[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 96 (Monday, May 19, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28672-28674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11453]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey: 
Expenditures Incurred by Recipients of Biomedical Research and 
Development Awards From the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general

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public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 18, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230, or via email at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer A. Bennett, Chief, Government 
Fixed Assets Branch, Government Division (BE-57), Bureau of Economic 
Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; phone: 
(202) 606-9769; fax: (202) 606-5369; or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The survey obtains the distribution of expenditures incurred by 
recipients of biomedical research awards from the National Institutes 
of Health (NIH) and will provide information on how the NIH award 
amounts are expended across several major categories. This information, 
along with wage and price data from other published sources, will be 
used to generate the Biomedical Research and Development Price Index 
(BRDPI). BEA develops this index for NIH under a reimbursable contract. 
The BRDPI is an index of prices paid for the labor, supplies, 
equipment, and other inputs required to perform the biomedical research 
the NIH supports in its intramural laboratories and through its awards 
to extramural organizations. The BRDPI is a vital tool for planning the 
NIH research budget and analyzing future NIH programs. A survey of 
award recipients is currently the only means for updating the 
expenditure category weights that are used to prepare the BRDPI.
    The proposed survey change revises the instructions to clarify that 
respondent's should report not only expenditures from direct NIH award 
amounts, but also from NIH awards received as a sub-recipient from 
another institution.
    This survey will be voluntary. The authority for NIH to collect 
information for the BRDPI is provided in 45 CFR subpart C, Post-Award 
Requirements, Sec.  74.21. This sets forth explicit standards for 
grantees in establishing and maintaining financial management systems 
and records, and Sec.  74.53 which provides for the retention of such 
records as well as NIH access to such records.
    BEA will administer the survey and analyze the survey results on 
behalf of NIH, through an interagency agreement between the two 
agencies. The authority for the NIH to contract with DOC to make this 
collection is the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535 and 1536).
    The ``Special Studies'' authority, 15 U.S.C. 1525 (first 
paragraph), permits DOC to provide, upon the request of any person, 
firm, or public or private organization (a) Special studies on matters 
within the authority of the Department of Commerce, including preparing 
from its records special compilations, lists, bulletins, or reports, 
and (b) furnishing transcripts or copies of its studies, compilations 
and other records. NIH's support for this research is consistent with 
the Agency's duties and authority under 42 U.S.C. 282.
    The information provided by the respondents will be held 
confidential and be used for exclusively statistical purposes. This 
pledge of confidentiality is made under the Confidential Information 
Protection provisions of title V, subtitle A, Public Law 107-347. Title 
V is the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency 
Act of 2002 (CIPSEA). Section 512 (on Limitations on Use and Disclosure 
of Data and Information) of the Act, provides that ``data or 
information acquired by an agency under a pledge of confidentiality and 
for exclusively statistical purposes shall be used by officers, 
employees, or agents of the agency exclusively for statistical 
purposes. Data or information acquired by an agency under a pledge of 
confidentiality for exclusively statistical purposes shall not be 
disclosed by an agency in identifiable form, for any use other than an 
exclusively statistical purpose, except with the informed consent of 
the respondent.''
    Responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in 
identifiable form to anyone, other than employees or agents of BEA or 
agents of NIH, without prior written permission of the person filing 
the report. By law, each employee as well as each agent is subject to a 
jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both for 
disclosing to the public any identifiable information that is reported 
about a business or institution.
    Section 515 of the Information Quality Guidelines applies to this 
survey. The collection and use of this information complies with all 
applicable information quality guidelines, i.e., those of the Office of 
Management and Budget, Department of Commerce, and BEA.

II. Method of Collection

    A survey with a cover letter that includes a brief description of, 
and rationale for, the survey will be sent by email to potential 
respondents by the first week of October in 2014 and by August of 2015 
and 2016. A report of the respondent's expenditures of the NIH award 
amounts, including NIH awards received as a sub-recipient from another 
institution, following the proposed format for expenditure categories 
included with the survey form, will be requested to be completed and 
submitted online no later than December 8, which in most years will be 
approximately 120 days after mailing. Survey respondents will be 
selected on the basis of award levels, which determine the weight of 
the respondent in the biomedical research and development price index. 
Potential respondents will include (1) The top 100 organizations in 
total awards, which account for about 73 percent of total awards; (2) 
40 additional organizations that are not primarily in the ``Research 
and Development (R&D) contracts'' category; and (3) 10 additional 
organizations that are primarily in the ``R&D contracts'' category.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0608-0069.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Universities or other organizations that are NIH 
award recipients.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 120.
    Estimated Time per Response: 16 hours, but may vary among 
respondents because of differences in institution structure, size, and 
complexity.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,920 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the NIH, including whether the information has practical utility; (b) 
the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours 
and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use

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of automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: May 13, 2014.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-11453 Filed 5-16-14; 8:45 am]
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