Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records, 58902-58908 [E7-20485]

Agencies

• NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58902-58908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20485]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Office of the General Counsel, National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of a new Privacy Act System of Records NSF-72: 
Research.gov.

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    System Name: Research.gov.

SUMMARY: Research.gov is a partnership, led by the National Science 
Foundation (NSF), of Federal, research-oriented grant making agencies 
with a shared vision of enhancing customer service for grant applicants 
while streamlining and standardizing processes among partner agencies. 
Research.gov displays records on research and other proposals jointly 
submitted by individual applicants (Principal Investigators) and their 
home academic or other institutions to the NSF as well as the United 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative State Research 
Education and Extension Service (CSREES). NSF and USDA/CSREES make 
awards to these institutions under which the individual applicants 
serve as principal investigators. Research.gov provides end users with 
a consolidated view of grant application data by displaying information 
from existing Privacy Act systems maintained by its partner agencies 
(NSF and USDA/CSREES). Reprints of these Privacy Act Systems are 
included at the end of this notice (NSF-12, NSF-50, NSF-51 and USDA-
CSREES-4).
    The records displayed by Research.gov are used by the applicant/
grantee's home academic or other institution, Sponsored Project Offices 
and Principal Investigators to track the status of grant applications.

DATES: Effective Date: This action shall be effective without further 
notice on November 17, 2007 unless comments are received during or 
before this period that would result in a contrary determination.
    Comments Due Date: Submit comments on or before November 17, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to Leslie 
Jensen, National Science Foundation, Office of the General Counsel, 
Room 1265, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230 or by 
sending electronic mail (e-mail) to ljensen@nsf.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This publication is in accordance with the 
Privacy Act requirement that agencies publish a new system of records 
in the Federal Register.
    Submit comments as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special 
characters and any form of encryption. Identify all comments sent in 
electronic e-mail with Subject Line: Comments on new system.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leslie Jensen (703) 292-5065.

    Dated: October 12, 2007.
Lawrence Rudolph,
General Counsel.
National Science Foundation

SYSTEM NAME:
    Research.gov (NSF-72).

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    Research.gov is hosted by contract in Ashburn, VA. The hosting 
facility provides only the computer hardware, network environment, and 
application infrastructure for the Research.gov Portal. The data 
resulting from grant applications to the NSF are maintained both 
centrally and by individual NSF offices and programs at the National

[[Page 58903]]

Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230. 
Files resulting from submission to USDA/CSREES are maintained both 
centrally and by individual USDA/CSREES offices and programs at the 
Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Those who have submitted grant applications to:
    * The NSF using FastLane since October 1999,
    * The NSF using Grants.gov since June 2005,
    * USDA/CSREES through Grants.gov since October 2006.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    Research.gov displays information about grant applications 
submitted to NSF and/or USDA/CSREES as well as data necessary for 
applicants to these agencies to manage user access accounts and 
organizational records at Research.gov.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    44 U.S.C. 3101; 42 U.S.C. 1870; National Agricultural Research 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA), 7 U.S.C. 3318.

PURPOSE OF THE SYSTEM:
    Research.gov enables applicants to NSF and/or CSREES to view the 
status of grant application submissions to the respective agency.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    1. Disclosure may be made to a Congressional office from the record 
of an individual in response to an inquiry from the Congressional 
office made at the request of that individual.
    2. Information from the system may be disclosed to contractors, 
grantees, volunteers, experts, advisors, and other individuals who 
perform a service to or work on or under a contract, grant, cooperative 
agreement, advisory committee, committee of visitors, or other 
arrangement with or for the Federal government, as necessary to carry 
out their duties in pursuit of the purposes described above. The 
contractors are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act.
    3. Information from the system may be merged with other computer 
files in order to carry out statistical studies or otherwise assist NSF 
with program management, evaluation, and reporting. Disclosure may be 
made for this purpose to NSF contractors and collaborating researchers, 
other Government agencies, and qualified research institutions and 
their staffs. Disclosures are made only after scrutiny of research 
protocols and with appropriate controls. The results of such studies 
are statistical in nature and do not identify individuals.
    4. Information from the system may be disclosed to the Department 
of Justice or the Office of Management and Budget for the purpose of 
obtaining advice on the application of the Freedom of Information Act 
or Privacy Act to the records.
    5. Information from the system may be given to another Federal 
agency, a court, or a party in litigation before a court or in an 
administrative proceeding being conducted by a Federal agency when the 
Government is a party to the judicial or administrative proceeding.
    6. Information from the system may be given to the Department of 
Justice, to the extent disclosure is compatible with the purpose for 
which the record was collected and is relevant and necessary to 
litigation or anticipated litigation, in which one of the following is 
a party or has an interest: (a) NSF or any of its components; (b) an 
NSF employee in his/her official capacity; (c) an NSF employee in his/
her individual capacity when the Department of Justice is representing 
or considering representing the employee; or (d) the United States, 
when NSF determines that litigation is likely to affect the Agency.
    7. Records from this system may be disclosed to representatives of 
the General Services Administration and the National Archives and 
Records Administration who are conducting records management 
inspections under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
    8. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when (1) the NSF 
suspects or has confirmed that the security or confidentiality of 
information in the system of records has been compromised; (2) the NSF 
has determined that as a result of the suspected or confirmed 
compromise there is a risk of harm to economic or property interests, 
identity theft or fraud, or harm to the security or integrity of this 
system or other systems or programs (whether maintained by the NSF or 
another agency or entity) that rely upon the compromised information; 
and (3) the disclosure made to such agencies, entities, and persons is 
reasonably necessary to assist in connection with the NSF's efforts to 
respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and prevent, minimize, 
or remedy such harm.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, 
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
    The information displayed by Research.gov is stored in separate 
systems maintained by participating agencies (i.e., NSF's FastLane and 
USDA/CSREES' C-REEEMS). Each agency maintains these systems separately, 
and maintains the original records electronically and/or in paper 
files.

RETRIEVABILITY:
    Information can be retrieved electronically using an applicant's 
name or identifying number. An individual's name may be used to 
manually access material in alphabetized paper files.

SAFEGUARDS:
    Buildings are locked during non-business hours. Records are kept in 
rooms that are locked during non-business hours. Records maintained in 
electronic form are password protected.

System Manager(s) and Address:
    For NSF, the Division Director of particular office or program 
maintaining such records, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.
    For CSREES, the Director of the office or program maintaining such 
records, United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Research 
Education and Extension Service, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, 
Washington, DC 20250.

Notification Procedure:
    The NSF Privacy Act Officer should be contacted in accordance with 
procedures set forth at 45 CFR part 613.

Record Access Procedures:
    See ``Notification Procedure'' above.

Contesting Record Procedures:
    See ``Notification Procedure'' above.

Record Source Categories:
    Information is obtained from the principal investigator, academic 
institution or other applicant, peer reviewers, and others.

Systems Exempted from Certain Provisions of the Act:
    The portions of this system consisting of investigatory material 
that would identify reviewers or other persons supplying evaluations of 
NSF applicants and their proposals have been exempted at 45 CFR part 
613 pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(5).

[[Page 58904]]

Attachments
NSF-12

System Name:
    Fellowships and Other Awards.

System Location:
    Numerous files are maintained in paper, microfiche, or electronic 
form by individual offices and programs at the National Science 
Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230. Others are 
maintained by NSF contractors, currently Oak Ridge Associated 
Universities, PO Box 3010, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-2010.

Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
    Persons applying or nominated for and/or receiving NSF support, 
either individually or through an academic institution, including 
fellowships or awards of various types.

Categories of Records in the System:
    Information varies depending on type of fellowship or award. 
Normally the information includes personal information supplied with 
the application or nomination; reference reports; transcripts and 
Graduate Record Examination scores to the extent required during the 
application process; abstracts; evaluations and recommendations, review 
records and selection process results; administrative data and 
correspondence accumulating during fellows' tenure; and other related 
materials. There is a cumulative index of all persons applying for or 
receiving NSF Graduate and NATO fellowships.

Authority for Maintenance of the System:
    44 U.S.C. 3101; 42 U.S.C. 1869, 1870, 1880, 1881a and 20 U.S.C. 
3915.

Purpose of the System:
    This system enables program offices to maintain appropriate files 
and investigatory material in evaluating applications or nominations 
for fellowships or other awards. NSF employees may access the system to 
make decisions regarding which proposals to fund or awards to make, and 
to carry out other authorized internal duties.

Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories 
of Users and the Purposes of Such Uses:
    1. Information from the system may be merged with other computer 
files in order to carry out statistical studies. Disclosure may be made 
for this purpose to NSF contractors and collaborating researchers, 
other Government agencies, and qualified research institutions and 
their staffs. The contractors are subject to the provisions of the 
Privacy Act. The results of such studies are statistical in nature and 
do not identify individuals.
    2. Disclosure of information from the system may be made to 
qualified reviewers for their opinion and evaluation of applicants or 
nominees as part of the application review process; and to other 
Government agencies needing data regarding applicants or nominees as 
part of the application review process, or in order to coordinate 
programs.
    3. Information (such as name, Social Security Number, field of 
study, and other information directly relating to the fellowship, 
review status including the agency's decision, year of first award, 
tenure pattern, start time, whether receiving international travel 
allowance or a mentoring assistantship) is given to the applicant, 
nominating, or grantee institution, or an institution the applicant, 
nominee, or fellow or awardee is attending or planning to attend or 
employed by for purposes of facilitating review or award decisions or 
administering fellowships or awards. Notice of the agency's decision 
may be given to nominators.
    4. In the case of fellows or awardees receiving stipends directly 
from the Government, information is transmitted to the Department of 
Treasury for preparation of checks or electronic fund transfer 
authorizations.
    5. Fellows' or awardees' name, home institution, and field of study 
may be released for public information/affairs purposes including press 
releases.
    6. Disclosure may be made to a congressional office from the record 
of an individual in response to an inquiry from the congressional 
office made at the request of that individual.
    7. Information from the system may be given to contractors, 
grantees, volunteers, experts, advisors, and other individuals who 
perform a service to or work on or under a contract, grant, cooperative 
agreement, advisory committee, committee of visitors, or other 
arrangement with or for the Federal government, as necessary to carry 
out their duties. The contractors are subject to the provisions of the 
Privacy Act.
    8. Information from the system may be given to the Department of 
Justice or the Office of Management and Budget for the purpose of 
obtaining advice on the application of the Freedom of Information Act 
or Privacy Act to the records.
    9. Information from the system may be given to another Federal 
agency, a court, or a party in litigation before a court or in an 
administrative proceeding being conducted by a Federal agency when the 
Government is a party to the judicial or administrative proceeding.
    10. Information from the system may be given to the Department of 
Justice, to the extent disclosure is compatible with the purpose for 
which the record was collected and is relevant and necessary to 
litigation or anticipated litigation, in which one of the following is 
a party or has an interest: (a) NSF or any of its components; (b) an 
NSF employee in his/her official capacity; (c) an NSF employee in his/ 
her individual capacity when the Department of Justice is representing 
or considering representing the employee; or (d) the United States, 
when NSF determines that litigation is likely to affect the Agency.
    11. Records from this system may be disclosed to representatives of 
the General Services Administration and the National Archives and 
Records Administration who are conducting records management 
inspections under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.

Policies and Practices for Storing, Retrieving, Accessing, Retaining, 
and Disposing of Records in the System:
Storage:
    Paper records are kept in file folders. Some records are maintained 
electronically or on microfiche, including records kept by NSF 
contractors. Original application materials are kept at NSF.

Retrievability:
    Alphabetically by applicant or nominee name.

Safeguards:
    Building is locked during non-business hours. Records at NSF are 
kept in rooms that are locked during non-business hours. Records 
maintained by NSF contractors are kept in similar rooms and some 
records are locked in cabinets. Records maintained in electronic form 
are password protected.

Retention and Disposal:
    Files are maintained in accordance with approved record retention 
schedules. For example, fellowship application files for awardees are 
kept for 10 years after completion of fellowship or award, then 
destroyed, while unsuccessful fellowship application files are 
destroyed after three years; files of recipients of the Waterman Award 
and National Medal of Science are permanent and eventually retired to 
the National Archives; those of non-recipients are destroyed after five 
years.

[[Page 58905]]

System Manager(s) and Address:
    Division Director of particular office or program maintaining such 
records, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, 
VA 22230.

Notification Procedure:
    Contact the NSF Privacy Act Officer in accordance with procedures 
found at 45 CFR part 613. You can expedite your request if you identify 
the fellowship or award program about which you are interested. For 
example, indicate whether you applied for or received a ``Graduate 
Fellowship'' or a ``Faculty Fellowship in Science'' as opposed to 
merely saying you want a copy of your fellowship.

Record Access Procedure:
    See ``Notification'' above.

Contesting Record Procedure:
    See ``Notification'' above.

Record Source Categories:
    Information supplied by or for individuals applying for, nominated 
for, or receiving support; references; the Education Testing Service; 
educational institutions supplying transcripts; review records and 
administrative data developed during selection process and award 
tenure.

Systems Exempted from Certain Provisions of the Act:
    The portions of this system consisting of investigatory material 
that would identify references, reviewers, or other persons supplying 
evaluations of applicants or nominees for fellowships or other awards 
(and where applicable, their proposals) have been exempted at 5 CFR 613 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(5).
NSF-50

System Name:
    Principal Investigator/Proposal file and Associated Records.

System Location:
    Files are maintained both centrally and by individual NSF offices 
and programs at the National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, 
Arlington, Virginia 22230.

Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
    Persons who request or have previously requested and/or received 
support from the National Science Foundation, either individually or 
through an academic or other institution.

Categories of Records in the System:
    The names of principal investigators and other identifying 
information, addresses of principal investigators, demographic data, 
the proposal and its identifying number, supporting data from the 
academic institution or other applicant, proposal evaluations from peer 
reviewers, a review record, financial data, and other related material. 
Other related material may include, for example, committee or panel 
discussion summaries as applicable.

AUthority for Maintenance of the System:
    44 U.S.C. 3101; 42 U.S.C. 1870.

Purpose of the System:
    This system enables program offices to maintain appropriate files 
and investigatory material in evaluating applications for grants or 
other support. NSF employees may access the system to make decisions 
regarding which proposals to fund, and to carry out other authorized 
internal duties. Information on principal investigators is also entered 
in System 51, ``Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records,'' a 
subsystem of this system, to be used as a source of potential 
candidates to serve as reviewers as part of the merit review process, 
or for inclusion on a panel or advisory committee.

Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories 
of Users and the Purposes of Such Uses:
    1. Disclosure of information from the system may be made to 
qualified reviewers for their opinion and evaluation of applicants and 
their proposals as part of the NSF application review process; and to 
other Government agencies or other entities needing information 
regarding applicants or nominees as part of a joint application review 
process, or in order to coordinate programs or policy.
    2. Information from the system may be provided to the applicant or 
Grantee institution to provide or obtain data regarding the application 
review process or award decisions, or administering grant awards.
    3. Disclosure may be made to a Congressional office from the record 
of an individual in response to an inquiry from the Congressional 
office made at the request of that individual.
    4. Information from the system may be disclosed to contractors, 
grantees, volunteers, experts, advisors, and other individuals who 
perform a service to or work on or under a contract, grant, cooperative 
agreement, advisory committee, committee of visitors, or other 
arrangement with or for the Federal government, as necessary to carry 
out their duties in pursuit of the purposes described above. The 
contractors are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act.
    5. Information from the system may be merged with other computer 
files in order to carry out statistical studies or otherwise assist NSF 
with program management, evaluation, and reporting. Disclosure may be 
made for this purpose to NSF contractors and collaborating researchers, 
other Government agencies, and qualified research institutions and 
their staffs. Disclosures are made only after scrutiny of research 
protocols and with appropriate controls. The results of such studies 
are statistical in nature and do not identify individuals.
    6. Information from the system may be disclosed to the Department 
of Justice or the Office of Management and Budget for the purpose of 
obtaining advice on the application of the Freedom of Information Act 
or Privacy Act to the records.
    7. Information from the system may be given to another Federal 
agency, a court, or a party in litigation before a court or in an 
administrative proceeding being conducted by a Federal agency when the 
Government is a party to the judicial or administrative proceeding.
    8. Information from the system may be given to the Department of 
Justice, to the extent disclosure is compatible with the purpose for 
which the record was collected and is relevant and necessary to 
litigation or anticipated litigation, in which one of the following is 
a party or has an interest: (a) NSF or any of its components; (b) an 
NSF employee in his/her official capacity; (c) an NSF employee in his/
her individual capacity when the Department of Justice is representing 
or considering representing the employee; or (d) the United States, 
when NSF determines that litigation is likely to affect the Agency.
    9. Records from this system may be disclosed to representatives of 
the General Services Administration and the National Archives and 
Records Administration who are conducting records management 
inspections under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.

Policies and Practices for Storing, Retrieving, Accessing, Retaining, 
and Disposing of Records in the System:
Storage:
    Various portions of the system are maintained electronically and/or 
in paper files.

Retrievability:
    Information can be retrieved electronically using an applicant's 
name or identifying number. An individual's

[[Page 58906]]

name may be used to manually access material in alphabetized paper 
files.

Safeguards:
    Building is locked during non-business hours. Records are kept in 
rooms that are locked during non-business hours. Records maintained in 
electronic form are password protected.

Retention and Disposal:
    Files are maintained in accordance with approved record retention 
schedules. Awarded proposals are transferred to the Federal Records 
Center for permanent retention. Declined proposals are destroyed five 
years after they are closed out.

System Manager(s) and Address:
    Division Director of particular office or program maintaining such 
records, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, 
Virginia 22230.

Notification Procedure:
    The NSF Privacy Act Officer should be contacted in accordance with 
procedures set forth at 45 CFR part 613.

Record Access Procedures:
    See ``Notification Procedure'' above.

Contesting Record Procedures:
    See ``Notification Procedure'' above.

Record Source Categories:
    Information is obtained from the principal investigator, academic 
institution or other applicant, peer reviewers, and others.

Systems Exempted From Certain Provisions of the Act:
    The portions of this system consisting of investigatory material 
that would identify reviewers or other persons supplying evaluations of 
NSF applicants and their proposals have been exempted at 45 CFR part 
613 pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(5).
NSF-51

System Name:
    Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records.

System Location:
    Files are maintained centrally, and in some cases by individual NSF 
offices and programs, at the National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
    Reviewers who evaluate Foundation applicants and their proposals, 
either by submitting individual comments, or serving on review panels 
or site visit teams, or both.

Categories of Records in the System:
    The ``Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records'' system is a 
subsystem of the ``Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated 
Records'' system (NSF-50), and contains the reviewer's name, title of 
proposal(s) reviewed and identifying number, and other related 
material.

Authority for Maintenance of the System:
    44 U.S.C. 3101; 42 U.S.C. 1870.

Purpose of the System:
    This system enables program offices to reference specific reviewers 
and maintain appropriate files for use in evaluating applications for 
grants or other support. NSF employees may access the system to help 
select reviewers as part of the merit review process, and to carry out 
other authorized internal duties.
    Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including 
categories of users and the purposes of such uses:
    Disclosure of information in this system may be made to:
    1. Federal government agencies needing names of potential reviewers 
and specialists in particular fields.
    2. Contractors, grantees, volunteers, experts, advisors, and other 
individuals who perform a service to or work on or under a contract, 
grant, cooperative agreement, advisory committee, committee of 
visitors, or other arrangement with or for the Federal government, as 
necessary to carry out their duties. The contractors are subject to the 
provisions of Privacy Act.
    3. The Department of Justice or the Office of Management and Budget 
for the purpose of obtaining advice on the application of the Freedom 
of Information Act or Privacy Act to the records.
    4. Another Federal agency, a court, or a party in litigation before 
a court or in an administrative proceeding being conducted by a Federal 
agency when the Government is a party to the judicial or administrative 
proceeding.
    5. The Department of Justice, to the extent disclosure is 
compatible with the purpose for which the record was collected and is 
relevant and necessary to litigation or anticipated litigation, in 
which one of the following is a party or has an interest: (a) NSF or 
any of its components; (b) an NSF employee in his/her capacity; (c) an 
NSF employee in his/her individual capacity when the Department of 
Justice is representing or considering representing the employee; or 
(d) the United States, when NSF determines that litigation is likely to 
affect the Agency.
    6. Representatives of the General Services Administration and the 
National Archives and Records Administration who are conducting records 
management inspections under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.

Policies and Practices for Storing, Retrieving, Accessing, Retaining, 
and Disposing of Records in the System:
Storage:
    Various portions of the system are maintained electronically and/or 
in paper files.

Retrievability:
    Information can be accessed from the electronic database by 
addressing data contained in the database, including individual 
reviewer names. An individual's name may be used to manually access 
material in alphabetized paper files.

Safeguards:
    Building is locked during non-business hours. Records are kept in 
rooms that are locked during non-business hours. Records maintained in 
electronic form are password protected.

Retention and disposal:
    File is cumulative and is maintained indefinitely.

System Manager(s) and Address:
    Division Director of particular office or program maintaining such 
records, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, 
Virginia 22230.

Notification Procedure:
    The NSF Privacy Act Officer should be contacted in accordance with 
procedures set forth at 45 CFR part 613.

Record Access Procedures:
    See ``Notification Procedure'' above.

Contesting Record Procedures:
    See ``Notification Procedure'' above.

Record Source Categories:
    Information is obtained from the individual reviewers, suggestions 
from other reviewers, the ``Principal Investigator/Proposal File'' 
(NSF-50), other applicants for NSF funding or other members of the 
research community, and from NSF program officers.

Systems Exempted from Certain Provisions of the Act:
    The portions of this system consisting of investigatory material 
which would identify reviewers or other persons

[[Page 58907]]

supplying evaluations of NSF applicants and their proposals have been 
exempted at 5 CFR part 613 pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(5).
Privacy Act System ``CSREES Grants System,'' USDA/CSREES-4 Report
    The purpose of this new system of records is to enable program 
offices to reference reviewers and maintain appropriate files and 
supporting material in processing, evaluating, and managing 
applications for grants or other support, including completing awards 
and distributing funds. CSREES employees may access the system to make 
decisions regarding proposals and to perform any other authorized 
internal duties.
    The authority for maintaining this system of records is the 
National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 
1977; 7 U.S.C. 3318.
    Use of this system, as established, should not result in 
infringement of any individual's right to privacy. While the 
information in this system will be made available to Federal, State, 
and local agencies, individuals assisting CSREES staff, Department of 
Justice, and Members of Congress as necessary, all individuals about 
whom information in this system is maintained will voluntarily submit 
the information for the purpose of submitting proposals to CSREES and 
for evaluating applicants and their proposals.
    The records are maintained on system file servers and paper files. 
All records containing personal information are maintained in secured 
file cabinets or are accessed by unique passwords and log-on 
procedures.
    The system provides for seven types of routine use releases, as 
follows:
    Routine use 1 permits disclosure to Federal agencies needing names 
of potential reviewers or specialists in particular fields.
    Routine use 2 permits disclosure to individuals assisting CSREES 
staff, either through grant or contract, in the performance of their 
duties.
    Routine use 3 permits disclosure to Federal agencies as part of the 
Presidential Management Initiative, E-Grants.
    Routine use 4 permits disclosure to the Department of Justice when 
the agency or any component thereof, or any employee of the agency in 
his or her official capacity where the Department of Justice has agreed 
to represent the employee, or the United States Government is a party 
to a litigation or has an interest in such litigation and it is 
determined that the records are both relevant and necessary to the 
litigation.
    Routine use 5 permits disclosure to an appropriate agency, whether 
Federal, State, or local, charged with the responsibility of 
investigating or prosecuting a violation of law or rule, regulation, or 
order issued when information available indicates a violation or 
potential violation of law.
    Routine use 6 permits disclosure in response to a request for 
discovery or appearance of a witness, to the extent that what is 
disclosed is relevant to the subject matter involved in a pending 
judicial or criminal proceeding or in response to a subpoena issued in 
a proceeding before a court or adjudicative body, to the extent that 
the records requested are relevant to the proceedings.
    Routine use 7 permits disclosure to a Member of Congress or to a 
Congressional staff member in response to an inquiry of the 
Congressional office made at the written request of the constituent 
about whom the record is maintained.
    This new system of records will not be exempt from any provisions 
of the Privacy Act.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    Records are maintained in Program, Grants, and Funds Management 
offices and in a computerized system at the Cooperative State, 
Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), Waterfront Centre, 
800 9th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Individuals that have submitted proposals to CSREES, either 
individually or through an academic or other institution, and peer 
reviewers that evaluate CSREES applicants and their proposals.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    The system contains records of the project director, the authorized 
organizational representative, potential proposal reviewers, the 
proposal and its identifying number, supporting data from the academic 
institution or other applicant, proposal evaluations from peer 
reviewers, a review record, financial data, and other related material 
such as, committee or panel discussion summaries and other agency 
records containing or reflecting comments on the proposal or the 
applicants from peer reviewers.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act 
of 1977 (NARETPA), 7 U.S.C. 3318.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    Records in this system may be disclosed to (1) Federal agencies 
needing names of potential reviewers or specialists in particular 
fields; (2) individuals assisting CSREES staff, either through grant or 
contract, in the performance of their duties; (3) Federal agencies as 
part of the Presidential Management Initiative, E-Grants; (4) the 
Department of Justice when: (a) The agency or any component thereof; or 
(b) any employee of the agency in his or her official capacity where 
the Department of Justice has agreed to represent the employee; or (c) 
the United States Government is a party to litigation or has an 
interest in such litigation, and by careful review, the agency 
determines that the records are both relevant and necessary to the 
litigation and the use of such records by the Department of Justice is 
therefore deemed by the agency to be for a purpose that is compatible 
with the purpose for which the agency collected the records; (5) an 
appropriate agency, whether Federal, State, or local, charged with the 
responsibility of investigating or prosecuting a violation of law or 
rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, when information 
available indicates a violation or potential violation of law, whether 
civil, criminal, or regulatory in nature, and whether arising by 
general statute or particular program statute, or by rule, regulation, 
or order issued pursuant to such statute; (6) in response to a request 
for discovery or appearance of a witness, to the extent that what is 
disclosed is relevant to the subject matter involved in a pending 
judicial or criminal proceeding or in response to a subpoena issued in 
a proceeding before a court or adjudicative body, to the extent that 
the records requested are relevant to the proceedings; and (7) a Member 
of Congress or to a Congressional staff member in response to an 
inquiry of the Congressional office made at the written request of the 
constituent about whom the record is maintained.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, 
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
    Records are maintained on system file servers and paper files in 
the program offices at CSREES, Waterfront Centre, 800 9th Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20024.

RETRIEVABILITY:
    Records can be retrieved by name, project leader, co-investigator, 
and any

[[Page 58908]]

other data field such as institution or title.

SAFEGUARDS:
    All records containing personal information are maintained in 
secured file cabinets or are accessed by unique passwords and log-on 
procedures. Only those employees with a need-to-know in order to 
perform their duties will be able to access the information.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
    The Data File is cumulative and is maintained indefinitely, and 
documents are disposed according to agency file plan and disposition 
schedule. Non-funded proposals are maintained onsite for 1 year and 
then disposed after 3 years. Funded proposals are maintained onsite for 
1 year after completion of the award, and then transferred to the 
National Archive and Records Administration.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
    Deputy Administrator, Information Systems and Technology Management 
(ISTM), USDA-CSREES, Stop 2216, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, 
Washington, DC 20250-2216. The address for express mail or overnight 
courier service is: Deputy Administrator, ISTM, USDA-CSREES, Waterfront 
Centre, 800 9th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
    Any individual may request information regarding this system of 
records or information as to whether the system contains records 
pertaining to such individual from the System Manager.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURE:
    Any individual may gain access to a record in the system that 
pertains to such individual by submitting a written request to the 
System Manager.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    Any individual may contest a record in the system that pertains to 
such individual by submitting written information to the System 
Manager.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    Information in this system is obtained from the individuals 
submitting the proposals and from peer reviewers.

EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
    None.

[FR Doc. E7-20485 Filed 10-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P