[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10453-10454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03587]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Public Comment Request; Information Collection 
Request Title: The Division of Independent Review Application Reviewer 
Recruitment Form, OMB No. 0915-0295--Extension

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA 
has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments submitted 
during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB 
will accept further comments from the public during the review and 
approval period. OMB may act on HRSA's ICR only after the 30 day 
comment period for this notice has closed.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than March 25, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Lisa Wright-Solomon, at (301) 
443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Information Collection Request Title: The Division of Independent 
Review Application Reviewer Recruitment Form, OMB No. 0915-0295--
Extension.
    Abstract: HRSA's Division of Independent Review (DIR) is 
responsible for administering the review of eligible applications 
submitted for grants under HRSA competitive announcements. DIR ensures 
that the objective review process is independent, efficient, effective, 
economical, and complies with the applicable statutes, regulations, and 
policies. Applications are reviewed by subject matter experts 
knowledgeable in health and public health disciplines for which support 
is requested. Review findings are advisory to HRSA programs responsible 
for making award decisions.
    This ICR is for continuation of a web-based data collection system, 
the Reviewer Recruitment Module (RRM), used to gather critical reviewer 
information. The RRM uses standardized categories of information in 
drop down menu format for data such as the following: Degree, 
specialty, occupation, work setting, and in select instances 
affiliations with organizations and institutions that serve special 
populations. Some program regulations require that objective review 
panels contain consumers of health services. Other demographic data may 
be voluntarily provided by a potential reviewer. Defined data elements 
assist HRSA in finding and selecting expert reviewers for objective 
review committees.
    HRSA maintains a roster of approximately 9,000 qualified 
individuals who have actively served on HRSA objective review 
committees. The web-based RRM simplifies reviewer registration entry 
using a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) with a few data 
drop down menu choices, a search engine that supports key word queries 
in the actual resume or Curriculum Vitae text and also permits 
reviewers to access and update their information at will and as needed. 
The RRM is 508 compliant and accessible by the general public via a 
link on the HRSA ``Grants'' internet site, or by keying the RRM URL 
into their browser. The RRM is accessible using any of the commonly 
used internet browsers.
    A 60-day notice published in the Federal Register on December 6, 
2019, vol. 84, No. 235; pp. 66920-21. There were no public comments.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA currently utilizes 
the RRM to collect information from individuals who wish to volunteer 
as objective review committee participants for the Agency's 
discretionary and competitive grant or cooperative agreement funding 
opportunities. The RRM provides HRSA with an effective search and 
communication functionality with which to identify and contact 
qualified potential reviewers. The RRM has an enhanced search and 
reporting capability to help DIR ensure that the HRSA reviewer pool has 
the necessary skills, education and diversity to meet the ever-evolving 
need for qualified reviewers. If DIR identifies either an expertise or 
demographic that is under-represented in the RRM pool, DIR is able to 
recruit specifically to address those needs as expertise is always the 
primary determinant in selecting potential reviewers for any specific 
grant review. No reviewer is required to provide demographic 
information to join the reviewer pool or be selected as a reviewer for 
any competition.
    All HRSA reviewers must possess the technical skill and ability to 
access the internet on a secure desktop laptop or touch pad, and either 
a land line or Voice Over internet Protocol capability in order to 
participate in HRSA objective review committees. Reviewers are 
professionals with expertise and experience consistent with the HRSA 
mission. Certain legislation requires HRSA programs to include 
consumers of specific health care services in the objective review 
committee.
    Likely Respondents: Potential respondents are subject matter 
professionals with expertise and experience in the social, cultural, 
and health care fields that are consistent with the HRSA mission and 
competitive program needs to address the availability and delivery of 
quality health care to all Americans.

[[Page 10454]]

    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide the 
information requested. 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. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the table below.

                                    Total Estimated Annualized Burden--Hours
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                                                     Number of                    Average burden
            Form name                Number of     responses per       Total       per response    Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses      (in hours)         hours
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New reviewer....................           1,194               1            1194            .166             198
Updating reviewer information...           7,953               1            7953            .333           2,648
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    Total.......................           9,147  ..............            9147  ..............           2,846
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    HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and 
utility of the proposed information collection for the proper 
performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the 
estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to 
minimize the information collection burden.

Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2020-03587 Filed 2-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P