[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23744-23745]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09388]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Submission for OMB review; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the 
following information collection requirement to OMB for review and 
clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second 
notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal 
Register and 71 comments from ten organizations were received. NSF is 
forwarding the proposed renewal submission to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the publication of 
this second notice.

DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAmain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance 
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, 
Alexandria, VA 22314, or send email to [email protected]. Individuals 
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339, which is 
accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (including 
federal holidays). Comments regarding this information collection are 
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of 
this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by 
calling 703-292-7556.
    NSF may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless 
the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control 
number, and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to 
the collection of information that such persons are not required to 
respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Summary of Comments on the National Science Foundation Proposal and 
Award Policies and Procedures Guide and NSF's Responses

    The draft NSF PAPPG was made available for review by the public on 
the NSF website at http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/. NSF received 71 
responses from 10 organizations in response to the First Federal 
Register notice published on December 14, 2020, at 85 FR 80823. All 
comments have been considered in the development of the proposed 
version. Please see http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/. A summary of 
the significant changes and clarifications to the PAPPG has been 
incorporated into the document.
    Title of Collection: ``National Science Foundation Proposal & Award 
Policies & Procedures Guide.''
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0058.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend with revision an 
information collection for three years.
    Proposed Project: The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (Pub. 
L. 81-507) sets forth NSF's mission and purpose:
    ``To promote the progress of science; to advance the national 
health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense. . . 
.''
    The Act authorized and directed NSF to initiate and support:
     Basic scientific research and research fundamental to the 
engineering process;
     Programs to strengthen scientific and engineering research 
potential;
     Science and engineering education programs at all levels 
and in all the various fields of science and engineering;
     Programs that provide a source of information for policy 
formulation; and
     Other activities to promote these ends.
    NSF's core purpose resonates clearly in everything it does: 
Promoting achievement and progress in science and engineering and 
enhancing the potential for research and education to contribute to the 
Nation. While NSF's vision of the future and the mechanisms it uses to 
carry out its charges have evolved significantly over the last six 
decades, its ultimate mission remains the same.
    Use of the Information: The regular submission of proposals to the 
Foundation is part of the collection of information and is used to help 
NSF fulfill this responsibility by initiating and supporting merit-
selected research and education projects in all the scientific and 
engineering disciplines. NSF receives more than 50,000 proposals 
annually for new projects and makes approximately 11,000 new awards.
    Support is made primarily through grants, contracts, and other 
agreements awarded to approximately 2,000 colleges, universities, 
academic consortia, nonprofit institutions, and small businesses. The 
awards are based mainly on merit evaluations of proposals submitted to 
the Foundation.
    The Foundation has a continuing commitment to monitor the 
operations of its information collection to identify and address 
excessive reporting burdens as well as to identify any real or apparent 
inequities based on gender, race, ethnicity, or disability of the 
proposed principal investigator(s)/project director(s) or the co-
principal investigator(s)/co-project director(s).
    Burden on the Public: It has been estimated that the public expends 
an average of approximately 120 burden hours for each proposal 
submitted. Since the Foundation expects to receive approximately 43,500 
proposals in FY 2021, an estimated 5,220,000 burden hours will be 
placed on the public.
    The Foundation has based its reporting burden on the review of 
approximately 43,500 new proposals expected during FY 2021. It has been 
estimated that anywhere from one hour to 20 hours may be required to 
review a proposal. We have estimated that approximately 5 hours are 
required to review an average proposal. Each proposal receives an 
average of 3 reviews, resulting in approximately 652,500 hours per 
year.
    The information collected on the reviewer background questionnaire 
(NSF 428A) is used by managers to maintain an automated database of

[[Page 23745]]

reviewers for the many disciplines represented by the proposals 
submitted to the Foundation. Information collected on gender, race, and 
ethnicity is used in meeting NSF needs for data to permit response to 
Congressional and other queries into equity issues. These data also are 
used in the design, implementation, and monitoring of NSF efforts to 
increase the participation of various groups in science, engineering, 
and education. The estimated burden for the Reviewer Background 
Information (NSF 428A) is estimated at 5 minutes per respondent with up 
to 10,000 potential new reviewers for a total of 833 hours.
    The aggregate number of burden hours is estimated to be 5,873,333. 
The actual burden on respondents has not changed.

    Dated: April 29, 2021.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2021-09388 Filed 5-3-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P