[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 192 (Thursday, October 2, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57337-57338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-23180]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


National Medal of Technology and Innovation Nomination 
Application

ACTION: New collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, 
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this 
opportunity to comment on this new information collection, 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 December 1, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]. Include ``0651-00xx NMTI 
collection comment'' in the subject line of the message.
     Fax: 571-273-0112, marked to the attention of Susan K. 
Fawcett.
     Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, Customer Information Services Group, Public 
Information Services Division, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. 
Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to the attention of Jennifer Lo, Program Manager, 
United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, 
VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-7640; or by e-mail at 
[email protected] with ``Paperwork'' in the subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Competes Act of 2007 abolished the Technology Administration of 
the Department of Commerce as of August 9, 2007 (sec. 3002). The 
administration and nomination processing for the National Medal of 
Technology has been officially transferred by the Commerce Secretary to 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
    The USPTO is requesting the approval of the new version of the 
former Technology Administration's nomination form to be officially 
incorporated into the USPTO information collection inventory.
    The National Medal of Technology is the highest honor awarded by 
the President of the United States to America's leading innovators. 
Established by an Act of Congress in 1980, the Medal of Technology was 
first awarded in 1985. The Medal is given annually to individuals, 
teams, and/or companies/divisions for their outstanding contributions 
to the Nation's economic, environmental and social well-being through 
the development and commercialization of technology products, processes 
and concepts, technological innovation, and development of the Nation's 
technological manpower.
    The purpose of the National Medal of Technology is to recognize 
those who have made lasting contributions to America's competitiveness, 
standard of living, and quality of life through technological 
innovation, and to recognize those who have made substantial 
contributions to strengthening the Nation's technological workforce. By 
highlighting the national importance of technological innovation, the 
Medal also seeks to inspire future generations of Americans to prepare 
for and pursue technical careers to keep America at the forefront of 
global technology and economic leadership.
    The National Medal of Technology and Innovation Nomination 
Evaluation Committee, a distinguished, independent committee appointed 
by the Secretary of Commerce, reviews and evaluates the merit of all 
candidates nominated through an open, competitive solicitation process. 
The committee makes its recommendations for Medal candidates to the 
Secretary of Commerce, who in turn makes recommendations to the 
President for final selection. The National Medal of Technology and 
Innovation Laureates are announced by the White House and the 
Department of Commerce once the Medalists are notified of their 
selection.
    The public uses the National Medal of Technology and Innovation 
Nomination Application to recognize through nomination an individual's 
or company's extraordinary leadership and innovation in technological 
achievement. The application must be accompanied by six letters of 
recommendation or support from individuals who have first-hand 
knowledge of the cited achievement(s).

II. Method of Collection

    The nomination application and instructions can be downloaded from 
the USPTO Web site. Nomination files should be submitted by electronic 
mail. Alternatively, letters of recommendation may be sent by 
electronic mail, fax or overnight delivery.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-00xx.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Affected Public: Primarily business or other for-profit 
organizations; not-for-profit institutions; individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 26 responses per year.
    Estimated Time Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
approximately 40 hours to gather the necessary information, prepare the

[[Page 57338]]

nomination form, write the recommendations, and submit the request for 
the nomination to the USPTO. This collection contains one form.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 1,040 hours per 
year.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $36,067. The USPTO 
is calculating an estimated respondent hourly rate through an estimate 
of earnings obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational 
Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 edition. The USPTO estimates that half of the 
submissions will be filed by public relations specialists and half by 
research engineers. The USPTO estimates that it will cost public 
relations specialists $23.68 per hour and research engineers $45.68 per 
hour, for an average hourly rate of $34.68. Considering these factors, 
the USPTO estimates $36,067 per year for labor costs associated with 
respondents.

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                                                                     Estimated       Estimated       Estimated
                              Item                                   time for         annual       annual burden
                                                                     response        responses         hours
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National Medal of Technology and Innovation Nomination Form.....        40 hours              26           1,040
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................  ..............              26           1,040
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    Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden: $0.
    There are no capital start-up, operation, maintenance or record 
keeping costs associated with this information collection, and there 
are no filing fees.
    Although it is possible for the public to submit the nominations 
through regular or express mail, to date no submissions have been 
received in this manner. The majority of recent submissions have been 
through electronic mail. The USPTO, therefore, is not calculating an 
estimate of postage costs associated with this information collection.

IV. 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 agency, including whether the information shall have 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 or 
included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: September 25, 2008.
Susan K. Fawcett,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Customer Information Services Group, Public Information Services 
Division.
 [FR Doc. E8-23180 Filed 10-1-08; 8:45 am]
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