[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 89 (Monday, May 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28107-28108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-10793]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Comment Request: National Science Foundation Proposal--Large 
Facilities Manual

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to 
request renewed clearance of this collection. In accordance with the 
requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, we are providing opportunity for public comment on the NSF Large 
Facilities Manual (LFM) and the accompanying Large Facilities Financial 
Data Collection Tool. The primary purpose of this revision is to 
implement financial management policy and requirements as well as to 
update and clarify existing content. The draft versions of the NSF LFM 
and the accompanying Large Facilities Financial Data Collection Tool 
are available on the NSF Web site at: http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/lfo/lfo_documents.jsp.
    To facilitate review, a Change Log with brief comment explanations 
of the changes is provided in the manual. NSF is particularly 
interested in public comment on the financial management changes 
identified in the LFM and on the Large Facilities Financial Data 
Collection Tool for use in incurred cost reporting. After obtaining and 
considering public comment, NSF will prepare the submission requesting 
OMB clearance of this collection for no longer than 3 years.
    In addition to the type of comments identified above, comments are 
also invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the 
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information on respondents, including through the 
use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES: Written comments should be received by July 8, 2016 to be 
assured of consideration. Comments received after that date will be 
considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the information collection and 
requests for copies of the proposed information collection request 
should be addressed to Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, 
National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Rm. 1265, Arlington, VA 
22230, or by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne Plimpton on (703) 292-7556 or 
send email to [email protected]. Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339, which is accessible 
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (including federal 
holidays).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: ``Large Facilities Manual''
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0239.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 6/30/2018.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend with revision an 
information collection for three years.
    Proposed Project: The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (Pub. 
L. 81-507) set forth NSF's mission and purpose:
    ``To promote the progress of science; to advance the national 
health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense. * * 
*''
    The Act authorized and directed NSF to initiate and support:
     Basic scientific research and research fundamental to the 
engineering process;
     Programs to strengthen scientific and engineering research 
potential;
     Science and engineering education programs at all levels 
and in all the various fields of science and engineering;
     Programs that provide a source of information for policy 
formulation; and
     Other activities to promote these ends.
    Among Federal agencies, NSF is a leader in providing the academic 
community with advanced instrumentation needed to conduct state-of-the-
art research and to educate the next generation of scientists, 
engineers and technical workers. The knowledge generated by these tools 
sustains U.S. leadership in science and engineering (S&E) to drive the 
U.S. economy and secure the future. NSF's responsibility is to ensure 
that the research and education communities have access to these 
resources, and to provide the support needed to utilize them optimally, 
and implement timely upgrades.
    The scale of advanced instrumentation ranges from small research 
instruments to shared resources or facilities that can be used by 
entire communities. The demand for such instrumentation is very high, 
and is growing rapidly, along with the pace of discovery. For large 
facilities and shared infrastructure, the need is particularly high. 
This trend is expected to accelerate in the future as increasing 
numbers of researchers and educators rely on such large facilities, 
instruments, and databases to provide the reach to make the next 
intellectual leaps.
    NSF currently provides support for facility construction from two 
accounts:

[[Page 28108]]

the Major Research Equipment and Facility Construction (MREFC) account, 
and the Research and Related Activities (R&RA) account. The MREFC 
account, established in FY 1995, is a separate budget line item that 
provides an agency-wide mechanism, permitting directorates to undertake 
large facility projects that exceed 10% of the Directorate's annual 
budget; or roughly $100M or greater. Smaller projects continue to be 
supported from the R&RA Account.
    Facilities are defined as shared-use infrastructure, 
instrumentation and equipment that are accessible to a broad community 
of researchers and/or educators. Facilities may be centralized or may 
consist of distributed installations. They may incorporate large-scale 
networking or computational infrastructure, multi-user instruments or 
networks of such instruments, or other infrastructure, instrumentation 
and equipment having a major impact on a broad segment of a scientific 
or engineering discipline. Historically, awards have been made for such 
diverse projects as accelerators, telescopes, research vessels and 
aircraft, and geographically distributed but networked sensors and 
instrumentation.
    The growth and diversification of large facility projects require 
that NSF remain attentive to the ever-changing issues and challenges 
inherent in their planning, construction, operation, management and 
oversight. Most importantly, dedicated, competent NSF and awardee staff 
are needed to manage and oversee these projects; giving the attention 
and oversight that good practice dictates and that proper 
accountability to taxpayers and Congress demands. To this end, there is 
also a need for consistent, documented requirements and procedures to 
be understood and used by NSF program managers and awardees for all 
such large projects.
    Use of the Information: Facilities are an essential part of the 
science and engineering enterprise, and supporting them is one major 
responsibility of the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF makes 
awards to external entities--primarily universities, consortia of 
universities or non-profit organizations--to undertake construction, 
management and operation of facilities. Such awards frequently take the 
form of cooperative agreements. NSF does not directly construct or 
operate the facilities it supports. However, NSF retains responsibility 
for overseeing their development, management and successful 
performance. The Large Facilities Manual is intended to:
     Provide step-by-step guidance for NSF staff and awardees 
to carry out effective project planning, management and oversight of 
large facilities while considering the varying requirements of a 
diverse portfolio;
     Clearly state the policies, processes and procedures 
pertinent at each stage of a facility's life cycle from development 
through construction, operations, and termination; and
     Document and disseminate ``best practices'' identified 
over time so that NSF and awardees can carry out their responsibilities 
more effectively.
    This version of the Large Facilities Manual up-dates sections 
related to contingency policy, cost estimating requirements, and cost 
incurred audits. As part of the implementation of incurred cost 
reporting, a Large Facilities Financial Data Collection Tool is 
referenced in the Manual and included in the request for comment. This 
version also reflects revisions to improve readability and facilitate 
period revision. The Manual does not replace existing formal procedures 
required for all NSF awards, which are described in the Grant Proposal 
Guide and The Award and Administration Guide. Instead, it draws upon 
and supplements them for the purpose of providing detailed guidance 
regarding NSF management and oversight of facilities projects. All 
facilities projects require merit and technical review, as well as 
approval of certain deliverables. The level of review and approval 
varies substantially from standard grants, as does the level of 
oversight needed to ensure appropriate and proper accountability for 
federal funds. The requirements, recommended procedures and best 
practices presented in the Manual apply to any facility significant 
enough to require close and substantial interaction with the Foundation 
and the National Science Board.
    This Manual will be updated periodically to reflect changes in 
requirements, policies and/or procedures. Award Recipients are expected 
to monitor and adopt the requirements and best practices included in 
the Manual which are aimed at improving management and oversight of 
large facilities projects and at enabling the most efficient and cost-
effective delivery of tools to the research and education communities.
    The submission of proposals and subsequent project documentation to 
the Foundation related to the development, construction and operations 
of Large Facilities is part of the collection of information. This 
information is used to help NSF fulfill this responsibility in 
supporting merit-based research and education projects in all the 
scientific and engineering disciplines. The Foundation also has a 
continuing commitment to provide oversight on facilities development 
and construction which must be balanced against monitoring its 
information collection so as to identify and address any excessive 
reporting burdens.
    NSF has approximately twenty-two (22) Large Facilities in various 
stages of development, construction, operations and termination. One to 
two (1 to 2) new awards are made approximately every five (5) years 
based on science community infrastructure needs and availability of 
funding. Of the twenty-two large facilities, there are approximately 
eight (8) facilities annually that are either in development or 
construction. These stages require the highest level of reporting and 
management documentation per the Large Facilities Manual.
    Burden to the Public: The Foundation estimates that an average of 
three (3) Full Time Equivalents (FTE's) are necessary for each facility 
project in development or construction (Total Project Cost of $200-
$500M) to respond to NSF routine reporting and project management 
documentation requirements on an annual basis; or 6240 hours per year. 
The Foundation estimates an average of one (1) FTE for a facility in 
operations; or 2080 hours per year. Assuming an average of eight (8) 
facilities in construction and the balance in operations, this equates 
to roughly 80,000 public burden hours annually.

    Dated: May 3, 2016.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2016-10793 Filed 5-6-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P