[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 101 (Friday, May 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24290-24291]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10846]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis

[Docket No. 179323306-7306-01]
RIN 0691-XC067


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

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal 
agencies to comment on this survey of expenditures incurred by 
recipients of biomedical research and development awards from the NIH.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 25, 2017.

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, 4600 Silver Hill Rd., 
Washington, DC 20233 via phone at (301) 278-9769, or via email at 
[email protected]ov.

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) in order to 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). The Bureau of Economic Analysis (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.

II. Authority

    The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden pursuant to the requirements of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), invites 
the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on this survey 
of expenditures incurred by recipients of biomedical research and 
development awards from the NIH. This survey will be voluntary. The 
authority for NIH to collect information for the BRDPI is provided in 
45 CFR, part 74, subpart C (Post-Award Requirements), in which section 
74.21 sets forth explicit standards for grantees in establishing and 
maintaining financial management systems and records, and section 74.53 
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 the Department of 
Commerce (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, permits DOC to 
provide, upon the request of any person, firm, or public or private 
organization special studies on matters within DOC's authority, 
including preparing from its records special compilations, lists, 
bulletins, or reports, and furnishing transcripts or copies of its 
studies, compilations and other records. NIH's support for this 
research is consistent with its duties and authority under 42 U.S.C. 
282.
    The information provided by the respondents will be kept 
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 of Public Law 107-

[[Page 24291]]

347. Title V is the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical 
Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA). Section 512 (Limitations on Use and 
Disclosure of Data and Information) of CIPSEA 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 or 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.
    In addition, section 515 of the Treasury and General Government 
Appropriations Act, 2001 (Pub. L. 106-554, Appendix C, Sec.  515) 
applies to this survey. The collection and use of this information 
complies with all applicable information quality guidelines of the 
Office of Management and Budget, DOC, and BEA.

III. 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 August in 2017, 2018 and 2019. 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 respondents in the biomedical research and development price index. 
Potential respondents will include (1) the top 100 organizations in 
total awards, which account for about 77 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.

IV. 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.

V. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (1) 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; (2) 
the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours 
and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (3) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (4) 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.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-10846 Filed 5-25-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-EA-P