day of May, 2001.
Colien Hefferan,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service.
[FR Doc. 01-11817 Filed 5-9-01; 8:45 am]
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