[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49254-49255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16965]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Expenditures 
Incurred by Recipients of Bio-Medical Research and Development Awards 
From the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. October 
29, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230, or via e-mail at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlotte Anne Bond, Government Fixed 
Assets Branch, Government Division (BE-57), Bureau of Economic 
Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; phone: 
(202) 606-5581; fax: (202) 606-5369; or via e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) will administer a survey to 
obtain the distribution of expenditures incurred by recipients of bio-
medical research awards from the National Institutes of Health Research 
(NIH) and will provide information on how the NIH award amounts are 
expended across several major categories. This information, along with 
wage and price data from other published sources, will be used to 
generate the Bio-medical Research and Developmental Price Index 
(BRDPI). BEA develops this index for NIH under a reimbursable contract. 
The BRDPI is an index of prices paid for the labor, supplies, 
equipment, and other inputs required to perform the bio-medical 
research the NIH supports in its intramural laboratories and through 
its awards to extramural organizations. The BRDPI is a vital tool for 
planning the NIH research budget and analyzing future NIH programs. A 
survey of award recipient entities is currently the only means for 
updating the expenditure categories that are used to prepare the BRDPI.

II. Authority

    This survey will be voluntary. The authority for NIH to collect 
information for the BRDPI is provided in 45 CFR subpart C, Post-Award 
Requirements, section 74.21. This sets forth explicit standards for 
grantees in establishing and maintaining financial management systems 
and records, and section 74.53 which provides for the retention of such 
records as well as NIH access to such records.
    BEA will administer the survey and analyze the survey results on 
behalf of NIH, through an interagency agreement between the two 
agencies. The authority for the NIH to contract with DOC is the Economy 
Act (31 U.S.C. 1535 and 1536).
    The ``Special Studies'' authority, 15 U.S.C. 1525 (first 
paragraph), permits DOC to provide, upon the request of any person, 
firm or public or private organization (a) Special studies on matters 
within the authority of the Department of Commerce, including preparing 
from its records special compilations, lists, bulletins, or reports, 
and (b) furnishing transcripts or copies of its studies, compilations 
and other records. BEA has programmatic authority to perform this work 
pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1527a. NIH's support for this research is 
consistent with the Agency's duties and authority under 42 U.S.C. 282.
    The information provided by the respondents will be held 
confidential and be used for exclusively statistical purposes. This 
pledge of confidentiality is made under the Confidential Information 
Protection provisions of title V, subtitle A, Public Law 107-347. Title 
V is the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency 
Act of 2002 (CIPSEA). Section 512 (on Limitations on Use and Disclosure 
of Data and Information) of the Act, provides that ``data or 
information acquired by an agency under a pledge of confidentiality and 
for exclusively statistical purposes shall be used by officers, 
employees, or agents of the agency exclusively for statistical 
purposes. Data or information acquired by an agency under a pledge of 
confidentiality for exclusively statistical purposes shall not be 
disclosed by an agency in identifiable form, for any use other than an 
exclusively statistical purpose, except with the informed consent of 
the respondent.''
    Responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in 
identifiable form to anyone other than employees or

[[Page 49255]]

agents of BEA without prior written permission of the person filing the 
report. By law, each employee as well as each agent is subject to a 
jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both for 
disclosing to the public any identifiable information that is reported 
about a business or institution.
    Section 515 of the Information Quality Guidelines applies to this 
survey. The collection and use of this information complies with all 
applicable information quality guidelines, i.e., those of the Office of 
Management and Budget, Department of Commerce, and BEA.

III. Method of Collection

    A survey with a cover letter that includes a brief description of, 
and rationale for, the survey will be sent by e-mail to potential 
respondents by the first week of June of each year. A report of the 
respondent's expenditures of the NIH award amounts, following the 
proposed format for expenditure categories included with the survey's 
cover letter, will be requested to be completed and submitted online no 
later than 60 days after mailing. Survey respondents will be selected 
on the basis of award levels, which determine the weight of the 
respondent in the bio-medical research and development price index. 
Potential respondents will include (1) the top 100 organizations in 
total awards, which account for about 74 percent of total awards; (2) 
40 additional organizations that are not primarily in the ``Research 
and Development (R&D) contracts'' category; and (3) 10 additional 
organizations that are primarily in the ``R&D contracts'' category.

IV. Data

    OMB Number: 0608-0069.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Universities or other organizations that are NIH 
award recipients.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 90.
    Estimated Time per Response: 11 hours and 12 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,008.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $41,610.

V. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the NIH, including whether the information has practical utility: (b) 
the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours 
and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; They also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: August 22, 2007.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-16965 Filed 8-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-EA-P