[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38843-38844]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-15929]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request: Post-Award Reporting 
Requirements Including New Research Performance Progress Report 
Collection; Revision

    Summary: Under the provisions of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 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. This proposed information collection was previously published in 
the Federal Register on March 5, 2012, page 13131 (corrected on March 
26, 2012, page 17488), and allowed 60 days for public comment. One 
public comment was received, which asked for clarification about new 
reporting burdens. It was noted in follow-up that NIH has seen a 21-
percent increase in competing applications since the last clearance, 
which has resulted in an increase in the burden hours. We are also 
transitioning to the Research Performance Progress Report as mandated 
by OMB. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days 
for public comment.
    Proposed Collection: Title: Public Health Service (PHS) Post-award 
Reporting Requirements. Type of Information Collection Request: 
Revision, OMB 0925-0002, Expiration Date 06/30/2012. This collection 
represents a consolidation of post-award reporting requirements under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act and includes the new Research Performance 
Progress Report (RPPR). It also includes continued use of the PHS Non-
competing Continuation Progress Report (PHS 2590, currently approved 
under 0925-0001, expiration 06/30/2012), and the NIH AHRQ Ruth L. 
Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual 
Fellowship Progress Report for Continuation Support (PHS 416-9). Only 
one interim progress report (RPPR or PHS2590/416-9) will be utilized 
for any given award until the RPPR is fully implemented for all awards. 
This collection also includes other PHS post-award reporting 
requirements: PHS 416-7 NRSA Termination Notice and PHS 6031-1 NRSA 
Annual Payback Activities Certification. Post-award reporting 
requirements previously cleared under OMB 0925-0001 now included under 
0925-0002 are: PHS 2271 Statement of Appointment, HHS 568 Final 
Invention Statement and Certification, Final Progress Report 
instructions, iEdison, and PHS 3734 Statement Relinquishing Interests 
and Rights in a PHS Research Grant. Pre-award reporting requirements 
are simultaneously consolidated under 0925-0001.
    Need and Use of Information Collection: The RPPR will replace 
existing interim performance reports used by all NIH, Food and Drug 
Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Agency 
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) grantees. Interim progress 
reports are required to continue support of a PHS grant for each budget 
year within a competitive segment. The phased transition to the RPPR 
requires the maintenance of dual reporting processes for a period of 
time. Thus this information collection is for the new use of the RPPR, 
the continued use of the PHS Non-competing Continuation Progress Report 
(PHS 2590), and the use of the NIH AHRQ Ruth L. Kirschstein National 
Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowship Progress Report for 
Continuation Support (PHS 416-9). Only one interim progress report 
(RPPR or PHS2590/416-9) will be utilized for any given award. The PHS 
416-7, 2271, and 6031-1 are used by NRSA recipients to activate, 
terminate, and provide for payback of an NRSA. Closeout of an award 
requires a Final Invention Statement (HHS 568) and Final Progress 
Report. iEdison allows grantees and federal agencies to meet statutory 
requirements for reporting inventions and patents. The PHS 3734 serves 
as the official record of grantee relinquishment of a PHS award when an 
award is transferred from one grantee institution to another.
    Frequency of response: Grantees are required to report annually. 
Affected Public: Universities and other research

[[Page 38844]]

institutions; Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal Government; and State, Local or Tribal 
Government. Type of Respondents: University administrators and 
principal investigators. The annual reporting burden is as follows: 
Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 112,986. Estimated Number of 
Responses per Respondent: 1. Average Burden Hours per Response: 5.6. 
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 640,677. The annualized 
cost to respondents is estimated to be $22,423,709.
    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, [email protected]; or by fax to 202-395-6974, 
Attention: Desk Officer for NIH. To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
instruments, contact Ms. Seleda M. Perryman, Chief, Project Clearance 
Officer, Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration, NIH, 
Rockledge 1 Building, Room 3509, 6705 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 
20892-7974; or call non-toll-free number 301-594-7949; or email 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.

    Date: June 25, 2012.
Lawrence A. Tabak,
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2012-15929 Filed 6-28-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P