[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24383-24384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08300]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Challenge and Prize Competition Solicitations Generic 
Clearance

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before June 20, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
the Department Paperwork Reduction Act Clearance Officer, Department of 
Commerce, at [email protected]. All comments received are part of the 
public record. Comments will generally be posted without change. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0690-0031 in the subject line of your 
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise 
sensitive or protected information.

[[Page 24384]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to S. Dumas, the DOC PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under 
Secretary for Economic Affairs, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482-3306 or at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for an extension of a currently approved generic 
clearance for the collection of routine information requested of 
respondents in challenges and competitions that the Department of 
Commerce posts on the General Service Administration (GSA)'s 
Challenge.gov website since passage of the America COMPETES Act of 
2011. In order for DOC to launch competitions quickly and effectively 
on a continual basis, DOC seeks generic clearance to collect 
information for these challenges and competitions, which will generally 
include first name, last name, email, city, state and when applicable 
other demographic information. It can also include other information 
necessary to evaluate submissions and understand their impact related 
to the general goals of the competition. Upon entry or during the 
judging process, applicants under the age of 18 may be asked to confirm 
parental consent, requiring students under 18 to have a parent's 
signature on a parental consent form provided by the DOC in order to 
qualify for the contest. For certain challenges we may also need to 
collect data such as types of data sets used in the solution, types of 
software tools used in the solution, and information regarding uses of 
proprietary software (i.e., licenses or use agreements). Information 
obtained from participants will be used by the program managers 
(challenge manager), technical reviewers, and other agency officials 
(such agency counsels.
    In 2011, Federal agencies including DOC were given prize authority 
for administering challenges and competitions. Section 105(a) of the 
America Competes Act, adds Section 24 to the Stevenson-Wydler 
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) that 
addresses provisions for challenges and competitions with prizes 
conducted by Federal agencies. Challenges and competitions enable DOC 
to tap into the expertise and creativity of the public in new ways. DOC 
evaluates submissions and typically awarded monetary or non-monetary 
prizes to winning entries. DOC may sponsor challenges and competitions 
in a wide variety of areas to increase public participation and solicit 
new ideas on a wide array of topics important to the agency's mission. 
DOC's goal is to engage a broader number of stakeholders who are 
inspired to work on some of our most pressing issues.
    The information collected will be used to understand whether the 
participant has met the technical requirements for the challenge, 
assist in the technical review and judging of the solutions that are 
provided, and assess how the competition was administered. Information 
may be collected during the competition or after its completion.
    This clearance applies to challenges posted on Challenge.gov, which 
uses a common platform for the solicitation of challenges from the 
public. Each agency designs the criteria for its solicitations based on 
the goals of the challenge and the specific needs of the agency. There 
is no standard submission format for solution providers to follow, and 
there is no set schedule for the issuance of challenges; they are 
developed and issued on an ``as needed'' basis in response to issues 
the federal agency wishes to solve.

II. Method of Collection

    The primary method of collection will be electronic. Some 
supporting documents may be emailed, mailed, or collected in person.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0690-0031.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission [Extension of a current 
information collection].
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households, Businesses or for-
profit organizations, State, Local or Tribal Government, etc.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,100.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10-30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 800.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: Nominal.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Requests: One-time.
    Legal Authority: 15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-08300 Filed 4-19-23; 8:45 am]
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