[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2150-2151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00362]


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NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES

National Endowment for the Arts


Subject 30-Day Notice for the ``USArtists International Program 
Information Collection''

AGENCY: National Endowment for the Arts, National Foundation on the 
Arts and the Humanities.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 2151]]

SUMMARY: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and 
Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that requested data 
can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and 
financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly 
understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents 
can be properly assessed. Currently, the NEA is soliciting comments 
concerning the proposed information collection for the Survey of 
American Artists Participating in International Exchanges. Copies of 
this ICR, with applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by 
visiting www.Reginfo.gov.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
address section below within 30 days from the date of this publication 
in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the National Endowment 
for the Arts, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, 
DC 20503 202/395-7316, within 30 days from the date of this publication 
in the Federal Register.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NEA is particularly interested in 
comments which:
     Evaluate 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;
     Evaluate 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;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     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, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    Agency: National Endowment for the Arts.
    Title: Survey of American Artists Participating in International 
Exchanges.
    OMB Number: New.
    Frequency: One-Time Pilot Test and Annual Web Survey.
    Affected Public: Artists with travel sponsored by the USArtists 
International program.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 414 (189 pilot test respondents + 
75 survey respondents per year).
    Total Burden Hours: 70.38 (32.13 in pilot test + 12.75 per survey 
year).
    Total annualized capital/startup costs: 0.
    Total annual costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing 
services): $9,879.15.
    The planned data collection is a new information collection 
request, and the data to be collected are not available elsewhere 
unless obtained through this information collection. A web-based survey 
of the USAI program grantees is planned once annually for March 2021, 
March 2022, and March 2023. A pilot test of the web survey is planned 
for March 2020, contingent upon OMB approval. Knowledge gained through 
this information collection will enable the Arts Endowment to collect 
evidence on the impact of the USAI program on U.S. artists' careers. 
Currently, the Arts Endowment does not collect any information from 
USAI grantees related to the benefits of the program on their careers.
    USAI is an international artist exchange program administered by 
the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. The Arts Endowment is the lead funder 
of the program and supports the program through a cooperative agreement 
with Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. Additional supporting partners 
include the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the John D. and Catherine 
T. MacArthur Foundation which support artists from the Chicago area, 
and the Trust for Mutual Understanding and the Howard Gilman Foundation 
which support New York City-based organizations. It is the only 
national initiative in the United States solely devoted to supporting 
performances by American artists at important international cultural 
festivals and arts marketplaces abroad and is the largest of the Arts 
Endowment efforts supporting artists' performances abroad. USAI 
provides grants of up to $15,000 towards the support of artist fees, 
travel, accommodations, per diem, shipping, and visa preparation for 
U.S. artists. USAI provides grants to ensembles and individual 
performers in dance, music, and theatre.
    Based on the Arts Endowment's FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan (approved 
by OMB), the Arts Endowment decided to develop a survey of U.S. artists 
participating in international exchange programs to support performance 
reporting that shows ``Arts Endowment-supported international exchanges 
have a demonstrable benefit on the careers of participating American 
artists'' (performance goal 3.3.3) and ``the percentage of American 
artists that report benefits of their participation in Arts Endowment-
supported international exchanges'' (performance indicator 3.3.3.1). 
The survey supports the agency's evidence-building efforts, to better 
understand outcomes associated with its investments. On page 26 of the 
Strategic Plan, the study is described as a specific evidence-building 
initiative supporting Strategic Objective 3.3:
    The NEA intends to examine the impacts of these international 
exchanges on the careers of U.S. artists and on U.S. audiences who 
experience works originating from foreign artists as part of its 
evidence-building efforts. As an initial step, the NEA is investigating 
whether to plan a survey of U.S. artists participating in international 
exchanges with the goal of developing a richer understanding of the 
program's short- and longer-term impacts on their careers.
    The Arts Endowment's Office of International Activities and Office 
of Research & Analysis decided to survey artist grantees of the USAI 
program because it is the largest of the Arts Endowment's efforts to 
support artists' travel and performances abroad and can provide the 
largest sample of artists to survey. The questions in the survey will 
capture five constructs related to artists' careers, including 
professional opportunities, professional networks, professional skills 
and learning, reputations, and creativity.
    This request is for a conditional clearance to conduct pilot 
testing of a web survey and upon OMB receiving the results of the pilot 
study, a potential full clearance to conduct an annual survey of past 
USAI program participants once the survey has been piloted.

    Dated: January 8, 2020.
Gregory Gendron,
Director of Administrative Services, National Endowment for the Arts.
[FR Doc. 2020-00362 Filed 1-13-20; 8:45 am]
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