[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 237 (Friday, December 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71822-71823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27116]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Office of Loan Repayment; 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, 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 12/
31/04). Form Numbers: NIH 2674-1, NIH 2674-2, NIH 2674-3, NIH 2674-4, 
NIH 2674-5, NIH 2674-6, NIH 2674-7, NIH 2674-8, NIH 2674-9, NIH 2674-
10, NIH 2674-11, NIH 2674-12, and NIH 2674-14. Need and Use of 
Information Collection: The NIH makes available financial assistance, 
in the form of educational loan repayment, to M.D., Ph.D., Pharm.D., 
D.D.S., D.M.D., D.P.M., D.C., and N.D. degree holders, or the 
equivalent, who perform biomedical or biobehavioral research in NIH 
intramural laboratories or as extramural grantees for a minimum of 2 
years (3 years for the General Research Loan Repayment Program) 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 
Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program for Individuals from 
Disadvantaged Backgrounds (CR-LRP) is authorized by Section 487E (42 
U.S.C. 288-5); the General Research Loan Repayment Program (GR-LRP) is 
authorized by Section 487C (42 U.S.C. 288-3); the Loan Repayment 
Program Regarding Clinical Researchers (LRP-CR) is authorized by 
Section 487F (42 U.S.C. 288-5a); the Pediatric Research Loan Repayment 
Program (PR-LRP) is authorized by Section 487F (42 U.S.C. 288-6); the 
Extramural Clinical Research LRP for Individuals from Disadvantaged 
Backgrounds (ECR-LRP) is authorized by an amendment to Section 487E (42 
U.S.C. 288-5); the Contraception and Infertility Research LRP (CIR-LRP) 
is authorized by Section 487B (42 U.S.C. 288-2); and the Health 
Disparities Research Loan Repayment Program (HD-LRP) is authorized by 
Section 485G (42 U.S.C. 287c-33).
    The Loan Repayment Programs provide for the repayment of up to 
$35,000 a year of the principal and interest of the educational loan 
debt of qualified health professionals who agree to conduct qualifying 
research for each year of obligated service. The information proposed 
for collection will be used to determine an applicant's eligibility for 
participation in the program.
    Frequency of Response: Initial application and annual renewal 
application. Affected Public: Applicants, financial institutions, 
research institutions, recommenders. Type of Respondents: Physicians, 
other scientific or medical personnel, and organizational officials. 
The annual reporting burden is as follows:

[[Page 71823]]



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                                                                     Estimated
                                                     Number of       number of        Average     Annual  burden
               Type of respondents                  respondents    responses per   burden hours        hours
                                                                    respondent     per response      requested
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intramural LRPs:
    Initial Applicants..........................              75               1            9.08          681.00
    Recommenders................................             225               1            0.50          112.50
    Financial Institutions......................             375               1            0.33          123.75
                                                 -----------------
        Subtotal................................             675  ..............  ..............          917.25
Extramural LRPs:
    Initial Applicants..........................           2,000               1            9.83       19,660.00
    Recommenders................................           6,000          1 0.50        3,000.00
    Advisors/Supervisors........................           2,000               1            1.50        3,000.00
                                                 -----------------
    Financial Institutions......................          10,000               1            0.33        3,300.00
        Subtotal................................          20,000  ..............  ..............       28,960.00
Extramural LRPS:
    Renewal Applicants..........................             800               1            7.08        5,664.00
    Recommenders................................           2,400               1            0.50        1,200.00
    Advisors/Supervisors........................             800               1            1.50        1,200.00
                                                 -----------------
        Subtotal................................           4,000  ..............  ..............        8,064.00
                                                 =================
            Total...............................          24,675  ..............  ..............       37,941.25
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at $1,308,265. 
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 Stephen J. Boehlert, Director of Operations, 
Office of Loan Repayment, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive 
Boulevard, Room 206 (MSC 7650), Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7650. (Mr. 
Boehlert can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected] or by 
calling (301) 451-4465 (not a toll-free number).
    Comment Dates: Comments regarding this information collection are 
best assured of having their full effect if received within 60 days of 
the date of this publication.

    Dated: December 1, 2004.
Raynard S. Kington,
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 04-27116 Filed 12-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P