[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 135 (Thursday, July 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34581-34582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16835]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Submission to OMB, Comment Request; An Outcome Evaluation of the 
NIH Director's Pioneer Award (NDPA) Program

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Director, National Institutes 
of Health (NIH), has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) a request for review and approval of the information collection 
listed below. 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.

[[Page 34582]]

    Proposed Collection: Title: An Outcome Evaluation of the NIH 
Director's Pioneer Award (NDPA) Program. Type of Information Collection 
Request: New collection. Need and Use of Information Collection: This 
study will assess the NDPA Program outputs and outcomes. The primary 
objectives of the study are to assess: (1) Whether the NDPA awardees 
are conducting pioneering research, (2) whether there are spillover 
effects on the awardees, their lab members, NIH, and the scientific 
community, and (3) to follow the careers and ideas proposed by NDPA 
unfunded applicants. The findings will provide valuable information 
concerning the success of the awardees (pioneers) and whether the 
characteristics of the NDPA program are adopted by other NIH programs.
    Frequency of Response: Once. Affected Public: none. Type of 
Respondents: Applicants, Unfunded Applicants, Pioneer Lab Members, 
Focus Group Panelists. There are no Capital Costs to report. Estimated 
Number of Respondents: 50, Estimated Number of Responses per 
Respondent: 1: Average Burden Hours Per Response: 2.14 (60 minutes for 
awardees, 15 minutes for unfunded applicants, 30 minutes for pioneer 
lab members, and 10 hours for focus group panelists). Estimated Total 
Annual Burden Hours Requested: 284.5 and the annualized cost to 
respondents is estimated at $18,181.72. Table l and Table 2, 
respectively, present data concerning the burden hours and cost burdens 
for this data collection.

                                   Table 1--Annualized Estimate of Hour Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Average time
              Type of  respondents                   Number of     Frequency of    for response     Total hour
                                                    respondents      response          (hr)           burden*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Awardees (Pioneers).............................              22               1            1.0            22.0
Unfunded Applicants.............................             440               1            0.25          110.0
Pioneer Lab Members.............................              25               1            0.5            12.5
Expert Panel....................................              14               1           10.0           140.0
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................             501               1             .56          284.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Burden = N Respondents*Response Frequency*(minutes to complete/60).


                                     Table 2--Annualized Cost to Respondents
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                       Total
               Type of respondents                   Number of       Response     Approx. hourly    respondent
                                                    respondents      frequency       wage rate        cost**
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Awardees........................................              22               1          $64.72       $1,423.84
Unfunded Applicants.............................             440               1           64.72         7119.20
Pioneer Lab Members.............................              25               1           46.23          577.88
Focus Group Panel...............................              14               1           64.72        9,060.80
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................             501               1           63.59       18,181.72
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Total Respondent Cost = Total Hour Burden * Hourly Wage Rate.

    Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies are invited on 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 (OIRA). All comments should be sent via email to [email protected] or by fax to 202-395-6974. Attention: Desk 
Office for NIH. To request more information on the project or to obtain 
a copy of the data collection plans and instruments contact G. Stephane 
Philogene, Ph.D., Assistant Director for Policy and Planning, Office of 
Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health, 
31 Center Drive. Building 31, Room B2-B37 Bethesda, MD 20892, or call 
non-toll-free number (301) 402-3902 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: July 9, 2009.
G. Stephane Philogene,
Assistant Director for Policy and Planning, Office of Behavioral and 
Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E9-16835 Filed 7-15-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P