[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 3, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56356-56357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19465]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


National Institutes of Health Submission for OMB Review; Comment 
Request; Second National Survey To Evaluate the National Institutes of 
Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

    Summary: Under the provisions of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Director (OD), 
Office of Extramural Research (OER) Office of Extramural Programs 
(OEP), National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve the 
information collection listed below. This proposed information 
collection was previously published in the Federal Register on February 
15, 2007, pages 7442-7443 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: 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. 
L. 97-219), and reauthorized through September 30, 2008 (Pub. L. 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) understand if innovative

[[Page 56357]]

projects supported through the NIH SBIR Program are being 
commercialized and if so, to classify the types of 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 email 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: 704; Estimated Number of Responses 
per Respondent: 1; Averaged Burden Hours per Response: .5; and 
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 352. The annualized cost 
to the public is estimated at $26,400. There are no Capital Costs, 
Operating Costs and/or Maintenance Costs to report. The anticipated 
maximum number of respondents is smaller than that in the initial 
survey thus decreasing the annual hour burden and the annualized cost 
to the respondents.

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                                                                  Estimated                      Estimated total
                                                 Estimated        number of     Average  burden   annual burden
             Type of respondents                 number of      responses per      hours  per         hours
                                                respondents       respondent        response        requested
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For-profit small business concerns that have             704                1              0.5              352
 received an NIH SBIR Phase II award from
 (FY 2002-2006).............................
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Requests for Comments

    Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies should address 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: 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 within 30 days 
of the date of this publication.

    Dated: September 25, 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. E7-19465 Filed 10-2-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P