[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]
BILLING CODE 3410-03-P