[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 5, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 60367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21555]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture


Notice of Intent To Request Approval To Establish a New 
Information Collection

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice 
announces the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) 
intention to request a new information collection titled ``Small 
Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer 
(STTR)Programs Lifecycle Certification.''

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by December 5, 
2022 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments.
    Instructions: All comments received will be posted without change 
to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Robert Martin, 202-445-5388, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs Lifecycle 
Certification.
    OMB Control Number: 0524-New.
    Type of Request: Notice of intent to request a new information 
collection entitled ``Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small 
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs Lifecycle Certification.''
    NIFA asks recipients of SBIR and STTR grants to submit the 
Lifecycle Certification form as part of their interim and final 
reports, as required by the Small Business Administration's ``SBA SBIR/
STTR Policy Directive,'' October 1, 2020.
    Abstract: The SBIR/STTR program at the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) makes competitively awarded grants to qualified 
small businesses to support high quality, advanced concepts research 
related to important scientific problems and opportunities in 
agriculture that could lead to significant public benefit if 
successful.
    The objectives of the SBIR/STTR Program are to: stimulate 
technological innovations in the private sector; strengthen the role of 
small businesses in meeting Federal research and development needs; 
increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from 
USDA-supported research and development efforts; and foster and 
encourage participation by women-owned and socially and economically 
disadvantaged small business firms in technological innovations. The 
USDA SBIR program is carried out in three separate phases:
    1. Phase I awards to determine, insofar as possible, the scientific 
and technical merit and feasibility of ideas that appear to have 
commercial potential.
    2. Phase II awards to further develop work from Phase I that meets 
particular program needs and exhibits potential for commercial 
application.
    3. Phase III awards where commercial applications of SBIR-funded R/
R&D are funded by non-Federal sources of capital; or where products, 
services or further research intended for use by the Federal Government 
are funded by follow-on non-SBIR Federal Funding Agreements.
    The USDA SBIR Program is administered by the National Institute of 
Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the USDA. NIFA exercises overall 
oversight for the policies and procedures governing SBIR grants awarded 
to the U.S. small business community, representing approximately 2.5% 
to 2.8% of the USDA extramural R/R&D budget. This represents 
approximately $201M in Phase II grants awarded to the U.S. small 
business community from 1994 to 2014.In 1982, the Small Business 
Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants Program (Pub. L. 97-219, 96 Stat. 
217) was authorized, and in 2016, The National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Pub. L. 114-328), enacted on December 23, 
2016, reauthorized the SBIR and STTR programs through September 30, 
2022.
    The Lifecycle Certification form is used by USDA to ensure Small 
Business Concerns continue to meet specific program requirements during 
the life of the Funding Agreement. The Lifecycle Certification form is 
based on the Small Business Administration (SBA) model language.
    Estimate of Burden: The annual public reporting burden for the 
collection of information is estimated to average one (1) hour per 
response. Respondents include businesses or other for-profit concerns.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 110.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 2.
    Estimated Burden per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 500 hours.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways to 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.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request to OMB for approval. All comments will become a matter of 
public record.
    Obtaining a Copy of the Information Collection: A copy of the 
information collection and related instructions may be obtained free of 
charge by contacting Robert Martin as directed above.

    Done at Washington, DC, this day of August 9, 2022.
Dionne Toombs,
Acting Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2022-21555 Filed 10-4-22; 8:45 am]
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