[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 239 (Wednesday, December 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76514-76515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27036]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request.

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to 
establish this collection. In accordance with the requirements of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are providing opportunity for 
public comment on this action. After obtaining and considering public 
comment, NSF will prepare the submission requesting Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) clearance of this collection for no longer 
than 3 years.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by February 13, 
2023 to be assured consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to address 
below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance 
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 
E7400, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone (703) 292-7556; 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).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate 
for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Reviewer Request 
Form.
    OMB Control No.: 3145-New.
    Expiration Date of Approval: Not applicable.
    Abstract: NSF has advanced the full spectrum of fundamental 
research and education in all fields of science, technology, 
engineering and mathematics, or STEM, for more than 70 years--from 
foundational, curiosity-driven research that has led to new knowledge 
about our world, to use-inspired, solution-oriented research that has 
directly impacted people's everyday lives. At every stage, investments 
across this spectrum have been deeply intertwined.
    NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships 
(TIP) doubles down on the agency's commitment to support use-inspired 
research and the translation of research results to the market and 
society. In doing so, the new directorate strengthens the intense 
interplay between foundational and use-inspired work, enhancing the 
full cycle of discovery and innovation. This is best illustrated 
through the programs within the TIP Directorate portfolio--America's 
Seed Fund, Convergence Accelerator, Innovation Corps (I-Corps), 
Partnerships for Innovation, Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems, 
and Regional Innovation Engines--all reflect and represent the various 
phases of the technology transition/translation spectrum, while 
accentuating the core theme of use-inspired and solution-oriented 
research.
    Due to the specialized nature of these programs, it is necessary 
for the TIP Directorate to refine its reviewer recruitment efforts and 
reach out to individuals that have the adequate and appropriate 
combinations of expertise and experience to serve as proposal reviewers 
for these programs. To recruit cognizant reviewers that have the set of 
unique skills and credentials--ones that meet and align well with the 
needs of these programs, the NSF TIP Directorate requests the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval of a customizable, directorate-
wide Reviewer Request Form to collect information that is germane and 
bespoke to each program within the TIP Directorate.
    There are two parts to the Form. The first part is similar to the 
agency-wide Reviewer Request Form (NSF 428A), in that information 
pertaining to the individual's name, contact information, demographics, 
education level, and professional experience will be asked. The second 
part will vary based on the program, as some programs in TIP are more 
topically-driven, and/or theme-focused than others. The information 
collected on the second part encompasses, but is not limited to, the 
following areas: type of employing institutions, areas of expertise, 
provision of the individual's LinkedIn or professional web page, and 
potential conflict of interests. Such data collection will enable the 
Program Directors to better assess whether the combination of 
experience, expertise, and skills of the interested individuals are 
adequate and well-suited to help the programs to evaluate proposals 
through the merit review criteria as set forth by the agency and the 
National Science Board. (For more information on NSF merit review 
principles and criteria, please consult the NSF Proposal & Award 
Policies & Procedures Guides (PAPPG), Chapter III.A.)
    Following standard OMB requirements, NSF will require OMB approval 
in advance and provide OMB with a copy of the form containing these 
questions and/or data fields. Data collected will be used strictly for 
reviewer recruiting purposes. The data collection burden to the 
individuals will be limited to no more than 10 minutes of the 
respondents' time in each instance.
    Respondents: The respondents generally have the education and/or 
experience level commensurate to a university assistant professor.
    Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 3,500.
    Burden on the Public: The overall annualized cost to the 
respondents is estimated to be $25,718. The following table shows the 
annualized estimate of costs to the respondents who generally have the 
education and/or experience level commensurate to university assistant 
professors. This estimated hourly rate is based on a report from the 
American Association of University

[[Page 76515]]

Professors, ``Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 
2020-21,'' Academe, March-April 2021, Survey Report Table 1. According 
to this report, the average salary of an assistant professor across all 
types of doctoral-granting institutions was $91,408. When divided by 
the number of standard annual work hours (2,080), this calculates to 
approximately $44 per hour.

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                                                                   Burden hours
                 Respondent type                     Number of          per           Average        Estimated
                                                    respondents     respondent      hourly rate     annual cost
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PIs.............................................            3500           0.167             $44         $25,718
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    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............          25,718
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    Dated: December 8, 2022.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2022-27036 Filed 12-13-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P