[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 137 (Monday, July 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35206-35208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17102]


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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-

[[Page 35207]]

13. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was 
published in the Federal Register at 74 FR 20740, and one comment was 
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. The full submission may be found 
at: http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 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; or (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 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 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Written comments regarding the 
information collection and requests for copies of the proposed 
information collection request should be addressed to Suzanne Plimpton, 
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Blvd., Rm. 295, Arlington, VA 22230, or by e-mail to [email protected].
    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:
    Comment: On May 5, 2009, we published in the Federal Register (74 
FR 20740) a 60-day notice of our intent to request reinstatement of 
this information collection authority from OMB. In that notice, we 
solicited public comments for 60 days ending July 6, 2009. One comment 
came from B. Sachau of Florham Park, NJ, via e-mail on May 5, 2009, who 
suggested that this information collection was already being conducted 
by the Department of Education.
    Response: NSF assures OMB that the Information Science Education 
Program is not also duplicated by the Department of Education. NSF 
believes that because the comment does not contain suggestions for 
altering the collection of information for which NSF is seeking OMB 
approval, NSF is proceeding with the clearance request.
    Title of Collection: Informal Science Education (ISE) Management 
Information System.
    OMB Control No.: 3145-0158.

Abstract

    This document has been prepared to support the clearance of a 
Management Information System for the Informal Science Education (ISE) 
program. The goals for the program are to encourage and support 
projects that (1) Engage the interest of children and adults in 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in daily life 
so that they develop capabilities; scientific and technological 
literacy, mathematical competence, problem-solving skills, and the 
desire to learn; (2) bring together individuals and organizations from 
the informal and formal education communities, as well as from the 
private and public sectors, to strengthen STEM education in all 
settings; and (3) develop and implement innovative strategies that 
support the development of a socially responsible and informed public, 
and demonstrate promise of increasing participation of all citizens in 
STEM.
    The ISE Management Information System is comprised of three Web-
based surveys, an initial survey that obtains background information 
about the ISE project, an annual survey, and a final survey. The survey 
that obtains background information would be completed soon after 
project grants are awarded (i.e., within 45 days), the annual would be 
completed at the end of each program year, and the final would be 
completed soon after the ISE grant period has ended (i.e., within 45 
days). Through the use of these three surveys, the system will collect 
data from each ISE-funded project about the project, its grant 
recipient and partner organizations, participants, activities, 
deliverables, and impacts. Information from the system will be used by 
ISE program officers to evaluate the collective impact of the ISE 
portfolio of funded projects, to monitor project-related activities and 
projects' progress over time, and to obtain information that can inform 
the design of future ISE projects.

Expected Respondents

    The expected respondents are principal investigators of any ISE 
projects that have been funded since 2004.

Burden on the Public

    The estimated annual response burden is 2,508 person-hours. The 
estimated annual response burden has increased from the original 
request for clearance in 2006. In 2006, the annual burden was estimated 
at 1,920 hours. The reason for this change is the inclusion of 
additional ISE project types in the OPMS that were not included in 
prior rounds of data collection. Whereas only full-scale development 
and broad implementation projects were included in the 2006 estimates, 
the ISE program has added several new project types to its project 
portfolio, including Pathways, EAGER, and RAPID awards, all of which 
will be asked to complete the OPMS. In addition, the program has 
decided to include several categories of pre-existing ISE awards (i.e., 
Research, CRPA, Conferences) in the OPMS for the first time, which 
represents a change in policy from prior years. The inclusion of these 
categories will allow the ISE program to generate an exhaustive set of 
information about ISE-funded projects, regardless of their size or 
scope, on an annual basis.
    In all cases, the respondents are PIs on ISE-supported projects. 
Burden hours per response are estimated on the basis of discussions 
with NSF program officers, a sample of ISE PIs, and experience in 
administrating similar surveys. The calculations used to determine the 
overall response burden of 2,508 hours are shown in the table. The 
differences in the number of hours per respondent type shown in the 
table are due to the fact that Research, Pathways, CRPA, Conference, 
EAGER, and RAPID awards are exempt from the section in the OPMS 
pertaining to project impacts.

[[Page 35208]]



             Calculations Used to Estimate Overall Response Burden for the ISE Online Collection \1\
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                                                                Number of         Hours per       Annual person
                      Respondent type                          respondents    respondent  type     hour total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial submission:
    PIs--Full-scale and Broad Implementation..............                23                24               552
    PIs--Research, Pathways, CRPA.........................                17                16               272
    PIs--Conferences, EAGER, RAPID........................                15                16               240
Annual report:
    PIs--Full-scale and Broad Implementation..............                69                 8               552
    PIs--Research, Pathways, CRPA.........................                51                 4               204
    PIs--Conferences, EAGER, RAPID........................                 0               N/A                 0
Closeout report:
    PIs--Full-scale and Broad Implementation..............                23                16               368
    PIs--Research, Pathways, CRPA.........................                17                10               170
    PIs--Conferences, EAGER, RAPID........................                15                10               150
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
        Total.............................................               230  ................             2,508
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\1\ Estimates are provided for a typical annual collection cycle. Hours per respondent type figures and annual
  person hour totals are based on an average duration of 3.5 years for all award types excluding Conference,
  EAGER, and RAPID awards (i.e., 40 awards per year). Conference, EAGER, and RAPID awards each have an average
  duration of 1 year. Therefore, the 69 Full-scale and Broad Implementation respondents listed as completing an
  annual report are comprised of those projects who received Full-scale and Broad Implementation awards (23 each
  year) during the prior three years. Similarly, the 51 Research, Pathways, and CRPA respondents listed as
  completing an annual report are comprised of those projects who received these types of awards (17 each year)
  over the prior three years.


    Dated: July 14, 2009.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. E9-17102 Filed 7-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P