[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 105 (Thursday, June 3, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29808-29809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11678]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; 
Grantee Reporting Requirements for the Engineering Research Centers

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 no comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed 
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).
    Copies of the submission may be obtained by calling 703-292-7556.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.
    Title of Collection: Grantee Reporting Requirements for the 
Engineering Research Centers.
    OMB Number: 3145-0220.
    Type of Request: Extension without revision of an information 
collection.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to renew an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Engineering Research Centers (ERC) program supports 
an integrated, interdisciplinary research environment to advance 
fundamental engineering knowledge and engineered systems; educate a 
globally competitive and diverse engineering workforce from K-12 on; 
and join academe and industry in partnership to achieve these goals. 
ERCs conduct world-class research through partnerships of academic 
institutions, national laboratories, industrial organizations, and/or 
other public/private entities. New knowledge thus created is 
meaningfully linked to society.
    ERCs conduct world-class research with an engineered systems 
perspective that integrates materials, devices, processes, components, 
control algorithms and/or other enabling elements to perform a well-
defined function. These systems provide a unique academic research and 
education experience that involves integrative complexity and 
technological realization. The complexity of the systems perspective 
includes the factors associated with its use in industry, society/
environment, or the human body.
    ERCs enable and foster excellent education, integrate research and 
education, speed knowledge/technology transfer through partnerships 
between academe and industry, and prepare a more competitive future 
workforce. ERCs capitalize on diversity through participation in center 
activities and demonstrate leadership in the involvement of groups 
underrepresented in science and engineering.
    Centers are required to submit annual reports on progress and 
plans, which will be used as a basis for performance review and 
determining the level of continued funding. To support this review and 
the management of a Center, ERCs also are required to submit management 
and performance indicators annually to NSF via a data collection 
website that is managed by a technical assistance contractor. These 
indicators are both quantitative and descriptive and may include, for 
example, the characteristics of center personnel and students; sources 
of cash and in-kind support; expenditures by operational component; 
characteristics of industrial and/or other sector participation; 
research activities; education activities; knowledge transfer 
activities; patents, licenses; publications; degrees granted to 
students involved in Center activities; descriptions of significant 
advances and other outcomes of the ERC effort. Such reporting 
requirements will be included in the cooperative agreement which is 
binding between the academic institution and the NSF.
    Each Center's annual report will address the following categories 
of activities: (1) Vision and impact, (2) strategic plan, (3) research 
program, (4) innovation ecosystem and industrial collaboration, (5) 
education, (6) infrastructure (leadership, management,

[[Page 29809]]

facilities, diversity) and (7) budget issues.
    For each of the categories the report will describe overall 
objectives for the year, progress toward center goals, problems the 
Center has encountered in making progress towards goals and how they 
were overcome, plans for the future and anticipated research and other 
barriers to overcome in the following year, and specific outputs and 
outcomes.
    Use of the Information: The data collected will be used for NSF 
internal reports, historical data, performance review by peer site 
visit teams, program level studies and evaluations, and for securing 
future funding for continued ERC program maintenance and growth.
    Estimate of Burden: 150 hours per center for 17 centers for a total 
of 2,550 hours.
    Respondents: Academic institutions.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Report: One from each of the 17 
ERCs.

    Dated: May 28, 2021.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2021-11678 Filed 6-2-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P