Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request, 69233-69234 [07-5975]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 235 / Friday, December 7, 2007 / Notices NASA Case No. LAR–17317–1: Extreme Low Frequency Acoustic Measurement Portable System; NASA Case No. LAR–17213–1: High Altitude Airship Configuration and Power Technology and Method for Operation of Same; NASA Case No. LAR–17300–1: System and Method for Determination of the Reflection Wavelength of Multiple Low-Reflectivity Bragg Gratings in a Sensing Optical Fiber; NASA Case No. LAR–17440–1: Resonant Difference-Frequency Atomic Force Ultrasonic Microscope; NASA Case No. LAR–17433–1: Wireless System and Method for Collecting Rotating System Data; NASA Case No. LAR–17502–1: Flame Holder System; NASA Case No. LAR–17355–1: System and Method for Aiding Pilot Preview, Rehearsal, Review, and Real-Time Visual Acquisition of Flight Mission Progress; NASA Case No. LAR–17444–1: Wireless Tamper Detection Sensor and Sensing System; NASA Case No. LAR–17135–1: Fabrication of Metal Nanoshells. practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; or (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for National Science Foundation, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, and to Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 925, Arlington, Virginia 22230 or send e-mail to splimpto@nsf.gov. Comments regarding these information collections are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling 703–292– 7556. Dated: November 30, 2007. Keith T. Sefton, Deputy General Counsel, Administration and Management. [FR Doc. E7–23744 Filed 12–6–07; 8:45 am] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: BILLING CODE 7510–13–P NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request National Science Foundation. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request. AGENCY: pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES ACTION: SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the following information collection requirement to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104–13. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal Register at 72 FR 50410, and no substantial comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed renewal submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice. The full submission may be found at: https:// www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Comments regarding (a) whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:30 Dec 06, 2007 Jkt 214001 Suzanne Plimpton at (703) 292–7556 or send e-mail to splimpto@nsf.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. NSF may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title of Collection: EHR Generic Clearance. OMB Approval Number: 3145–0136. Expiration Date of Approval: January 31, 2008. Abstract The National Science Foundation (NSF) requests renewal of program accountability and communication data collections (e.g. surveys, face-to-face and telephone interviews, observations, and focus groups) that describe and track the impact of NSF funding that focuses on the Nation’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and STEM workforce. NSF funds grants, PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 69233 contracts, and cooperative agreements to colleges, universities, and other eligible institutions, and provides graduate research fellowships to individuals in all parts of the United States and internationally. The Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), a unit within NSF, promotes rigor and vitality within the Nation’s STEM education enterprise to further the development of the 21st century’s STEM workforce and public scientific literacy. EHR does this through diverse projects and programs that support research, extension, outreach, and hands-on activities serving STEM learning and research at all institutional (e.g. pre-school through postdoctoral) levels in formal and informal settings; and individuals of all ages (birth and beyond). EHR also focuses on broadening participation in STEM learning and careers among United States citizens, permanent residents and nationals, particularly those individuals traditionally underemployed in the STEM research workforce, including but not limited to women, persons with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities. At the request of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an EHR Generic Clearance was established in 1995 to integrate management, monitoring and evaluation information pertaining to the NSF’s Education and Training (E & T) portfolio in response to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. Under this generic survey clearance (OMB 3145– 0136), data from the NSF administrative databases are incorporated with findings gathered through initiative-, divisional-, and program-specific data collections. The scope of the EHR Generic Clearance primarily covers descriptive information gathered from education and training projects that are funded by NSF. Most programs subject to EHR Generic data collection are funded by the EHR Directorate, but some are funded in whole or in part by disciplinary directorates or multidisciplinary or cross-cutting programs. Since 2001 in accordance with OMB’s Terms of Clearance, NSF primarily uses the data from the EHR Generic Clearance for program planning, management and audit purposes to respond to queries from the Congress, the public, NSF’s external merit reviewers who serve as advisors, including Committees of Visitors, and the NSF’s Office of the Inspector General. OMB has limited the collection to three categories of descriptive data: (1) Staff and project participants (data that are also necessary to determine E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1 pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES 69234 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 235 / Friday, December 7, 2007 / Notices individual-level treatment and control groups for future third-party study); (2) project implementation characteristics (also necessary for future use to identify well-matched comparison groups) and (3) project outputs (necessary to measure baseline for pre- and postNSF-funding-level impacts.) Use of the Information: This information is required for effective administration, communication, program and project monitoring and evaluation, and for measuring attainment of NSF’s program, project and strategic goals, as required by the President’s Management agenda as represented by the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART); the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109–171) which established the Academic Competitiveness Council (ACC), and the NSF’s Strategic Plan. The Foundation’s FY 2006–2011 Strategic Plan describes four strategic outcome goals of Discovery, Learning, Research Infrastructure, and Stewardship. NSF’s complete strategic plan may be found at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/ pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf0648. The work of the multi-agency ACC employed a methodological framework to determine STEM education program effectiveness. The ACC was chaired by the Department of Education, and other agencies that participated included the NSF and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The ACC suggested cross-agency STEM education goals and metrics and developed a framework or ‘‘Hierarchy of Study Designs’’ under three scientific categories: (1) Experimental (often called randomized controlled trials— RCT) (2) quasi-experimental (such as well-matched comparison group studies) and (3) other (such as pre- and post-test and multiple methodologies). Further details on the participating agencies and the ACC’s recommendations are available at: https://www.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/ competitiveness/acc-mathscience/ index.html. Since the EHR Generic Clearance research is primarily used for accountability purposes, including responding to queries from Committees of Visitors and other scientific experts, a census rather than sampling design typically is necessary. At the individual project level, funding can be adjusted based on individual project’s responses to some of the surveys. Some data collected under the EHR Clearance serve as baseline data for separate research and evaluation studies. The EHR Generic Clearance may be used to clear VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:30 Dec 06, 2007 Jkt 214001 data collections for other ACC agencies, such as NASA. In February 2007 NASA and NSF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to coordinate efforts promoting STEM education, the participation of individuals underrepresented in STEM, and evaluation of STEM education projects and programs in formal and informal settings. Additional information on the NSF–NASA MOU can be found at: https://education.nasa.gov/divisions/ higher/overview/F_One_Giant_Step_ STEM_Education.html. In order to conduct program or portfolio level evaluations, however, both experimental and quasiexperimental evaluation research studies on STEM education interventions require researchers to identify individual-level and organizational or project-level control and treatment groups or comparison groups. NSF-funded contract or grantee researchers and evaluators in part may identify control, comparison, or treatment groups for NSF’s E&T portfolio using some of the descriptive data gathered through OMB 3145–0136 to conduct well-designed, rigorous research and portfolio evaluation studies. In accordance with the 2001 and 2005 OMB terms of clearance, NSF requests separate stand-alone clearance (and separately announces for comment in the Federal Register) any program or portfolio research or evaluation. Two examples of third-party evaluations that used EHR OMB 3145–0136 data to inform study design are: OMB 3145– 0190 (Expired: 5/2005) Evaluation of NSF’s Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program conducted by the Urban Institute and OMB No. 3145–0182 (Expired 7/2005) Evaluation of the Initial Impacts of the Integrative Graduate Education Research and Traineeship (IGERT) program conducted by Abt Associates. For more information on these and other NSF-funded evaluations, please see the NSF’s FY 2006 Full Performance and Accountability Report: Appendix 4B: Table of External Evaluations at: https:// www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf0701/pdf/ 19.pdf. Respondents: Individuals or households, not-for-profit institutions, business or other for profit, and Federal, State, local or tribal government. Number of Respondents: 27,000. Burden on the Public: The total estimate for this collection is 60,000 annual burden hours. This figure is based on the previous 3 years of collecting information under this PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 clearance and anticipated collections. The average annual reporting burden is between .5 and 50 hours per ‘respondent’ depending on whether a respondent is a direct participant who is self-reporting, or representing a project and reporting on behalf of many project participants. Dated: December 4, 2007. Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation. [FR Doc. 07–5975 Filed 12–6–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–M NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No.: 70–27] BWX Technologies, Inc.; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Proposed Issuance of an Exemption From 10 CFR 70.24 Requirements Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI). AGENCY: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy M. Snyder, Fuel Manufacturing Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop EBB–2C40M, Washington, DC 20555–0001, telephone (301) 492–3225 and e-mail ams3@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction Under U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license SNM–42 and the provisions of 10 CFR Part 70, Domestic Licensing of Special Nuclear Material, BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT or the licensee) is authorized to receive and possess special nuclear material for the research, fabrication and assembly of nuclear fuel and related components at its facility, located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Under this license, BWXT is also allowed to receive, acquire, and transfer irradiated fuel (spent nuclear fuel) at its facility. The NRC staff is considering the issuance of an exemption to requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 70.24, under a certain condition, for the spent nuclear fuel storage areas at the BWXT site. If the NRC decides to grant the exemption, then the license will be amended to incorporate a license condition to reflect E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 235 (Friday, December 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69233-69234]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5975]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the 
following information collection requirement to OMB for review and 
clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13. 
This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published 
in the Federal Register at 72 FR 50410, and no substantial comments 
were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed renewal submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with 
the publication of this second notice. The full submission may be found 
at: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Comments regarding (a) 
whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and 
clarity of the information to be collected; or (d) ways to minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, 
including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology should be addressed to: Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for National 
Science Foundation, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503, and to Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National 
Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 925, Arlington, 
Virginia 22230 or send e-mail to splimpto@nsf.gov. Comments regarding 
these information collections are best assured of having their full 
effect if received within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the 
submission(s) may be obtained by calling 703-292-7556.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne Plimpton at (703) 292-7556 or 
send e-mail to splimpto@nsf.gov. Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    NSF may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless 
the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control 
number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to 
the collection of information that such persons are not required to 
respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title of Collection: EHR Generic Clearance.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0136.
    Expiration Date of Approval: January 31, 2008.

Abstract

    The National Science Foundation (NSF) requests renewal of program 
accountability and communication data collections (e.g. surveys, face-
to-face and telephone interviews, observations, and focus groups) that 
describe and track the impact of NSF funding that focuses on the 
Nation's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) 
education and STEM workforce. NSF funds grants, contracts, and 
cooperative agreements to colleges, universities, and other eligible 
institutions, and provides graduate research fellowships to individuals 
in all parts of the United States and internationally.
    The Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), a unit 
within NSF, promotes rigor and vitality within the Nation's STEM 
education enterprise to further the development of the 21st century's 
STEM workforce and public scientific literacy. EHR does this through 
diverse projects and programs that support research, extension, 
outreach, and hands-on activities serving STEM learning and research at 
all institutional (e.g. pre-school through postdoctoral) levels in 
formal and informal settings; and individuals of all ages (birth and 
beyond). EHR also focuses on broadening participation in STEM learning 
and careers among United States citizens, permanent residents and 
nationals, particularly those individuals traditionally underemployed 
in the STEM research workforce, including but not limited to women, 
persons with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities.
    At the request of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an EHR 
Generic Clearance was established in 1995 to integrate management, 
monitoring and evaluation information pertaining to the NSF's Education 
and Training (E & T) portfolio in response to the Government 
Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. Under this generic survey 
clearance (OMB 3145-0136), data from the NSF administrative databases 
are incorporated with findings gathered through initiative-, 
divisional-, and program-specific data collections. The scope of the 
EHR Generic Clearance primarily covers descriptive information gathered 
from education and training projects that are funded by NSF. Most 
programs subject to EHR Generic data collection are funded by the EHR 
Directorate, but some are funded in whole or in part by disciplinary 
directorates or multi-disciplinary or cross-cutting programs. Since 
2001 in accordance with OMB's Terms of Clearance, NSF primarily uses 
the data from the EHR Generic Clearance for program planning, 
management and audit purposes to respond to queries from the Congress, 
the public, NSF's external merit reviewers who serve as advisors, 
including Committees of Visitors, and the NSF's Office of the Inspector 
General.
    OMB has limited the collection to three categories of descriptive 
data: (1) Staff and project participants (data that are also necessary 
to determine

[[Page 69234]]

individual-level treatment and control groups for future third-party 
study); (2) project implementation characteristics (also necessary for 
future use to identify well-matched comparison groups) and (3) project 
outputs (necessary to measure baseline for pre- and post- NSF-funding-
level impacts.)
    Use of the Information: This information is required for effective 
administration, communication, program and project monitoring and 
evaluation, and for measuring attainment of NSF's program, project and 
strategic goals, as required by the President's Management agenda as 
represented by the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Program 
Assessment Rating Tool (PART); the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Pub. 
L. 109-171) which established the Academic Competitiveness Council 
(ACC), and the NSF's Strategic Plan. The Foundation's FY 2006-2011 
Strategic Plan describes four strategic outcome goals of Discovery, 
Learning, Research Infrastructure, and Stewardship. NSF's complete 
strategic plan may be found at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_
summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf0648.
    The work of the multi-agency ACC employed a methodological 
framework to determine STEM education program effectiveness. The ACC 
was chaired by the Department of Education, and other agencies that 
participated included the NSF and the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA). The ACC suggested cross-agency STEM education 
goals and metrics and developed a framework or ``Hierarchy of Study 
Designs'' under three scientific categories: (1) Experimental (often 
called randomized controlled trials--RCT) (2) quasi-experimental (such 
as well-matched comparison group studies) and (3) other (such as pre- 
and post-test and multiple methodologies). Further details on the 
participating agencies and the ACC's recommendations are available at: 
https://www.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/competitiveness/acc-mathscience/
index.html.
    Since the EHR Generic Clearance research is primarily used for 
accountability purposes, including responding to queries from 
Committees of Visitors and other scientific experts, a census rather 
than sampling design typically is necessary. At the individual project 
level, funding can be adjusted based on individual project's responses 
to some of the surveys. Some data collected under the EHR Clearance 
serve as baseline data for separate research and evaluation studies. 
The EHR Generic Clearance may be used to clear data collections for 
other ACC agencies, such as NASA. In February 2007 NASA and NSF signed 
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to coordinate efforts promoting 
STEM education, the participation of individuals underrepresented in 
STEM, and evaluation of STEM education projects and programs in formal 
and informal settings. Additional information on the NSF-NASA MOU can 
be found at: https://education.nasa.gov/divisions/higher/overview/F_
One_Giant_Step_STEM_Education.html.
    In order to conduct program or portfolio level evaluations, 
however, both experimental and quasi-experimental evaluation research 
studies on STEM education interventions require researchers to identify 
individual-level and organizational or project-level control and 
treatment groups or comparison groups. NSF-funded contract or grantee 
researchers and evaluators in part may identify control, comparison, or 
treatment groups for NSF's E&T portfolio using some of the descriptive 
data gathered through OMB 3145-0136 to conduct well-designed, rigorous 
research and portfolio evaluation studies.
    In accordance with the 2001 and 2005 OMB terms of clearance, NSF 
requests separate stand-alone clearance (and separately announces for 
comment in the Federal Register) any program or portfolio research or 
evaluation. Two examples of third-party evaluations that used EHR OMB 
3145-0136 data to inform study design are: OMB 3145-0190 (Expired: 5/
2005) Evaluation of NSF's Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority 
Participation (LSAMP) program conducted by the Urban Institute and OMB 
No. 3145-0182 (Expired 7/2005) Evaluation of the Initial Impacts of the 
Integrative Graduate Education Research and Traineeship (IGERT) program 
conducted by Abt Associates. For more information on these and other 
NSF-funded evaluations, please see the NSF's FY 2006 Full Performance 
and Accountability Report: Appendix 4B: Table of External Evaluations 
at: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf0701/pdf/19.pdf.
    Respondents: Individuals or households, not-for-profit 
institutions, business or other for profit, and Federal, State, local 
or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 27,000.
    Burden on the Public: The total estimate for this collection is 
60,000 annual burden hours. This figure is based on the previous 3 
years of collecting information under this clearance and anticipated 
collections. The average annual reporting burden is between .5 and 50 
hours per `respondent' depending on whether a respondent is a direct 
participant who is self-reporting, or representing a project and 
reporting on behalf of many project participants.

    Dated: December 4, 2007.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 07-5975 Filed 12-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M
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