[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 21, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3582-3583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-1066]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Proposed Agency Information Collection

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice and request for OMB review and comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance, a proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995. The proposed collection will gather data about what constitutes 
an innovative research environment. It will also contribute to building 
a dataset for the development of a science of science and innovation 
policy, as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) program by 
that name.

DATES: Comments regarding this collection must be received on or before 
February 20, 2009. If you anticipate that you will be submitting 
comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time 
allowed by this notice, please advise the Desk Officer of your 
intention to make a submission as soon as possible. The Desk Officer 
may be telephoned at 202-395-4650.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the:

DOE Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office 
of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10102, 
735 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503; and to:
Timothy Fitzsimmons, Materials Science and Engineering Division, SC-
22.2, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, US Department 
of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington DC 20585-1290, 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to:

Timothy Fitzsimmons, Materials Science and Engineering Division, SC-
22.2, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, US Department 
of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585-1290, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains: (1) OMB No. ``New''; (2) Information Collection Request 
Title: Developing the Science of Science and Innovation Policy: 
Profiles of Innovativeness and Effective Research Communication. (3) 
Type of Request: New collection. (4) Purpose: This data collection 
request will bring to conclusion a long-term research effort funded by 
the Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences to develop 
the best practices in the management of scientific innovation. This 
data collection request will also help support an effort under a new 
National Science Foundation program (SciSIP) which is developing a 
scientific approach to the formulation of science and innovation 
policy.
    Survey data will be collected on researcher attitudes towards their 
research environment. Research managers will be asked in addition to 
describe laboratory policies that promote innovation. Hypotheses from 
the industrial innovation literature about what constitutes an 
innovative environment will be tested on 72 research projects in six 
national laboratories chosen to reflect a diversity

[[Page 3583]]

of scientific disciplines, specifically chemistry, biology, materials 
sciences, alternative energy, and geosciences. The selected projects 
represent four research profiles: Small- and large-scope, and 
incremental and radical innovation. Polices that encourage diverse work 
teams and the exchange of information will also be explored. (5) Type 
of Respondents: Research staff and research managers; (6) Estimated 
Number of Respondents: 1,800 researchers and 132 project leaders and 
managers; (7) Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 900 hours for 
researchers and 132 hours for project leaders and managers at six 
national laboratories. This is a one time collection of information. 
Due to calendar considerations this collection will be split between FY 
2009 and FY 2010 as opposed to the original goal of completing the 
survey in FY 2009. (8) Estimated annual reporting and recordkeeping 
cost burden: zero.

    Statutory Authority: Sec. 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

    Issued in Washington, DC on January 12, 2009.
Raymond L. Orbach,
Under Secretary for Science.
 [FR Doc. E9-1066 Filed 1-16-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P