[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4868-4869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01795]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Conflict of Interest Disclosure for Nonfederal Government 
Individuals Who Are Candidates to Conduct Peer Reviews.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0567.
    Form Number(s): NA.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (revision and extension of a 
current information collection)
    Number of Respondents: 321.
    Average Hours per Response: 30 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 161.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for revision and extension of a 
currently approved collection.
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued government-wide 
guidance to enhance the practice of peer review of government science 
documents. OMB's Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review 
(``Peer Review Bulletin'' or PRB) (available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-03.pdf) establishes minimum 
peer review standards for influential scientific information that 
Federal agencies intend to disseminate.
    The Peer Review Bulletin also directs Federal agencies to adopt or 
adapt the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) policy for evaluating 
conflicts of interest when selecting peer reviewers who are

[[Page 4869]]

not Federal government employees (federal employees are subject to 
Federal ethics requirements). For peer review purposes, the term 
``conflicts of interest'' means any financial or other interest which 
conflicts with the service of the individual because it could: (1) 
significantly impair the individual's objectivity; or (2) create an 
unfair competitive advantage for any person or organization. NOAA has 
adapted the NAS policy and developed two confidential conflict 
disclosure forms which the agency will use to examine prospective 
reviewers' potential financial conflicts and other interests that could 
impair objectivity or create an unfair advantage. One form is for peer 
reviewers of studies related to government regulation and the other 
form is for all other influential scientific information subject to the 
Peer Review Bulletin. The forms include questions about employment as 
well as investment and property interests and research funding. 
Curriculum vitae are also required. The information collected in the 
conflict of interest disclosure is essential to NOAA's compliance with 
the OMB PRB, and helps to ensure that government studies are reviewed 
by independent, impartial peer reviewers.
    Revision: the form adapted from the general scientific and 
technical studies form, for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) 
laboratory reviewers has not been used, and will be removed from the 
collection; OAR continues to use the previously existing form.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer: [email protected].
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0336, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected].

    Dated: January 24, 2014.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-01795 Filed 1-29-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P