[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41963-41965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18697]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-17-0765; Docket No. CDC-2017-0062]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing efforts to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing information 
collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This 
notice invites comments on a request for an extension of an approved 
information collection entitled, CDC's Fellowship Management System. 
CDC uses the information collected for processes that aid and enhance 
the selection of fellowship participants and host sites and to track 
participant information that helps strengthen the current, emerging, 
and ever-changing public health workforce.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 6, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2017-
0062 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Leroy A. Richardson, Information Collection Review 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road 
NE., MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted 
without change to Regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided. For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to Regulations.gov.


[[Page 41964]]


    Please note: All public comment should be submitted through the 
Federal eRulemaking portal (Regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the 
address listed above.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact Leroy A. Richardson, Information Collection 
Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE., MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    Comments are 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 to be collected; (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; and (e) estimates of capital or start-
up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services 
to provide information. Burden means the total time, effort, or 
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. 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.

Proposed Project

    Fellowship Management System (OMB No. 0920-0765, expires 04/30/
2018)-- Extension--Division of Scientific Education and Professional 
Development (DSEPD), Center for Surveillance, Education, and Laboratory 
Services (CSELS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    DSEPD requests a three-year extension to continue use of the CDC 
Fellowship Management System (FMS) for its electronic applications, 
host sites, and directory processes that allow individuals to apply to 
fellowships online, allow public health agencies to submit fellowship 
assignment proposals online, and track applicant and alumni 
information. CDC uses the FMS application module to collect, process, 
and manage data from nonfederal applicants seeking training or public 
health support services through CDC fellowships, under the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) control number 0920-0765. FMS is key to 
CDC's ability to protect the public's health by supporting training 
opportunities that strengthen the public health workforce. In 2015, OMB 
approval for revision was granted for FMS for a 3-year period. Since 
2015, OMB has approved nonsubstantive changes to FMS information 
collection requests under the same OMB control number, 0920-0765. These 
changes were made to accurately reflect evolving fellowship eligibility 
requirements, provide clarification of existing questions, efficiently 
and effectively accommodate changing needs of host organizations, and 
to account for the addition of 150 new applicants to the Science 
Ambassadors Fellowship. A 3-year extension will allow all fellowship 
applicants, public health agencies that host fellowship participants, 
and fellowship alumni the continued use of FMS for submission of 
electronic data.
    The mission of DSEPD is to improve health outcomes through a 
competent, sustainable, and empowered public health workforce. 
Professionals in public health, epidemiology, medicine, economics, 
information science, veterinary medicine, nursing, public policy, and 
other related professionals seek opportunities, through CDC 
fellowships, to broaden their knowledge, and skills to improve the 
science and practice of public health. CDC fellows are assigned to 
state, tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies; federal 
government agencies, including CDC and Department of Health and Human 
Services' (HHS) operational divisions, such as Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services; and to nongovernmental organizations, including 
academic institutions, tribal organizations, and private public health 
organizations.
    FMS allows CDC to electronically collect and process fellowship 
applications, fellowship assignment proposals, and fellowship alumni 
information from nonfederal persons. FMS is a flexible and robust data 
management system that is standardized and tailored for each CDC 
fellowship, collecting only the minimum amount of information required, 
thereby streamlining decision processes for CDC and reducing burden for 
respondents. Respondent types vary depending on fellowship eligibility 
requirements, and responses to FMS questions are voluntary. CDC uses 
the information FMS gathers to identify participants for its fellowship 
programs and effectively address each program's needs and the needs of 
the public. By allowing online submissions of applications to 
fellowships and proposals for fellowship assignments, FMS can track 
fellowship applicants, alumni, and public health service agency 
employees seeking to host and work with fellows, all in one integrated 
database.
    The annual burden table reflects OMB-approved changes since 2015, 
including the 150 new respondents applying to Science Ambassadors and 
changes for public health agency representatives. No changes were made 
relative to the FMS Alumni Directory or the FMS Host Site Module. There 
is no cost to respondents other than their time.

[[Page 41965]]



                                                            Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                                          Average burden   Average total
                                                                                             Number of     Frequency of      time per        response
               Type of respondent                               Form name                   respondents      response      response (in     burden (in
                                                                                                                              hours)          hours)
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Fellowship Applicants..........................  FMS Application........................           1,991               1            1.75           3,485
                                                 Science Ambassadors....................             150               1           45/60             113
Fellowship Alumni..............................  FMS Alumni Directory...................           1,382               1           15/60             346
Public Health Agency or Organization Staff.....  FMS Host Site Module...................             408               1             1.5             612
                                                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total......................................  .......................................           3,931  ..............  ..............           4,556
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Leroy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2017-18697 Filed 9-1-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P