[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 125 (Friday, June 28, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53947-53948]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14166]


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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; Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR)

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, 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 August 27, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
email to Sheleen Dumas, the PRA Clearance Officer at 
[email protected]. Please reference the OMB Control Number 0690-0032 
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 Sheleen Dumas, Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under 
Secretary of Economic Affairs, U.S. Department of Commerce, 202-482-
3306, or via email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Department of Commerce plans to request a three-year extension 
of the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR). This Research 
Performance Progress Report (RPPR) directly benefits award recipients 
by making it easier for them to administer Federal grant and 
cooperative agreement programs through standardization of the types of 
information required in performance reports--thereby reducing their 
administrative effort and costs. The RPPR also makes it easier to 
compare the outputs, outcomes, etc. of research programs across the 
government.
    The RPPR resulted from an initiative of the Research Business 
Models (RBM) Subcommittee of the Committee on Science (CoS), a 
committee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). One of 
the RBM Subcommittee's priority areas is to create greater consistency 
in the administration of Federal research awards. Given the increasing 
complexity of interdisciplinary and interagency research, it is 
important for Federal agencies to manage awards in a similar fashion. 
The RPPR is used by agencies that support research and research-related 
activities for use in submission of progress reports. It is intended to 
replace other performance reporting formats currently in use by 
agencies. The RPPR does not change the performance reporting 
requirements specified in 2 CFR part 215 (OMB Circular A-110) and the 
Common
    Rule implementing OMB Circular A-102. Each category in the RPPR is 
a separate reporting component. Agencies will direct recipients to 
report on the one mandatory component (``Accomplishments''), and may 
direct them to report on optional components, as appropriate. Within a 
particular component, agencies may direct recipients to complete only 
specific questions, as not all questions within a given component may 
be relevant to all agencies.
    Agencies may develop an agency- or program-specific component, if 
necessary, to meet programmatic requirements, although agencies should 
minimize the degree to which they supplement the standard components. 
Such agency- or program-specific requirements will require review and 
clearance by OMB.

[[Page 53948]]

II. Method of Collection

    All reports will be submitted electronically.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0690-0032.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, Request for an Extension 
(without change of a currently approved collection).
    Affected Public: State and Local governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,000
    Estimated Time per Response: 8 minutes for monthly respondents who 
report via internet, mail or faxing the form, 23 minutes for annual 
respondents who report via internet, mail or faxing the form and 3 
minutes for monthly and annual respondents who report by telephone or 
send electronic files or printouts.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,667.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of 
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for 
such things as purchases of specialized software or mhardware needed to 
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services 
required specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 131 and 182.

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 of 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-14166 Filed 6-27-24; 8:45 am]
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