[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 4, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 68565]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22063]



[[Page 68565]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Application 
Cover Sheet

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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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 December 4, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
mail to Maureen O'Reilly, Management Analyst, NIST at 
[email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number 0693-0072 in 
the subject line of your comments. Do not submit Confidential Business 
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Jacqueline Gray, NIST SBIR Program Office, 301-975-2522, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The SBIR program was originally established in 1982 by the Small 
Business Innovation Development Act (Pub. L. 97-219), codified at 15 
U.S.C. 638. It was then expanded and extended by the Small Business 
Research and Development (R&D) Enhancement Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-
564) and received subsequent reauthorization and extensions that 
include Public Law 112-81, extending SBIR through September 30, 2022. 
The US Small Business Administration (SBA) serves as the coordinating 
agency for the SBIR program. It directs the agency implementation of 
SBIR, reviews progress, and reports annually to Congress on its 
operation.
    The NIST SBIR Cover Sheet is the first page of each application 
that responds to the annual NIST SBIR Federal Funding Opportunity 
(FFO). The information collected in the Cover Sheet provides 
identifying information and demographic data for use in NIST's annual 
report to the SBA on the program.

II. Method of Collection

    The information will be collected as part of the application 
process and will be submitted through grants.gov.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0693-0072.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a current information collection.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 50 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

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. 2023-22063 Filed 10-3-23; 8:45 am]
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