[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 135 (Friday, July 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32619-32620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14997]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture


Notice of Intent To Extend and Revise a Currently Approved 
Information Collection

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's 
(NIFA) intention to extend and revise a currently approved information 
collection entitled, ``Reporting Requirements for State Plans of Work 
for Agricultural Research and Extension Formula Funds.''

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by September 
11, 2018 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that 
date will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning this notice and requests for 
copies of the information collection may be submitted by any of the 
following methods: Email: [email protected]; Fax: 202-720-0857; 
Mail: Office of Information Technology (OIT), NIFA, USDA, STOP 2216, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-2216.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Martin, eGovernment Program 
Leader; Email: [email protected]; Phone: 202-401-5924.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Reporting Requirements for State Plans of Work for 
Agricultural Research and Extension Capacity Grants.
    OMB Number: 0524-0036.
    Expiration Date of Current Approval: January 1, 2019.
    Type of Request: Notice of intent to extend and revise the 
submission requirements for a currently approved information 
collection. The burden for this submission remains unchanged.
    Abstract: Type of Request: Intent to seek approval for the 
extension and revision of a currently approved information collection 
for three years.
    Abstract: The purpose of this collection of information is to 
continue implementing the requirements of sections 202 and 225 of the 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 
(AREERA) which require that a plan of work must be submitted by each 
institution and approved by the National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture (NIFA) before formula funds may be provided to the 1862 and 
1890 land-grant institutions.
    The formula funds are authorized under the Hatch Act for 
agricultural research activities at the 1862 land-grant institutions, 
under the Smith-Lever Act for the extension activities at the 1862 
land-grant institutions, and under sections 1444 and 1445 of the 
National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 
1977 for research and extension activities at the 1890 land-grant 
institutions. The plan of work must address critical agricultural 
issues in the State and describe the programs and projects targeted to 
address these issues using the NIFA formula funds. The plan of work 
also must describe the institution's multistate activities as well as 
their integrated research and extension activities.
    This collection of information also includes the reporting 
requirements of section 102(c) of AREERA for the 1862 and 1890 land-
grant institutions. This section requires the 1862, 1890, and 1994 
land-grant institutions receiving agricultural research, education, and 
extension formula funds from NIFA of the Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) to establish and implement processes for obtaining input from 
persons who conduct or use agricultural research, extension, or 
education concerning the use of such funds effective October 1, 1999.
    Section 102(c) further requires that the Secretary of Agriculture 
promulgate regulations that prescribe what the institutions must do to 
meet this requirement and the consequences of not complying with this 
requirement. The Stakeholder Input Requirements for Recipients of 
Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Formula Funds (7 CFR 
part 3418) final rule (65 FR 5993, Feb. 8, 2000) applies not only to 
the land-grant institutions receiving formula funds but also to the 
veterinary and forestry schools that are not land-grant institutions 
but receive forestry research funds under the McIntire-Stennis Act of 
1962 and animal health and disease research funds under section 1433 of 
the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act 
of 1977 (NARETPA). Failure to comply with the requirements of this rule 
may result in the withholding of a recipient institution's formula 
funds and redistribution of its share of formula funds to other 
eligible institutions. The institutions are required to annually report 
to NIFA: (1) The actions taken to seek stakeholder input to encourage

[[Page 32620]]

their participation; (2) a brief statement of the process used by the 
recipient institution to identify individuals and groups who are 
stakeholders and to collect input from them; and (3) a statement of how 
collected input was considered. There is no legislatively prescribed 
form or format for this reporting requirement. However, the 1862 and 
1890 land-grant institutions are required to report on their 
Stakeholder Input Process annually as part of their Annual Report of 
Accomplishments and Results.
    Section 103(e) of AREERA requires that the 1862, 1890, and 1994 
land-grant institutions establish a merit review process, prior to 
October 1, 1999, in order to obtain agricultural research and extension 
funds. Section 104 of AREERA also stipulated that a scientific peer 
review process be established for research programs funded under 
section 3(c)(3) of the Hatch Act (commonly referred to as Hatch 
Multistate Research Funds).
    This notice also revises the Plan of Work to include Extension 
Program Initiations and Annual Reports in the REEport platform in place 
of the current Planned Programs and make the current REEport Hatch and 
Evans-Allen approved Research Project Initiations and Annual Progress 
Reports as a part of the Plan of Work and Annual Report of 
Accomplishments. This will reduce the overall burden for Hatch and 
Evans-Allen research grant recipients. The burden for Extension Grant 
recipients is estimated to remain the same.
    The revised Plan of Work will have the following sections:
    (1). Institutional Profile and Executive Summary
    (2). Merit Review Process
    (3). Stakeholder Input
    (4). Multistate Extension and Integrated Research and Extension
    (5). Critical Issues
    (6). Extension Program Initiations and Research Project Initiations 
in the REEport Platform

I. Initial 5-Year Plan of Work

    Estimate of Burden: The Initial 5-Year Plan of Work as revised will 
submitted for the FY 2020-2024 Plan of Work in 2019. The total 
reporting and record keeping requirements for the submission of the 
``Initial 5-Year Plan of Work'' is estimated to average 64 hours per 
response. There are six components of this ``5-Year Plan of Work'': 
``Critical Issues,'' ``Extension Program and Research Project 
Initiations in the REEport Platform,'' ``Stakeholder Input Process,'' 
``Merit Review Process,'' ``Multi state Activities,'' and ``Integrated 
Activities.''
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 75.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 150.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 9,600 hours.
    Frequency of Responses: Annually.

II. Annual Update to 5-Year Plan of Work

    Estimate of the Burden: The total reporting and record keeping 
requirements for the submission of the ``Annual Update to the 5-Year 
Plan of Work'' is estimated to average 64 hours per response. There are 
six components of this ``5-Year Plan of Work'': ``Critical Issues,'' 
``Extension Program and Research Project Initiations in the REEport 
Platform,'' ``Stakeholder Input Process,'' ``Merit Review Process,'' 
``Multi state Activities,'' and ``Integrated Activities.''
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 75.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 150.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 9,600 hours.
    Frequency of Responses: Annually.

III. Annual Report of Accomplishments and Results

    Estimate of the Burden: The total annual reporting and record 
keeping requirements of the ``Annual Report of Accomplishments and 
Results'' is estimated to average 260 hours per response.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 75.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 150.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 39,000 hours.
    Frequency of Responses: Annually.
    Comments: 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 will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (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 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request to OMB for approval. All comments will become a matter of 
public record.

    Done in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2018.
Thomas G. Shanower,
Acting Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2018-14997 Filed 7-12-18; 8:45 am]
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