[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 64 (Wednesday, April 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15801-15802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8052]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed information Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection requests.

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SUMMARY: The Leader, Regulatory Information Management, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, invites comments on the proposed information 
collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: An emergency review has been requested in accordance with the 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 3507 (j)), since public harm is reasonably 
likely to result if normal clearance procedures are followed. Approval 
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been requested by 
April 10, 2002. A regular clearance process is also beginning. 
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before June 3, 
2002.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the emergency review should be 
addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: Karen Lee, Desk Officer: Department of Education, Office of 
Management and Budget; 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10235, New Executive 
Office Building, Washington, DC 20503 or should be electronically

[[Page 15802]]

mailed to the Internet address [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Director of OMB 
provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity 
to comment on information collection requests. The Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) may amend or waive the requirement for public 
consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval 
process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate 
State or Federal law, or substantially interfere with any agency's 
ability to perform its statutory obligations. The Leader, Information 
Management Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer, publishes 
this notice containing proposed information collection requests at the 
beginning of the Departmental review of the information collection. 
Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the 
following: (1) Type of review requested, e.g., new, revision, 
extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of the 
collection; (4) Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the 
information; (5) Respondents and frequency of collection; and (6) 
Reporting and/or Recordkeeping burden. ED invites public comment. The 
Department of Education is especially interested in public comment 
addressing the following issues: (1) is this collection necessary to 
the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be 
processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden 
accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the 
Department minimize the burden of this collection on respondents, 
including through the use of information technology.

    Dated: March 29, 2002.
John D. Tressler,
Leader, Regulatory Information Management, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.

Office of Educational Research and Improvement

    Type of Review: New.
    Title: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program--Phase I--
Grant Application Package.
    Abstract: This application package invites small business concerns 
to submit a Phase I research application for the Small Business 
Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This is in response to Pub. L. 106-
554, the ``Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000, H.R. 5667'' (the 
``Act'') enacted on December 21, 2000. The Act requires certain 
agencies, including the Department of Education (ED), to establish a 
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program by reserving a 
statutory percentage of their extramural research and development 
budgets to be awarded to small business concerns for research or R&D 
through a uniform, highly competitive, three-phase process each fiscal 
year.
    Additional Information: The Act further requires the Small Business 
Administration (SBA) to issue policy directives for the general conduct 
of the SBIR programs within the Federal Government. In order to avoid 
public harm and comply with the law and SBA Policy Directives, the 
Department is requesting an emergency clearance by April 10, 2002. This 
is the only way to assure that applicants have an adequate response 
time, that their applications receive an expert peer review, and that 
their awards are made before the end of the fiscal year.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.
    Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:
      Responses: 250.
      Burden Hours: 10,000.
    Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request 
may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting ``Browse 
Pending Collections'' and clicking on link number. When you access the 
information collection, click on ``Download Attachments'' to view. 
Written requests for information should be addressed to Vivian Reese, 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4050, Regional 
Office Building 3, Washington, DC 20202-4651 or to the e-mail address 
[email protected]. Requests may also be electronically mailed to the 
Internet address [email protected] or faxed to 202-708-9346. Please 
specify the complete title of the information collection when making 
your request.
    Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity 
requirements should be directed to Kathy Axt at (540) 776-7742 or via 
her Internet address [email protected]. Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

[FR Doc. 02-8052 Filed 4-2-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4001-01-P