[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 168 (Friday, August 29, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52045-52046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-22085]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request: Pretesting of NCI 
Office of Communications Messages

    Summary: Under the provisions of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), 
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and approval of the 
information collection listed below. This proposed information 
collection was previously published in the Federal Register on April 3, 
2003, page 16295 and allowed 60 days for public comment. No public 
comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow an 
additional 30 days for public comment. The National Institutes of 
Health may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required 
to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, 
revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Proposed Collection

    Title: Pretesting of NCI Office of Communications Messages.
    Type of Information Collection Request: Extension (OMB  
0925-0046, expires 8/31/03).
    Need and Use of Information Collection: In order to carry out NCI's 
legislative mandate to educate and disseminate information about cancer 
prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment to a wide variety of 
audiences and organizations (e.g., cancer patients, their families, the 
general public, health providers, the media, voluntary groups, 
scientific and medical organizations), the NCI Office of Communications 
(OC) needs to pretest its communications strategies, concepts, and 
messages while they are under development. The primary purpose of this 
pretesting, or formative evaluation, is to ensure that the messages, 
communication materials, and information services created by OC have 
the greatest capacity of being received, understood, and accepted by 
their target audiences. By utilizing appropriate qualitative and 
quantitative methodologies, OC is able to (1) understand 
characteristics of the intended target audience--their attitudes, 
beliefs and behaviors--and use this information in the development of 
effective communication tools and strategies; (2) produce or refine 
messages that have the greatest potential to influence target audience 
attitudes and behavior in a positive manner; and (3) expend limited 
program resource dollars wisely and effectively.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Businesses or other for 
profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Federal Government; State, local 
or tribal Government.
    Type of Respondents: Adult cancer patients; members of the public; 
health care professionals; organizational representatives.
    The annual reporting burden is as follows:
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 13,780;
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1;
    Average Burden Hours Per Response: .1458; and

[[Page 52046]]

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 2,010. There are no 
Capital Costs, Operating Costs and/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.
    Direct Comments to OMB: Written comments and/or suggestions 
regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding 
the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be 
directed to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Regulatory 
Affairs, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503, Attention: Desk Officer for NIH. To request more information on 
the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans 
and instruments, contact Ellen Eisner, Communications Research Manager, 
OC Director's Office, NCI, NIH, Building 31, Room 10A03, 9000 Rockville 
Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, or call non-toll-free number (301) 435-7783 
or e-mail your request, including your address to: 
[email protected].
    Comment Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection 
are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days 
of the date of this publication.

    Dated: August 21, 2003.
Reesa Nichols,
Project Clearance Liaison, NCI.
[FR Doc. 03-22085 Filed 8-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M