[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 31 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7442-7443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-2636]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


National Institutes of Health Proposed Collection; Proposed 
Reinstatement of Collection With Changes; Comment Request; Second 
National Survey To Evaluate the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

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 the Director (OD), 
Office of Extramural Research (OER), Office of Extramural Programs 
(OEP), 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: The Second National Survey to Evaluate the Outcomes of the 
NIH SBIR Program. Type of Information Collection Request: Reinstatement 
with changes.
    Need and Use of the Information Collection: The NIH, Office of the 
Director, (OD), Office of Extramural Research (OER), Office of 
Extramural Programs (OEP) will seek OMB approval to reinstate with 
changes a prior approved collection to conduct a second survey to 
evaluate the outcomes of the NIH Small Business Innovation Research 
(SBIR) Program. The SBIR Program, established by Congress in 1982 (Pub. 
Law No. 97-219), and reauthorized through September 30, 2008 (Pub. Law 
No. 106-554; 15 U.S.C. Sec.  638), provides research support to small 
businesses for innovative technology. OMB approved the information 
collection associated with the initial National Survey to Evaluate the 
NIH SBIR Program on March 15, 2002 (OMB Control No. 0925-0499), 
expiration April 30, 2003. Through the first National Survey to 
Evaluate the NIH SBIR Program, NIH was able to obtain data 
demonstrating significant SBIR programmatic results. For example, 
seventy-three percent of the 768 awardee respondents reported 
commercializing new or improved products, processes, usages, and/or 
services in health-related fields. Other evidence of commercialization 
from the survey were that SBIR projects developed 48 drugs and medical 
devices receiving FDA approval; 281 awardees received additional 
funding from non-SBIR sources; and 436 awardees engaged in ongoing or 
completed marketing activities.
    NIH will seek OMB approval to reinstate this information collection 
with changes with the primary objective to assess the extent to which 
the SBIR program goals continue to be met, particularly those dealing 
with the commercialization of research products, processes or services 
and the uncovering of new knowledge that will lead to better health for 
everyone. With outcome data, NIH will be able to more accurately assess 
the results of its large financial investment in funding innovative 
research conducted by small business concerns. Findings will help NIH 
to (1) Uunderstand if innovative projects supported through the NIH 
SBIR Program are being commercialized and if so, to classify the types 
of

[[Page 7443]]

products, processes or services that are derived through SBIR funding; 
(2) determine if other measures of success defined within the NIH 
mission are being achieved; and (3) enhance NIH's administration of the 
SBIR Program and the support that it provides to small business 
concerns. Overall, the NIH will use the evaluation results to assess 
the outcomes from NIH-supported SBIR awards. The evaluation results 
will provide OD with the information necessary to make quality 
improvements to the SBIR program and enhance program performance in 
generating significant outcomes. The Government Performance and Results 
Act of 1993 (GPRA) mandates that Federal programs improve their 
effectiveness and public accountability by focusing on results. The OMB 
developed the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) to monitor 
compliance with the GPRA and to rate federal programs for their 
effectiveness and ability to show results. It is anticipated that 
results from a second survey will assist NIH in demonstrating that it 
is meeting its GPRA goals for the NIH SBIR Program. Using an Internet 
survey OD will collect information Phase II SBIR awardees from fiscal 
years (FY) 2002 through 2006. The online survey will be implemented 
using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology and password 
access. OD will use e-mail messages to advise awardees that they have 
been selected to participate in the survey.
    Frequency of Response: One time.
    Affected Public: Small business concerns supported by NIH through 
the SBIR Program.
    Type of Respondents: For-profit small business concerns that 
received an NIH SBIR Phase II award from (FY 2002-2006). The annual 
reporting burden is as follows:
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,000; Estimated Number of 
Responses Per Respondent: 1; Averaged Burden Hours Per Response: .5; 
and Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 500. The annualized 
cost to the public is estimated at $37, 500. There are no Capital 
Costs, Operating Costs and/or Maintenance Costs to report.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Estimated                         Estimated
                                                 Estimated        number of      Average burden    total annual
             Type of respondents                 number of      responses per      hours per       burden hours
                                                respondents       respondent        response        requested
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For-profit small business concerns that have            1000                1              0.5              500
 received an NIH SBIR Phase II award from
 (FY 2002-2006).............................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Requests 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 functions of the agency, 
including whether the information shall have practical utility; (2) The 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and 
cost) of the proposed information collection; (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 
respondents, including through 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: Ms. Jo Anne Goodnight, NIH SBIR/STTR Program 
Coordinator, Rockledge I Bldg., Room 3538, 6705 Rockledge Drive, 
Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, or call non-toll-free number (301) 435-2688 or 
E-mail your request, including your address, to: [email protected].
    Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection 
are best assured of having their full effect if received on or before 
April 13, 2007.

    Dated: February 7, 2007.
Jo Anne Goodnight,
Coordinator, Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business 
Technology Transfer Program Office of Extramural Programs, Office of 
Extramural Research, Office of the Director, National Institutes of 
Health.
[FR Doc. E7-2636 Filed 2-14-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P