[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 212 (Friday, November 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65673-65674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-26062]



[[Page 65673]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Public Comment Request

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the Health Resources and Services Administration 
(HRSA) has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments 
submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided 
to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public during the 
review and approval period.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received within 30 days of this 
notice.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, including the Information Collection 
Request Title, to the desk officer for HRSA, either by email to [email protected] or by fax to 202-395-5806.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the clearance 
requests submitted to OMB for review, email the HRSA Information 
Collection Clearance Officer at [email protected] or call (301) 443-
1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Information Collection Request Title: Grant Reviewer Recruitment 
Form
    OMB No. 0915-0295 - Revision
    Abstract: HRSA's Division of Independent Review (DIR) is 
responsible for administering the review of eligible grant applications 
submitted to HRSA. DIR ensures that the objective review process is 
independent, efficient, effective, economical, and complies with the 
applicable statutes, regulations, and policies. Applications are 
reviewed by subject experts knowledgeable in health and public health 
disciplines for which support is requested. Review findings are 
advisory to HRSA programs responsible for making award decisions.
    This announcement is a request for approval of the proposed 
information collection system, the Reviewer Recruitment Module (RRM). 
HRSA utilizes an existing web-based data collection form and database 
to gather critical reviewer information. The existing on-line Grant 
Reviewer Recruitment Form uses standardized categories of information 
in drop down menu format for data such as: degree, specialty, 
occupation, work setting; and in select instances affiliations with 
organizations and institutions that serve special populations. Some 
program regulations require that application objective review panels 
contain consumers of health services. Other demographic data may be 
voluntarily provided by a potential reviewer. Defined data elements 
help HRSA find and select expert grant reviewers for objective review 
committees. The web-based system also permits reviewers to access and 
update their information at will and as needed. HRSA maintains a roster 
of approximately 9,000 qualified individuals who have actively served 
on HRSA objective review committees. The updated RRM simplifies 
reviewer application entry using: a user-friendly Graphical User 
Interface (GUI) with fewer data drop down menu choices, and a search 
engine that supports key word queries in the actual resume text. The 
RRM will be 508 compliant and accessible by the general public via a 
link on the HRSA internet site, or by keying the RRM URL into their 
browser. The RRM will be accessible using any of the commonly used 
internet browsers.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA currently utilizes a 
web-based data collection Grant Reviewer Recruitment Form to collect 
information from individuals who wish to volunteer as objective review 
committee participants for the Agency's discretionary, competitive 
grant, or cooperative agreement funding opportunities. The RRM will 
replace the original with a user friendly web-based application that is 
easier and much less burdensome to access, use, and update for 
potential reviewers. RRM will also provide HRSA with more robust, 
efficient, and effective search and communication functionality with 
which to identify and contact qualified potential grant reviewers. The 
RRM will have an enhanced search and reporting capability to help DIR 
ensure that HRSA's reviewer pool has the necessary skills and diversity 
to meet our evolving need for qualified reviewers. If DIR identifies 
either an expertise or demographic that is underrepresented in the RRM 
pool, DIR can recruit specifically to address those needs. Expertise is 
always the primary determinant in selecting potential reviewers for any 
specific grant review; no reviewer is required to provide demographic 
information to join the reviewer pool or be selected as a reviewer for 
any competition.
    Likely Respondents: All HRSA reviewers must possess the technical 
skills and abilities to access the internet on a secure desktop, 
laptop, or touch pad, and either a land line or Voice Over Internet 
Protocol capability in order to participate in HRSA objective review 
committees. The reviewer expertise and experience needed varies with 
each competitive grant program but is consistent with the HRSA mission 
to address the availability and delivery of quality health care to all 
Americans. Generally, our reviewers are current or retired 
professionals with backgrounds in health care, health service delivery, 
and education and career development in relevant professions and health 
center facilities' financing, planning, construction, and management. 
Certain HRSA programs require by legislation the inclusion of consumers 
of specific health care services in the objective review committee. In 
these instances consumers of those specified services are qualified per 
se to be considered for certain objective reviews.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information.
    The total annual burden hours estimated for this ICR are summarized 
in the table below.

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                                    Total Estimated Annualized Burden--Hours
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                                                                                      Average
                                     Number of    Responses  per       Total        burden per     Total burden
            Form name               respondents      respondent      responses     response  (in       hours
                                                                                      hours)
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New reviewer....................           5,000               1           5,000            .333           1,665
Updating reviewer information...             250               1             250            .166              42
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    Total.......................           5,250  ..............  ..............  ..............           1,707
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    Dated: October 25, 2013.
Bahar Niakan,
Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination.
[FR Doc. 2013-26062 Filed 10-31-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P