[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 21 (Friday, January 31, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5677-5678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01798]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Proposed Collection; 60-day Comment Request; Early Career 
Reviewer Program Online Application and Vetting System (Center for 
Scientific Review)

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 to provide opportunity for public comment on proposed data 
collection projects, the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) National 
Institutes of Health will publish periodic summaries of propose 
projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review and approval.

DATES: Comments regarding this information collection are best assured 
of having their full effect if received within 60 days of the date of 
this publication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain a copy of the data 
collection plans and instruments, submit comments in writing, or 
request more information on the proposed project, contact: Dr. Hope 
Cummings, Project Clearance Liaison, Center for Scientific Review, NIH, 
Room 4134, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892 or call non-
toll-free number (301) 402-4706 or Email your request, including your 
address to: [email protected]. Formal requests for additional plans 
and instruments must be requested in writing.

[[Page 5678]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 requires: written comments and/or suggestions 
from the public and affected agencies are invited to address one or 
more of the following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) 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; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Ways 
to minimizes the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    Proposed Collection Title: Early Career Reviewer Program Online 
Application and Vetting System, 0925-0695, REVISION, exp., date 05/31/
2020, Center for Scientific Review (CSR), National Institutes of Health 
(NIH).
    Need and Use of Information Collection: The Center for Scientific 
Review (CSR) is the portal for NIH grant applications and their review 
for scientific merit. Our mission is to see that all NIH grant 
applications receive fair, independent, expert, and timely reviews--
free from inappropriate influences--so NIH can fund the most promising 
research. To accomplish this goal, Scientific Review Officers (SRO) 
form study sections consisting of scientists who have the technical and 
scientific expertise to evaluate the merit of grant applications. Study 
section members are generally scientists who have established 
independent programs of research as demonstrated by their publications 
and their grant award experiences.
    The CSR Early Career Reviewer program was developed to identify and 
train qualified scientists who are early in their scientific careers 
and who have not had prior CSR review experience. The goals of the 
program are to expose these early career scientists to the peer review 
experience so that they become more competitive as applicants as well 
as to enrich the existing pool of NIH reviewers. Currently, the online 
application software, the Early Career Reviewer Application and Vetting 
System, is accessed online by applicants to the Early Career Reviewer 
Program who provide information such as their name, contact 
information, a description of their areas of expertise, their study 
section preferences, and their professional Curriculum Vitae. This 
Information Collection Request (ICR) is to revise the Early Career 
Reviewer Application and Vetting System to include additional questions 
and be more user friendly. Additional questions are in line with NIH's 
renewed Interest in Diversity (NOT-OD-20-031) and include questions 
such as applicants' race, ethnicity, gender, disability, and 
disadvantage backgrounds. Applicants can choose if they would like to 
answer these additional questions (i.e. optional). Applicants are also 
now able to check their eligibility before applying to the program.
    OMB approval is requested for 3 years. There are no costs to 
respondents other than their time. The total estimated annualized 
burden hours are 505.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of     Average time
               Type of respondent                    Number of     responses per   per response    Total annual
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      burden hour
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Research scientists.............................            1212               1           25/60             505
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............            1212  ..............             505
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    Dated: January 22, 2020.
Hope M. Cummings,
Project Clearance Liaison, Center for Scientific Review (CSR), National 
Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2020-01798 Filed 1-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P