Notice of Request for Approval of a New Information Collection, 12463-12464 [2014-04850]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 43 / Wednesday, March 5, 2014 / Notices
Notice and request for
comments.
ACTION:
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Service
Agricultural Research Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Agricultural Research Service, intends
to grant to Arkion Life Sciences LLC of
New Castle, Delaware, an exclusive
license to U.S. Patent Application Serial
No. 13/755,671, ‘‘ULTRAVIOLET
STRATEGY FOR AVIAN
REPELLENCY’’, filed on January 31,
2013.
SUMMARY:
Comments must be received on
or before April 4, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to: USDA,
ARS, Office of Technology Transfer,
5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Rm. 4–1174,
Beltsville, Maryland 20705–5131.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: June
Blalock of the Office of Technology
Transfer at the Beltsville address given
above; telephone: 301–504–5989.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Federal Government’s patent rights in
this invention are assigned to the United
States of America, as represented by the
Secretary of Agriculture. It is in the
public interest to so license this
invention as Arkion Life Sciences LLC
of New Castle, Delaware has submitted
a complete and sufficient application for
a license. The prospective exclusive
license will be royalty-bearing and will
comply with the terms and conditions
of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. The
prospective exclusive license may be
granted unless, within thirty (30) days
from the date of this published Notice,
the Agricultural Research Service
receives written evidence and argument
which establishes that the grant of the
license would not be consistent with the
requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37
CFR 404.7.
DATES:
Mojdeh Bahar,
Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014–04881 Filed 3–4–14; 8:45 am]
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
BILLING CODE 3410–03–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Economic Research Service
Notice of Request for Approval of a
New Information Collection
AGENCY:
Economic Research Service,
USDA.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:13 Mar 04, 2014
Jkt 232001
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice
announces the Economic Research
Service’s intention to request approval
for a new information collection for the
study of ‘‘Census of Users of the
National Plant Germplasm System.’’
This is a new collection to provide
information on usage and expectations
of future use among requestors of
genetic resources from USDA’s National
Plant Germplasm System.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by May 5, 2014 to be assured
of consideration.
Additional Information or Comments:
Address all comments concerning this
notice to Kelly Day Rubenstein,
Resource and Rural Economics Division,
Economic Research Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Mail Stop
1800, 1400 Independence Ave. SW.,
Washington, DC 20250. Comments may
also be submitted via fax to the attention
of Kelly Day Rubenstein at 202–694–
4847 or via email to kday@ers.usda.gov.
For further information contact Kelly
Day Rubenstein at the address above, or
telephone 202–694–5515.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Census of Users of the National
Plant Germplasm System.
OMB Number: 0536–XXXX.
Expiration Date of Approval: Three
years from approval date.
Type of Request: New information
collection.
Abstract: The Census of Users of the
National Plant Germplasm System will
solicit data from the 7,207 institutional
representatives who requested
germplasm (i.e., living tissue from
which plants can be grown) for any of
ten crops including beans, barley,
cotton, maize, sorghum, squash,
soybeans, potato, rice, and wheat from
the National Plant Germplasm System
over a five year period. Each respondent
will be asked to provide information via
a web-based questionnaire. Legislative
authority for the planned data collection
is 7 U.S.C. 2204(a) and 7 U.S.C. 2661.
The information to be collected by the
‘‘Census of Users of the National Plant
Germplasm System’’ is necessary to
assess and understand the types and
varieties of germplasm needed by
breeders and other scientists in both the
public and private sectors. This study
will provide data not currently available
to program officials and researchers,
thereby broadening the scope of
economic analyses of genetic
enhancement, and in turn, enhancing
R&D and productivity research at the
SUMMARY:
Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive
License
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
12463
Economic Research Service (ERS), the
National Plant Germplasm System, and
the National Germplasm Resource
Laboratory. The database would contain
a wealth of empirical information on
germplasm use in breeding and
research. This includes information by
specific crops (e.g., the use of landraces
in corn breeding, the search for biotic
tolerance in wheat); the quantity of
germplasm by type and purpose;
institutional needs for germplasm (both
public and private); and requestors’
anticipated future use. This information
will also assess biological traits that are
needed for adaptation to climate change.
Agriculture is highly geographyspecific, given that growing regions vary
by rainfall and temperature conditions,
pest and disease pressures, and soil
types. Accordingly, plant breeders work
to develop unique varieties for different
geographic locations. As a result, each
requestor of NPGS germplasm is likely
to have one characteristic—geographic
location—which is unique and
important to that institution’s use of this
germplasm, particularly in the context
of global climate change. Moreover, it
would be difficult to get adequate
representation of the matrix of crops,
germplasm types, and locations for
some smaller crops (e.g., squash)
without conducting a census of all
germplasm requestors to the NPGS for
any of the ten crops.
A web-based instrument will be used
for information collection. It will be
kept as simple and respondent-friendly
as possible. Responses are voluntary.
The study instrument is based on a
mailed paper-based instrument used in
the 2000 study, ‘‘Demand for Genetic
Resources from the National Plant
Germplasm System.’’ It was jointly
developed by International Food Policy
Research Institute (IFPRI), Auburn
University’s Department of Agricultural
Economics and Rural Sociology, the
National Germplasm Resources Lab of
the National Plant Germplasm System,
and the Economic Research Service. The
instrument used in the 2000 study was
administered by IFPRI and Auburn
University and had a response rate of
35%. Study design for currently
proposed study is consistent with that
of the 2000 study in order to make
comparisons across time. The frame for
this census comprises all germplasm
requestors to the NPGS for any of the
ten crops in the last five years. Although
the NPGS provided germplasm to any
requestor free of cost, it also informed
potential requestors and received their
consent, at the time of a request was
made, that their information could be
used for activities relating to the service
E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM
05MRN1
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12464
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 43 / Wednesday, March 5, 2014 / Notices
that they had requested. Several
measures will be taken to support the
response rate for the proposed
information collection:
• Information will be collected via
the internet rather than by mail. This
data collection mode is more convenient
for intended respondents and will allow
for rapid follow up with nonrespondents.
• This information collection will be
cosponsored by the National Germplasm
Resources Laboratory of USDA, which is
familiar to the recipients as it is the
agency that provided the requested
germplasm.
• A well planned recruitment
protocol will include sending the
instrument with a cover letter from a
senior staff member of the National
Germplasm Resources Laboratory, who
will be an individual familiar to many
of the recipients. It also includes up to
three reminder emails to nonrespondents.
Should the response rate fall below
80%, a non-response bias study will be
conducted. The web-based instrument
was pretested for ease of use by fewer
than 9 germplasm requestors from
USDA Agricultural Research Service
(ARS) and the average time spent
completing the forms was 11 minutes.
Information from the Census of Users
of the National Plant Germplasm System
will be used for statistical purposes only
and reported only in aggregate or
statistical form. A public use data file
will be created from this information
collection. ERS does not intend to
invoke CIPSEA or any other data
protection statute for this collection,
because it will not collect any sensitive
or personal identifiable information.
Estimate of Burden: In order to
answer our research question about the
use of germplasm for adaptation to
climate change, a census is needed to
pinpoint geo-spatial demand for
germplasm. Thus, all 7,207 requestors of
germplasm will be asked to fill out a
web instrument once during a one
month data collection period; nonrespondents will receive three reminder
emails. 80% of requestors are assumed
to provide a response to one of the four
emailed instruments. The estimated
time of response is to average 0.197
hour. This average includes time spent
to complete questionnaire and reading
reminder emails. 20% will be nonrespondents and will incur less than 1
minute of time to read the material.
Thus, response times are estimated
adding an additional minute for each
reminder sent, for a total of four minutes
for requestors who never respond. These
estimates of respondent burden are
based on pretesting by ARS scientists,
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:13 Mar 04, 2014
Jkt 232001
conducted by the National Germplasm
Resources Laboratory of the National
Plant Germplasm System.
Type of Respondents: Respondents
includes all individuals or institutions
who requested germplasm for any of the
aforesaid ten crops from the National
Plant Germplasm System over the five
year period as defined by this
information collection.
Estimated Total Number of
Respondents: 7,207.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 1,231.2 hours.
Comments: All written comments
received will be available for public
inspection in the Resource Center of the
Economic Research Service during
regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00
p.m., Monday through Friday) at 355 E
St. SW., Room 04P33, Washington, DC
20024–4221. All responses to this notice
will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All
comments will become a matter of
public record. Comments are invited on:
(1) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
of the burden of the proposed collection
of information including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (4) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on those who are to respond, including
the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Date: February 19, 2014.
Mary Bohman,
Administrator, Economic Research Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–04850 Filed 3–4–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–18–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed collection;
Comment Request—Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),
Store Applications, Forms FNS–252,
FNS–252–E, FNS–252–FE, FNS–252–R,
FNS–252–2 and FNS–252–C
Food and Nutrition Service
(FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
SUMMARY:
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Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
notice invites the general public and
other public agencies to comment on the
proposed collection. This is a revision
of a currently approved collection in the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program and concerns Retail Store
Applications (Forms FNS–252; FNS–
252–E; FNS–252–R; FNS–252–2; and
FNS–252–C).
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before May 5, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on:
(a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
of the burden of the proposed collection
of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility
and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (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.
Comments may be sent to: Shelly
Pierce, Chief, Retailer Administration
Branch, Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, Retailer Policy and
Management Division, Food and
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive,
Room 438, Alexandria, VA 22302.
Comments may be faxed to the attention
of Ms. Pierce at (703) 305–1863 or via
email to: RPMDHQ-WEB@fns.usda.gov.
Comments will also be accepted through
the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to
https://www.regulations.gov, and follow
the online instructions for submitting
comments electronically.
All written comments will be open for
public inspection at the FNS office
located at 3101 Park Center Drive, Room
438, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, during
regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5
p.m. Monday through Friday).
All responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
for Office of Management and Budget
approval. All comments will be a matter
of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection
should be directed to Shelly Pierce at
RPMDHQ-WEB@fns.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP)—Store
Applications.
E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM
05MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12463-12464]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04850]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Economic Research Service
Notice of Request for Approval of a New Information Collection
AGENCY: Economic Research Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Economic Research
Service's intention to request approval for a new information
collection for the study of ``Census of Users of the National Plant
Germplasm System.'' This is a new collection to provide information on
usage and expectations of future use among requestors of genetic
resources from USDA's National Plant Germplasm System.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 5, 2014 to be
assured of consideration.
Additional Information or Comments: Address all comments concerning
this notice to Kelly Day Rubenstein, Resource and Rural Economics
Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Mail Stop 1800, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250.
Comments may also be submitted via fax to the attention of Kelly Day
Rubenstein at 202-694-4847 or via email to kday@ers.usda.gov. For
further information contact Kelly Day Rubenstein at the address above,
or telephone 202-694-5515.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Census of Users of the National Plant Germplasm System.
OMB Number: 0536-XXXX.
Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from approval date.
Type of Request: New information collection.
Abstract: The Census of Users of the National Plant Germplasm
System will solicit data from the 7,207 institutional representatives
who requested germplasm (i.e., living tissue from which plants can be
grown) for any of ten crops including beans, barley, cotton, maize,
sorghum, squash, soybeans, potato, rice, and wheat from the National
Plant Germplasm System over a five year period. Each respondent will be
asked to provide information via a web-based questionnaire. Legislative
authority for the planned data collection is 7 U.S.C. 2204(a) and 7
U.S.C. 2661.
The information to be collected by the ``Census of Users of the
National Plant Germplasm System'' is necessary to assess and understand
the types and varieties of germplasm needed by breeders and other
scientists in both the public and private sectors. This study will
provide data not currently available to program officials and
researchers, thereby broadening the scope of economic analyses of
genetic enhancement, and in turn, enhancing R&D and productivity
research at the Economic Research Service (ERS), the National Plant
Germplasm System, and the National Germplasm Resource Laboratory. The
database would contain a wealth of empirical information on germplasm
use in breeding and research. This includes information by specific
crops (e.g., the use of landraces in corn breeding, the search for
biotic tolerance in wheat); the quantity of germplasm by type and
purpose; institutional needs for germplasm (both public and private);
and requestors' anticipated future use. This information will also
assess biological traits that are needed for adaptation to climate
change. Agriculture is highly geography- specific, given that growing
regions vary by rainfall and temperature conditions, pest and disease
pressures, and soil types. Accordingly, plant breeders work to develop
unique varieties for different geographic locations. As a result, each
requestor of NPGS germplasm is likely to have one characteristic--
geographic location--which is unique and important to that
institution's use of this germplasm, particularly in the context of
global climate change. Moreover, it would be difficult to get adequate
representation of the matrix of crops, germplasm types, and locations
for some smaller crops (e.g., squash) without conducting a census of
all germplasm requestors to the NPGS for any of the ten crops.
A web-based instrument will be used for information collection. It
will be kept as simple and respondent-friendly as possible. Responses
are voluntary. The study instrument is based on a mailed paper-based
instrument used in the 2000 study, ``Demand for Genetic Resources from
the National Plant Germplasm System.'' It was jointly developed by
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Auburn
University's Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology,
the National Germplasm Resources Lab of the National Plant Germplasm
System, and the Economic Research Service. The instrument used in the
2000 study was administered by IFPRI and Auburn University and had a
response rate of 35%. Study design for currently proposed study is
consistent with that of the 2000 study in order to make comparisons
across time. The frame for this census comprises all germplasm
requestors to the NPGS for any of the ten crops in the last five years.
Although the NPGS provided germplasm to any requestor free of cost, it
also informed potential requestors and received their consent, at the
time of a request was made, that their information could be used for
activities relating to the service
[[Page 12464]]
that they had requested. Several measures will be taken to support the
response rate for the proposed information collection:
Information will be collected via the internet rather than
by mail. This data collection mode is more convenient for intended
respondents and will allow for rapid follow up with non-respondents.
This information collection will be cosponsored by the
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory of USDA, which is familiar to
the recipients as it is the agency that provided the requested
germplasm.
A well planned recruitment protocol will include sending
the instrument with a cover letter from a senior staff member of the
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, who will be an individual
familiar to many of the recipients. It also includes up to three
reminder emails to non-respondents.
Should the response rate fall below 80%, a non-response bias study
will be conducted. The web-based instrument was pretested for ease of
use by fewer than 9 germplasm requestors from USDA Agricultural
Research Service (ARS) and the average time spent completing the forms
was 11 minutes.
Information from the Census of Users of the National Plant
Germplasm System will be used for statistical purposes only and
reported only in aggregate or statistical form. A public use data file
will be created from this information collection. ERS does not intend
to invoke CIPSEA or any other data protection statute for this
collection, because it will not collect any sensitive or personal
identifiable information.
Estimate of Burden: In order to answer our research question about
the use of germplasm for adaptation to climate change, a census is
needed to pinpoint geo-spatial demand for germplasm. Thus, all 7,207
requestors of germplasm will be asked to fill out a web instrument once
during a one month data collection period; non-respondents will receive
three reminder emails. 80% of requestors are assumed to provide a
response to one of the four emailed instruments. The estimated time of
response is to average 0.197 hour. This average includes time spent to
complete questionnaire and reading reminder emails. 20% will be non-
respondents and will incur less than 1 minute of time to read the
material. Thus, response times are estimated adding an additional
minute for each reminder sent, for a total of four minutes for
requestors who never respond. These estimates of respondent burden are
based on pretesting by ARS scientists, conducted by the National
Germplasm Resources Laboratory of the National Plant Germplasm System.
Type of Respondents: Respondents includes all individuals or
institutions who requested germplasm for any of the aforesaid ten crops
from the National Plant Germplasm System over the five year period as
defined by this information collection.
Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 7,207.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,231.2 hours.
Comments: All written comments received will be available for
public inspection in the Resource Center of the Economic Research
Service during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday) at 355 E St. SW., Room 04P33, Washington, DC 20024-
4221. All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in
the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of
public record. Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will
have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of
the burden of the proposed collection of information including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Date: February 19, 2014.
Mary Bohman,
Administrator, Economic Research Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-04850 Filed 3-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-18-P
