[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8272-8273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3846]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the 
following information collection requirement to OMB for review and 
clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. 
This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published 
in the Federal Register at 73 FR 76407, and no comments were received. 
NSF is forwarding the proposed renewal submission to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the 
publication of this second notice. Comments regarding (a) whether the 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information 
to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology should 
be

[[Page 8273]]

addressed to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, 
Attention: Desk Officer for National Science Foundation, 725-17th 
Street, NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, and to Suzanne H. 
Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 
Wilson Boulevard, Suite 295, Arlington, Virginia 22230 or send e-mail 
to [email protected]. Comments regarding these information collections 
are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days 
of this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by 
calling 703-292-7556.
    NSF may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless 
the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control 
number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to 
the collection of information that such persons are not required to 
respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Grantee Reporting Requirements for Science and Technology 
Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships
    OMB Control Number: 3145-0194.
    Abstract:

Proposed Project

    The Science and Technology Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships 
Program supports innovation in the integrative conduct of research, 
education and knowledge transfer. Science and Technology Centers build 
intellectual and physical infrastructure within and between 
disciplines, weaving together knowledge creation, knowledge 
integration, and knowledge transfer. STCs conduct world-class research 
through partnerships of academic institutions, national laboratories, 
industrial organizations, and/or other public/private entities. New 
knowledge thus created is meaningfully linked to society.
    STCs enable and foster excellent education, integrate research and 
education, and create bonds between learning and inquiry so that 
discovery and creativity more fully support the learning process. STCs 
capitalize on diversity through participation in center activities and 
demonstrate leadership in the involvement of groups underrepresented in 
science and engineering.
    Centers selected will be required to submit annual reports on 
progress and plans, which will be used as a basis for performance 
review and determining the level of continued funding. To support this 
review and the management of a Center, STCs will be required to develop 
a set of management and performance indicators for submission annually 
to NSF via an NSF evaluation technical assistance contractor. These 
indicators are both quantitative and descriptive and may include, for 
example, the characteristics of center personnel and students; sources 
of financial support and in-kind support; expenditures by operational 
component; characteristics of industrial and/or other sector 
participation; research activities; education activities; knowledge 
transfer activities; patents, licenses; publications; degrees granted 
to students involved in Center activities; descriptions of significant 
advances and other outcomes of the STC effort. Part of this reporting 
will take the form of a database which will be owned by the institution 
and eventually made available to an evaluation contractor. This 
database will capture specific information to demonstrate progress 
towards achieving the goals of the program. Such reporting requirements 
will be included in the cooperative agreement which is binding between 
the academic institution and the NSF.
    Each Center's annual report will address the following categories 
of activities: (1) Research, (2) education, (3) knowledge transfer, (4) 
partnerships, (5) diversity, (6) management and (7) budget issues.
    For each of the categories the report will describe overall 
objectives for the year, problems the Center has encountered in making 
progress towards goals, anticipated problems in the following year, and 
specific outputs and outcomes.
    Use of the Information: NSF will use the information to continue 
funding of the Centers, and to evaluate the progress of the program.
    Estimate of Burden: 100 hours per center for seventeen centers for 
a total of 1700 hours.
    Respondents: Non-profit institutions; federal government.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Report: One from each of the 
seventeen centers.
    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 of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

    Dated: February 18, 2009.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. E9-3846 Filed 2-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P