[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 135 (Thursday, July 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41525-41526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17667]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

 [Notice (11-065)]


Notice of Information Collection

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of information collection.

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SUMMARY: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 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 proposed and/or continuing information 
collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: All comments should be submitted within September 12, 2011.

ADDRESSES: All comments should be addressed to Lori Parker, National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC 20546-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Lori Parker, NASA PRA Officer, NASA Headquarters, 
300 E Street, SW., JF000, Washington, DC 20546, (202) 358-1351, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    NASA's education and outreach activities are funded by NASA's 
Office of Education, Mission Directorates, and Offices of Chief 
Technologist and Communications. NASA's Education Coordinating Council 
includes representatives from each of NASA's field Centers plus the Jet 
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which deliver education and outreach. Data 
collection to be covered by this request are organized around three 
goals: (1) Contribute to the development of the Science, Technology, 
Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) workforce in disciplines needed to 
achieve NASA's strategic goals, through a portfolio of investments; (2) 
attract and retain students in STEM disciplines through a progression 
of educational opportunities for students, teachers, and faculty; and 
(3) build between STEM formal and informal education providers 
strategic partnerships and linkages that promote STEM literacy and 
awareness of NASA's missions.
    The new NASA STEM Education and Outreach Generic Clearance is 
modeled on the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Education Generic 
Clearance (OMB 3145-0136). The scope of NASA's proposed data collection 
is limited as was agreed in discussions conducted among NASA, NSF and 
OMB in October 2010 to (1) Staff and project participants; (2) project 
implementation characteristics and (3) project outputs.
    The collection covers only descriptive information gathered through 
a variety of methods, including surveys, face-to-face or telephone 
interviews, observations, and focus groups, from participants or 
implementers of NASA-funded education or outreach projects. Data is 
gathered from stakeholders and other program participants, including 
but not limited to students, faculty, teachers, members of the public, 
administrators and staff. NASA will use data from the NASA STEM 
Education and Outreach Generic Clearance primarily for program 
planning, management and accountability purposes in order to respond to 
queries from the Congress, the public and to support Government and 
Performance Modernization Act (GPRMA) requirements, and similar Federal 
performance reporting purposes, such as to the U.S. Government 
Accountability Office (GAO). In 2011, GAO was asked by the U.S. 
Congress to conduct a study to catalog Federal STEM education programs 
and determine the extent to which overlap or potential duplication 
exists. This Generic Clearance will enable NASA to respond to future 
such requests that seek information from Federal departments and 
agencies that will enable GAO to assemble a compendium of Federal 
education programs (pre-kindergarten through doctorate). Items in the 
survey are informed by the 2011 experience.
    Information from this collection may also be published as part of 
NASA Education Highlights documents that are available via the NASA Web 
site at: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/performance/index.html.
    This information is required for effective administration and 
communication relating to program and project monitoring and 
evaluation, and for measuring attainment of NASA's program, project and 
goals. Further, some data collected may serve as baseline data for 
future, separate, research or evaluation studies, or for the

[[Page 41526]]

identification of treatment and control groups for future study. In 
keeping with protocols long-established between NSF and OMB, NASA 
proposed evaluation or research study will be cleared with OMB 
separately and will include separate calls for public comment.

II. Method of Collection

    Electronic.

III. Data

    Title: NASA STEM Education Generic Clearance.
    OMB Number: 2700-xxxx.
    Type of review: Regular.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households, not-for-profit 
institutions, business or other for profit, and Federal, State, local 
or Tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 2,236,000.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 2,444,000.
    Hours per Request: 0.15-.5 hour.
    Annual Burden Hours: 245,333.
    Frequency of Report: On occasion, quarterly, semi-annually, 
annually.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
NASA, including whether the information collected has practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of NASA's estimate of the burden (including 
hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (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 respondents, including automated collection techniques 
or the use of other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection. They will also become a matter of public record.

Lori Parker,
NASA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-17667 Filed 7-13-11; 8:45 am]
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