[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 185 (Monday, September 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58802-58804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23474]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Service
Notice of Intent To Seek OMB Approval To Collect Information:
Forms Pertaining to the Peer Review of ARS Research Projects
AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and OMB
implementing regulations. The Department is soliciting public comments
on the subject proposal.
DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by November 23,
2012.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to: Michael S.
Strauss, Peer Review Program Coordinator, Office of Scientific Quality
Review; Agricultural Research Agency, USDA; 5601 Sunnyside Avenue,
Beltsville, Maryland 20705; Phone: 301-504-3283; Fax: 301-504-1251.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael S. Strauss, 301-504-3283.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Scientific Quality Review will
seek approval from OMB to update six existing forms that will allow the
ARS to efficiently manage data associated with the peer review of
agricultural research. All forms are transferred and received in an
electronic storage format that does not include on-line access.
Abstract: The Office of Scientific Quality Review was established
in September of 1999 as a result of the Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Education Reform Act 1998 (``The Act'') (Pub. L. 105-
185). The Act included mandates to perform scientific peer reviews of
all research activities conducted by the USDA. The Office manages the
ARS peer review system by centrally planning peer panel reviews for ARS
research projects on a five-year cycle.
Each set of reviews is assigned a chairperson to govern the review
process. Peer reviewers are non-ARS scientists. Peer review panels are
convened to provide in-depth discussion and review of the research
project plans. Each panel reviewer receives information on between 1
and 20 ARS research projects.
On average, 220 research projects are reviewed annually by an
estimated 200 reviewers; whereby approximately 200 are reviewed by
panel and approximately 20 are reviewed through an ad hoc (written
review) process. The organization and management of this peer review
system, particularly panel reviews, is highly dependent on the use of
forms.
[[Page 58803]]
The Office of Scientific Quality Review will seek OMB approval of
the following forms:
1. Confidentiality Agreement Form--USDA uses this form to document
that a selected reviewer is responsible for keeping confidential any
information learned during the subject peer review process. The
Confidentiality Agreement is signed prior to the reviewer's involvement
in the peer review process. This form requires an original signature.
Electronically transmitted scans of signed forms are also accepted.
2. Panelist Information Form--USDA uses this form to gather up-to-
date background information about the reviewer as well as information
relevant to the paying of an honorarium and for travel, where
appropriate. Reviewers often include sensitive information on this form
and, thus it is not retained or recorded in electronic form by the
OSQR.
3. Peer Review of an ARS Research Project Form (Peer Review Form)--
USDA uses this form to guide the reviewer's comments on the subject
project. The form contains the reviewing criteria and space for the
reviewer's narrative comments and evaluation.
4. Ad Hoc Review Form--USDA uses this in select cases (for Ad Hoc
Reviewers who are not members of a review panel), a check-off listing
of action classes at the end of the form allows them to provide an
overall rating of the plan.
5. Recommendations for ARS Research Project Form--(Recommendations
Form)--USDA uses this form to guide the panel's evaluation and critique
of the review process. The form contains the recommendations of the
panel for the subject research project.
6. Panel Expense Report Form (Expense Report)--USDA uses this form
to document a panel reviewer's expense incurred traveling to and
attending a peer review meeting. The Expense Report includes lodging,
meals, and transportation expenses. When completed, the form contains
sensitive information.
7. Panel Invoice Form (Honorarium Form)--USDA uses this form to
document the transfer of an honorarium to a peer reviewer. Reviewers
receive honoraria as compensation for serving as peer review panelists.
This form requires an original signature. It is used only in special
circumstances where reviewers cannot accept a direct bank transfer of
the honorarium. In such cases this is used in lieu of the SF-1034 to
provide OSQR a written record of the honorarium payment.
(1) USDA's collection of information on the Confidentiality
Agreement Form is needed to document that a selected reviewer is
responsible for keeping confidential any information learned during the
subject peer review process. The Confidentiality Agreement would be
signed prior to the reviewer's involvement in the peer review process.
(2) USDA's collection of information on the Panelist Information
Form is needed to gather up-to-date background information about the
reviewer. It contains sensitive information.
(3) USDA's collection of information on the Peer Review Form is
needed to guide the reviewer's comments on the subject project. It
contains the reviewing criteria and space to insert comments.
(4) USDA's collection of information on the Ad Hoc Review Form is
needed to guide reviewer comments of those not participating in a
chaired panel and affords a place to select an overall Action Class
rating for the plan.
(5) USDA's collection of information on the Recommendations Form is
needed to guide the panel's critique of the review process. It contains
the recommendations of the panel for the subject research project.
(6) USDA's collection of information on the Expense Report Form is
needed to document a panel reviewer's expenses incurred by attending a
peer review meeting. The Expense Report includes lodging, meals, and
transportation expenses. It includes sensitive information.
(7) USDA's collection of information on the Honorarium Form is
needed to document the transfer of an honorarium to the peer reviewer
in those rare cases where an SF-1034 is not completed. The honorarium
is given to reviewers as appreciation for their time spent on the panel
review process.
Estimate of Burden: The burden associated with this approval
process is the minimum required to achieve program objectives. The
information collection frequency is the minimum consistent with program
objectives. The following estimates of time required to complete the
forms are based on OSQR's experience in working with reviewers and
accepting their input into our procedures.
1. Confidentiality Agreement Form: This form takes up to10 minutes
to complete. It only requires a signature and date, but the reviewer
must read and consider the terms of the agreement.
2. Panelist Information Form: This form takes about 30 minutes to
complete. It resembles a typical request for personal information; many
reviewers provide the same data as grant reviewers in other peer review
programs.
3. Peer Review of an ARS Research Project Form (Peer Review Form)
This form takes 5-7 hours to complete. Because this is a review, the
page length varies. Reviewers are free to write as much as they wish,
but to complete the form they must thoroughly read and evaluate a
research project plan that may exceed 60-70 pages in length.
4. Recommendations for ARS Research Project Form (Recommendations
Form) This form takes 1-2 hours to complete. Because this is a review,
the page length significantly varies. Reviewers are free to write as
much as they wish. The form is prepared by one reviewer combining
comments from two of the reviewers as found on the Peer Review Form as
well as adding further analyses derived from discussion with other
reviewers.
5. Panel Expense Report Form (Expense Report) This form takes 30
minutes to complete.
6. Panel Invoice Form (Honorarium Form): This form takes 3 minutes
to complete. This form has the reviewer's personal information pre-
filled and the reviewer only verifies its accuracy and signs.
Respondents and Estimated Number of Respondents: Scientific
experts, currently working in the same discipline as the research
projects under review, are selected to review research projects. These
experts are notable peers within and external to the ARS. Annually,
about 150 peer reviewers complete these forms. Ad hoc reviewers are
paid a modest honorarium but generally do not travel to meet with other
reviewers; and thus they do not complete Expense Report and Invoice
Forms. On occasion, ad hoc reviewers may participate in a Web-based
panel, thus necessitating completion of an either an SF-1034 or an
Honorarium Form. Ad hoc reviewers, retained for special situations,
will make up about a 20 percent of all the reviewers retained annually.
[[Page 58804]]
Frequency of Response
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Number of
Form respondents Annual frequency
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Confidentiality Agreement....... 200 1 per respondent (Total of 200).
Peer Review Forms (Required for 200 2 per panel respondent (Total of 400).
all reviewers and they have 2
review assignments on average.).
Expense Report (Only for those 20 1 per respondent (Total of 20).
reviewers traveling to the
review.).
Honorarium Form (Only for those 20 1 per respondent (Total of 20).
reviewers paid by check.).
Panelist Information Forms...... 200 1 per respondent for each form (Total of 200).
Recommendations Form (For use 20 2 per respondent (Total of 40).
only for panels not meeting
online.).
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Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents
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Number
Form (time required to complete) completed Total burden
annually (hours)
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Confidentiality Agreement (10 min.)........ 200 33
Panelist Information Forms (30 min.)....... 200 100
Peer Review Forms (~6 hrs)................. 400 2400
Recommendations Form (1 hr)................ 20 20
Honorarium Form (3 min.)................... 20 1
Expense Report (30 min.)................... 20 10
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Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C.
chapter 35.
Comments: The Notice is soliciting comments from members of the
public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of
information to: (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection is
necessary for the proper performance of ARS functions, including
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) Evaluate the
accuracy of the estimated burden from proposed collection of
information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who are to respond, including the
use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses. All responses to this notice will be summarized and included
in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of
public record.
Dated: September 4, 2012.
Caird Rexroad,
Associate Administrator, Research, Management and Operations,
Agricultural Research Service, USDA.
[FR Doc. 2012-23474 Filed 9-21-12; 8:45 am]
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