[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 146 (Monday, July 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39324-39325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18910]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Notification of Request for Emergency Clearance; Modification of 
OMB Number 0925-0361, ``National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment 
Programs''

SUMMARY: In accordance with section 3507(j) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the National Institutes of Health hereby publishes 
notification of request for Emergency Clearance for modification of the 
information collection related to the ``Loan Repayment Program for 
Health Disparities Research'' and the ``Extramural Clinical Research 
Loan Repayment Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged 
Backgrounds,'' published elsewhere in today's Federal Register. The 
currently approved information collection, ``National Institutes of 
Health Loan Repayment Programs'' (OMB No. 0925-0361), permits the NIH 
to request from applicants information related to eligibility, 
qualifications, career interests and recommendations necessary to 
evaluate their applications for repayment of educational indebtedness 
in return for agreeing to conduct research as an employee of the 
National Institutes of Health. Public Law 106-525 amended the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 288-5) by adding a new section 485G to 
provide repayment of educational loan indebtedness of qualified health 
professionals who are not Federal employees and who agree to conduct 
basic, clinical, or behavioral research directly related to health 
disparities. Public Law 106-554 amended section 487E of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 288-5) to allow expansion of the existing 
program to provide repayment of educational loan indebtedness of 
qualified health professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are 
not Federal employees and who agree to conduct clinical research.
    To implement these new loan repayment programs, NIH must request 
additional information from applicants and the institutions that submit 
applications on their behalf. Specifically, in the case of the Loan 
Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research, information in the 
application will also include: (1) A Research Plan--a description of 
the applicant's proposed role in the research conducted in the 
extramural laboratory or clinical research setting; (2) A brief 
statement addressing the applicant's long-range career plan for 
engaging in research on health disparities; (3) Institutional Assurance 
of future/current employment/affiliation; (4) Description of Training 
Environment, including a Training Plan, describing the applicant's 
mentoring program, the types of training interactions, research methods 
to be used and scientific techniques to be taught, journal clubs or 
groups the applicant will join, conferences and seminars to be 
attended, and a Description of the Advisor's/Supervisor's Research 
Program, with a description of the current research, listing of 
research support and a current C.V. with a list of publications.
    In regard to the Extramural Clinical Research Loan Repayment 
Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds, applicants are 
required to submit: (1) A Research Plan--a description of the 
applicant's proposed clinical research assignment, including the 
applicant's specific responsibilities and roles in conducting the 
research; (2) Institutional Assurance of future/current employment/
affiliation; (3) Description of Training Environment, including a 
Training Plan, describing the applicant's mentoring program, the types 
of training interactions, research methods to be used and scientific 
techniques to be taught, journal clubs or groups the applicant will 
join, conferences and seminars to be attended, and a Description of the 
Advisor/ Supervisor's Research Program, with a description of the 
current research, listing of research support and a current C.V. with a 
list of publications.
    The present modification relates to the additional reporting 
requirement of submission of information and documentation to permit 
the agency to evaluate the eligibility, qualifications, and overall 
merit of the applications, including, for example, the quality of the 
mentoring program, the quality of the mentor/supervisor's research 
program, the proposed training mechanism, and the research methods and 
scientific techniques to be taught.
    The modification is essential to the mission of NIH (42 U.S.C. 241 
and 282(b)) and pursuant to the statutory mandates of 42 U.S.C. 287c-33 
and 42 U.S.C. 288-5a requiring the NIH to establish loan repayment 
programs for eligible qualified health professionals, not employed by 
the Federal Government, who enter into contracts with the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services (HHS) to engage in minority health 
disparities research and for qualified health professionals from 
disadvantaged backgrounds, not employed by the Federal Government, who 
enter into contracts with the Secretary, HHS, to conduct clinical 
research.
    The United States Congress conducted hearings to establish these 
expansions of the National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Programs 
on the basis of which it determined that these measures are essential 
to the public welfare. In view of the record established in legislative 
hearings and congressional deliberations, NIH is herewith requesting 
that OMB approve the modification of the collection of information 
simultaneously with the publication of this Federal Register Notice and 
the publication of the Program Announcements in the Federal Register.

Proposed Collection

    Title: National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Programs. Type 
of Information Collection Request: REVISION. Need and Use of 
Information Collection: The additional NEW reporting requirement is 
needed to permit the agency to evaluate the eligibility, qualifications 
and overall merit of the applications. Frequency of Response: One-time 
response to accommodate NEW programs. Affected Public: Individuals or 
households; Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions; 
State, local or tribal Government. Type of Respondents: Loan Repayment 
Program Applicants; Scientific and Clinical Researchers; Research and 
Academic Institutions; Lending Organizations and Banks. The annual 
reporting burden was: Estimated Number of Respondents: 990. Estimated 
Number of Responses per Respondent: 1. Average Burden Hours Per 
Response: 1.53. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 1,424. 
The NEW annual reporting burden is as follows: Estimated Number of 
Respondents: 1,540. Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.02. 
Average Burden Hours Per Response: 1.43. Estimated Total Annual Burden 
Hours Requested:

[[Page 39325]]

2,214. There are no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or 
Maintenance Costs to report.
    NIH is herewith requesting that OMB approve the modification of the 
collection of information simultaneously with the publication of this 
Federal Register notice and the publication of the Program 
Announcements in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Management and Budget, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, New Executive Office 
Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Stuart Shapiro, 
Desk Officer for NIH.

    Dated: July 13, 2001.
Ruth L. Kirschstein,
Acting Director, NIH.
[FR Doc. 01-18910 Filed 7-27-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P