[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68657-68658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19245]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Request for Information on the CHIPS and Science Act Section 
10343. Research Ethics

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Request for Information.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent 
federal agency that supports research at the frontiers of current 
knowledge, across all fields of science, engineering and education in 
all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF is issuing this Request for 
Information (RFI) to seek input to inform the development of the 
agency's response to Section 10343. Research Ethics in the CHIPS and 
Science Act of 2022. NSF welcomes feedback from interested parties. 
This includes representatives from non-profit organizations, 
philanthropies, industry, local, state, and tribal government offices/
agencies, K-12 schools and districts, institutions of higher education, 
trade, and/or vocational schools.

DATES: Interested persons or organizations are invited to submit 
comments on or before 11:59 p.m. (EST) on Friday, November 15, 2024.

ADDRESSES: To respond to this Request for Information, please use the 
official submission form available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ResearchEthicsRFI.
    Respondents only need to provide feedback on one or more questions 
of interest or relevance to them. Each question is voluntary and 
optional. The response to each question has a 4,000-character limit 
including spaces.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, please direct 
questions to Jason Borenstein through email: [email protected], 
phone: 703-292-4207, or mail: 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 
22314, USA.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 10343 (``Research Ethics'') of the 
CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 117-167) directs NSF to 
incorporate ethical, social, safety, and security considerations into 
the merit review process that is used to evaluate research projects or 
other activities for funding. Section 10343 notes that ``a number of 
emerging areas of research have potential ethical, social, safety, and 
security implications that might be apparent as early as the basic 
research stage.'' In addition, Section 10343 states that ``the 
incorporation of ethical, social, safety, and security considerations 
into the research design and review process for Federal awards may help 
mitigate potential harms before they happen.'' Moreover, Section 10343 
states that ``The Foundation should continue to work with stakeholders 
to promote best practices for governance of research in emerging 
technologies at every stage of research.''
    Through this Request for Information, NSF seeks input on ways to 
incorporate ethical, social, safety, and security considerations into 
the agency's merit review process and to develop strategies for 
mitigating the potential harms of scientific research and amplifying 
societal benefits from such research. Responses to one or more of the

[[Page 68658]]

questions listed below can be sent to NSF by using the official 
submission form.

Ethical, Social, Safety, and Security Considerations

    Question 1: Describe ethical, social, safety, and/or security risks 
from current or emerging research activities that you believe might be 
of concern to the community, profession, or organization with which you 
are connected.
    Question 2: Which products, technologies, and/or other outcomes 
from research do you think could cause significant harm to the public 
in the foreseeable future?
    Question 3: Describe one or more approaches for identifying 
ethical, social, safety, and/or security risks from research activities 
and balancing such risks against potential benefits.
    Question 4: Describe one or more strategies for encouraging 
research teams to incorporate ethical, social, safety, and/or security 
considerations into the design of their research approach. Also, how 
might the strategy vary depending on research type (for example, basic 
vs. applied) or setting (for example, academia or industry)?

NSF's Approach to Ethical, Social, Safety, and Security Considerations

    Question 5: How might NSF work with stakeholders to promote best 
practices for governance of research in emerging technologies at every 
stage of research?
    Question 6: How could ethical, social, safety, and/or security 
considerations be incorporated into the instructions for proposers or 
into NSF's merit review process? Also, what challenges could arise if 
the merit review process is modified to include such considerations?
    Question 7: What other measures could NSF consider as it seeks to 
identify and mitigate ethical, social, safety, and/or security risks 
from research projects or other activities that the agency supports?
    NSF, at its discretion, will use the information submitted in 
response to this RFI to help inform future program directions, new 
initiatives, and potential funding opportunities. The information 
provided will be analyzed, may appear in reports, and may be shared 
publicly on agency websites. Respondents are advised that the 
government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the 
information or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any 
information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or 
sensitive information should be included in your response submission. 
The government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical 
information in any resultant solicitations, policies, or procedures.

(Authority: Public Law 117-167.)

    Dated: August 22, 2024.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2024-19245 Filed 8-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P