Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Engineering IIP Program Monitoring Clearance, 6773-6776 [2015-02385]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices
• Programs that provide a source of
information for policy formulation; and
• Other activities to promote these
ends.
Over the years, NSF’s statutory
authority has been modified in a
number of significant ways. In 1968,
authority to support applied research
was added to the Organic Act. In 1980,
The Science and Engineering Equal
Opportunities Act gave NSF standing
authority to support activities to
improve the participation of women and
minorities in science and engineering.
Another major change occurred in
1986, when engineering was accorded
equal status with science in the Organic
Act. NSF has always dedicated itself to
providing the leadership and vision
needed to keep the words and ideas
embedded in its mission statement fresh
and up-to-date. Even in today’s rapidly
changing environment, NSF’s core
purpose resonates clearly in everything
it does: Promoting achievement and
progress in science and engineering and
enhancing the potential for research and
education to contribute to the Nation.
While NSF’s vision of the future and the
mechanisms it uses to carry out its
charges have evolved significantly over
the last four decades, its ultimate
mission remains the same.
Use of the Information: The regular
submission of proposals to the
Foundation is part of the collection of
information and is used to help NSF
fulfill this responsibility by initiating
and supporting merit-selected research
and education projects in all the
scientific and engineering disciplines.
NSF receives more than 50,000
proposals annually for new projects,
and makes approximately 11,000 new
awards.
Support is made primarily through
grants, contracts, and other agreements
awarded to more than 2,000 colleges,
universities, academic consortia,
nonprofit institutions, and small
businesses. The awards are based
mainly on evaluations of proposal merit
submitted to the Foundation.
The Foundation has a continuing
commitment to monitor the operations
of its information collection to identify
and address excessive reporting burdens
as well as to identify any real or
apparent inequities based on gender,
race, ethnicity, or disability of the
proposed principal investigator(s)/
project director(s) or the co-principal
investigator(s)/co-project director(s).
Burden on the Public: The Foundation
estimates that an average of 120 hours
is expended for each proposal
submitted. An estimated 50,000
proposals are expected during the
course of one year for a total of
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6,000,000 public burden hours
annually.
Dated: February 3, 2015.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science
Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2015–02386 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Comment Request;
Engineering IIP Program Monitoring
Clearance
National Science Foundation.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104–13
(44 U.S.C. U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), and as
part of its continuing effort to reduce
paperwork and respondent burden, the
National Science Foundation invites the
general public and other Federal
agencies to take this opportunity to
comment on this information collection.
This is the second notice for public
comment; the first was published in the
Federal Register at 79 FR 9485 and no
comments were received. NSF is
forwarding the proposed 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.
DATES: Comments regarding these
information collections are best assured
of having their full effect if received by
OMB within March 9, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Written comments
regarding the information collection and
requests for copies of the proposed
information collection request should be
addressed to Suzanne Plimpton, Reports
Clearance Officer, National Science
Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Rm.
1265, Arlington, VA 22230, or by email
to splimpto@nsf.gov. Copies of the
submission may be obtained by calling
(703) 292–7556.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Contact
Suzanne Plimpton, the NSF Reports
Clearance Officer, phone (703) 292–
7556, or send email 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, which is accessible 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
(including federal holidays).
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information
SUMMARY:
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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: Engineering IIP
Program; Monitoring Data Collections.
OMB Number: 3145–NEW.
Type of Request: Intent to seek
approval to establish specific collections
for 5 IIP programs for post-award output
and outcome monitoring.
Abstract
Proposed Project: NSF provides
nearly 20 percent of federal funding for
basic research to academic institutions.1
Within NSF, the Directorate for
Engineering (ENG) has primary
responsibility for promoting the
progress of engineering in the United
States in order to enable the Nation’s
capacity to perform. Its investments in
engineering research and education aim
to build and strengthen a national
capacity for innovation that can lead
over time to the creation of new shared
wealth and a better quality of life. Most
NSF programs in engineering are funded
through the Directorate for Engineering,
which also sponsors the NSF’s
Industrial Innovation and Partnerships
(IIP) Division. To these ends, ENG
provides support for research and
implementation activities that may meet
national needs. While scientists seek to
discover what is not yet known,
engineers apply fundamental science to
design and develop new devices and
engineered systems to solve societal
problems. ENG also focuses on
broadening participation in engineering
research and careers, particularly among
those individuals traditionally
underrepresented and underemployed
in the STEM workforce, including but
not limited to, women, persons with
disabilities, and racial and ethnic
minorities.
This request seeks approval for a
group of information collections
intended to monitor outputs, short-term,
intermediate and long-term outcomes of
NSF–ENG investments in research and
innovation in the Division of Industrial
Innovation and Partnerships (IIP). IIP
programs serve the entire foundation by
fostering partnerships to advance
technological innovation and plays an
important role in the public-private
1 National Science Foundation. (2012). NSF at a
glance. Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/about/
glance.jsp.
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices
innovation partnership enterprise by
investing in science and engineering
research across all disciplines that have
the potential for high impact in meeting
national and societal needs. IIP focuses
on leveraging federal, small business,
industrial, university, state and
community college resources.
Genuine partnerships between
academe and industry are an important
aspect of IIP programs and should
facilitate the types of infrastructure that
can sustain and nurture the spread of
innovative activity.
Innovation infrastructures educate
and train human capital for the research
enterprise and the entrepreneurial
aspects of innovation; develop social
networks characterized by shared
commitment and trust; and build a base
of operational support without which
sustainable partnerships cannot exist.
This support includes a diversified base
of private investment, a physical place
to provide a context for incubation,
technical, management, and
administrative support, laboratories,
communications services, and reliable
sources of capital. One end of the
innovation spectrum within the division
includes unsolicited research proposals
generated by the academic community.
On the other end of the innovation
spectrum, IIP supports small business
research proposals aimed at pursuing
opportunities to commercialize
products and services.
IIP is home to the two Congressionally
mandated small business research
programs, the Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) program
and the Small Business Technology
Transfer (STTR) program. IIP also
manages the Partnerships for
Innovation: Accelerating Innovation
Research (PFI:AIR) as well as the
Partnerships for Innovation: Building
Innovation Capacity (PFI:BIC) program,
which stimulate innovation by building
partnerships across the scientific,
engineering, and business community.
In addition, the IIP leverages industrial
support through the Industry/University
Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC)
program. The division also actively
participates in NSF-wide programs,
such as the Grants Opportunities for
Academic Liaison with Industry
(GOALI) program. Another NSF-wide
program in which IIP actively
participates is the Innovation Corps
program (I-Corps), which equips
scientists with the entrepreneurial tools
needed to transform discoveries with
commercial realization potential into
innovative technologies.2 ENG-funded
projects could include research
opportunities and mentoring for
educators, scholars, small businesses
and university students.
These survey questionnaires,
individually tailored to measure outputs
and outcomes for different programs,
will provide essential information for
program monitoring purposes. Data
collected by ENG IIP program
monitoring collections will be used for
program planning, management, and
evaluation. Summaries of monitoring
data are used to respond to queries from
Congress, the public, NSF’s external
merit reviewers who serve as advisors,
including Committees of Visitors
(COVs), and NSF’s Office of the
Inspector General. These data are
needed for effective administration,
program and project monitoring,
evaluation, and for measuring
attainment of NSF’s program and
strategic goals, as identified by the
President’s Accountable Government
Initiative, the Government Performance
and Results Act (GPRA) Modernization
Act of 2010, and NSF’s Strategic Plan.
The seven (7) program-specific
collections included in this request are
designed to assist in management of
specific programs and to serve as data
resources for current and future program
evaluations. As such, expected
outcomes could vary according to the
nature of the program funding, field of
study, and other program
characteristics.
Programs
Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) .............................................
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Office
Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI).
Innovation Corps (I-Corps).
Partnerships For Innovation: Accelerating Innovation Research
(PFI:AIR).
Partnerships For Innovation: building Innovation Capacity (PFI:BIC).
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR).
This data collection effort will enable
program officers to longitudinally
monitor outputs and outcomes given the
unique goals and purpose of their
programs. This is very important to
enable appropriate and accurate
evidence-based management of the
programs and to determine whether or
not the specific goals of the programs
are being met.
Grantees will be invited to submit this
information on a periodic basis via data
collection methods that include but are
not limited to online surveys,
interviews, phone interviews, etc. These
indicators are both quantitative and
descriptive and may include, for
example, the characteristics of project
personnel and students; sources of
complementary cash and in-kind
support to the ENG project;
characteristics of industrial and/or other
sector participation; research activities;
education activities; knowledge transfer
activities; patents, licenses;
publications; descriptions of significant
advances and other outcomes of the
ENG-funded effort.
Use of the Information: The data
collected will be used for NSF internal
reports, historical data, program level
studies and evaluations, and for
securing future funding for the ENG
program maintenance and growth.
These data could be used for program
evaluation purposes if deemed
necessary for a particular program.
Evaluation designs could make use of
metadata associated with the award, and
other characteristics to identify a
comparison group to evaluate the
impact of the program funding and
other interesting research questions.
2 National Science Foundation. (2014) About IIP.
Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/
about.jsp.
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices
ESTIMATE OF BURDEN
Number of
respondents
Collection title
Annual number of hours/
respondents
Annual hour
burden
Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) ..............................................
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Longitudinal Collection .....................................................................
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Pre-Course Survey Questionnaire ...................................................
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Post-Course Survey Questionnaire .................................................
Partnerships for Innovation: Accelerating Innovation Research (PFI:AIR) .................................
Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity (PFI:BIC) .........................................
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) ..............................................................................
200
800
150
150
200
30
1,100
2
.25
.25
.25
2
2
2
400
200
37.5
37.5
400
60
2,200
Total ......................................................................................................................................
2,630
8.75
3,335
Below is an example that shows how
the hour burden was estimated for the
monitoring system.
The estimated average number of
annual respondents is 2,630, with an
estimated annual response burden of
3,335 hours. For post-award monitoring
systems, IIP expects to collect data at 1,
2, 5, and 10 years post-award, in order
to have the best chance of capturing the
more immediate outcomes expected by
1–2 years post-award, intermediate
outcomes at 5 years post-award, and
long-term outcomes/impacts at 10 years
post award. These seven (7) data
collections spread over the span of 10
years; this averages to 0.25 data
collections/year. For the IIP division,
many awards are made in translational
research, such that we might expect a
shorter and more condensed timeline of
outcomes and impacts. Thus, some
programs may wish to collect data
quarterly for the first two years of the
award, and then once annually at 5 and
10 years post-award. The annual
number of responses for the first 2 years
post award is included in this table.
For life-of-award monitoring, the data
collection burden to awardees will be
limited to no more than 2 hours of the
respondents’ time in each instance.
Respondents: The respondents are
PIs, partners or students. For some
programs (I-Corps) the burden already
includes a response from 3 members of
the team in the pre and post surveys.
For all others, one PI or assignee per
award completes the questionnaire.
Estimates of Annualized Cost to
Respondents for the Hour
$215,660. The following table shows the
annualized estimate of costs to PI/
program coordinator respondents, who
are generally university professors. This
estimated hourly rate is based on a
report from the American Association of
University Professors, ‘‘Annual Report
on the Economic Status of the
Profession, 2011–12,’’ Academe,
March–April 2012, Survey Report Table
4. According to this report, the average
salary of an associate professor across
all types of doctoral-granting
institutions (public, privateindependent, religiously affiliated) was
$86,319. When divided by the number
of standard annual work hours (2,080),
this calculates to approximately $41 per
hour.
Burdens: The overall annualized cost
to the respondents is estimated to be
Respondent
Number of
respondents
Burden
hours per
respondent
Average
hourly rate
Estimated
annual cost
PIs, Assignees, Partners or Students .............................................................
2,630
2
$41
$215,660
Estimated Number of Responses per
Report
Data collection for the collections
involves all awardees in the programs
involved. The table below shows the
total universe and sample size for each
of the collections.
RESPONDENT UNIVERSE AND SAMPLE SIZE OF ENG PROGRAM MONITORING CLEARANCE COLLECTIONS
Universe of
respondents
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Collection title
Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) ..........................................................................
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Longitudinal Collection .................................................................................................
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Pre-Course Survey Questionnaire ...............................................................................
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Post-Course Survey Questionnaire .............................................................................
Partnerships for Innovation: Accelerating Innovation Research (PFI:AIR) .............................................................
Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity (PFI:BIC) .....................................................................
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) ..........................................................................................................
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200
800
150
150
200
30
1,100
Sample size
200
800
150
150
200
30
1,100
6776
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices
Dated: February 3, 2015.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science
Foundation.
Dated: February 3, 2015.
Suzanne Plimpton,
Acting Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–02384 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am]
compliance with 39 U.S.C. 3633(a), and
an application for non-public treatment
of certain materials. It also filed
supporting financial workpapers.
[FR Doc. 2015–02385 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
II. Notice of Commission Action
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
[Docket Nos. MC2015–25 and CP2015–34;
Order No. 2343]
Proposal Review Panel for Materials
Research; Notice of Meeting
In accordance with the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–
463 as amended), the National Science
Foundation announces the following
meeting:
NAME: Site visit review of the Materials
Research Science and Engineering
Center (MRSEC) at the University of
Wisconsin—Madison by the Division of
Materials Research (DMR) #1203
DATES AND TIMES: April 26, 2015; 7:00
p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
April 27, 2015; 7:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
April 28, 2015; 7:15 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
PLACE: University of Wisconsin,
Madison, WI.
TYPE OF MEETING: Part Open.
CONTACT PERSON: Dr. Thomas Rieker,
Program Director, Division of Materials
Research, Room 1065, National Science
Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard,
Arlington, VA 22230, Telephone (703)
292–4914.
PURPOSE OF MEETING: To provide advice
and recommendations concerning
further support of the MRSEC at the
University of Wisconsin.
AGENDA:
Sunday, April 26, 2015
7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Closed—Briefing
of panel
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Monday, April 27, 2015
7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Open—Review of
the MRSEC
5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. Closed—
Executive Session
7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Open—Dinner
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
7:30 a.m.–10:10 a.m. Open—Review of
the MRSEC
10:10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Closed—
Executive Session, Draft and
Review Report
REASON FOR CLOSING: The work being
reviewed may include information of a
proprietary or confidential nature,
including technical information;
financial data, such as salaries and
personal information concerning
individuals associated with the MRSEC.
These matters are exempt under 5
U.S.C. 552 b(c), (4) and (6) of the
Government in the Sunshine Act.
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New Postal Product
Postal Regulatory Commission.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Commission is noticing a
recent Postal Service filing concerning
an addition of Priority Mail Contract
106 to the competitive product list. This
notice informs the public of the filing,
invites public comment, and takes other
administrative steps.
DATES: Comments are due: February 10,
2015.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments
electronically via the Commission’s
Filing Online system at https://
www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit
comments electronically should contact
the person identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section by
telephone for advice on filing
alternatives.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at
202–789–6820.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Notice of Commission Action
III. Ordering Paragraphs
I. Introduction
In accordance with 39 U.S.C. 3642
and 39 CFR 3020.30 et seq., the Postal
Service filed a formal request and
associated supporting information to
add Priority Mail Contract 106 to the
competitive product list.1
The Postal Service
contemporaneously filed a redacted
contract related to the proposed new
product under 39 U.S.C. 3632(b)(3) and
39 CFR 3015.5. Id. Attachment B.
To support its Request, the Postal
Service filed a copy of the contract, a
copy of the Governors’ Decision
authorizing the product, proposed
changes to the Mail Classification
Schedule, a Statement of Supporting
Justification, a certification of
1 Request of the United States Postal Service to
Add Priority Mail Contract 106 to Competitive
Product List and Notice of Filing (Under Seal) of
Unredacted Governors’ Decision, Contract, and
Supporting Data, January 30, 2014 (Request).
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The Commission establishes Docket
Nos. MC2015–25 and CP2015–34 to
consider the Request pertaining to the
proposed Priority Mail Contract 106
product and the related contract,
respectively.
The Commission invites comments on
whether the Postal Service’s filings in
the captioned dockets are consistent
with the policies of 39 U.S.C. 3632,
3633, or 3642, 39 CFR part 3015, and 39
CFR part 3020, subpart B. Comments are
due no later than February 10, 2015.
The public portions of these filings can
be accessed via the Commission’s Web
site (https://www.prc.gov).
The Commission appoints Kenneth R.
Moeller to serve as Public
Representative in these dockets.
III. Ordering Paragraphs
It is ordered:
1. The Commission establishes Docket
Nos. MC2015–25 and CP2015–34 to
consider the matters raised in each
docket.
2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Kenneth
R. Moeller is appointed to serve as an
officer of the Commission to represent
the interests of the general public in
these proceedings (Public
Representative).
3. Comments are due no later than
February 10, 2015.
4. The Secretary shall arrange for
publication of this order in the Federal
Register.
By the Commission.
Shoshana M. Grove,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015–02422 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P
POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. MC2015–30 and CP2015–39;
Order No. 2338]
New Postal Product
Postal Regulatory Commission.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Commission is noticing a
recent Postal Service filing concerning
the addition of Priority Mail Contract
111 negotiated service agreement. This
notice informs the public of the filing,
invites public comment, and takes other
administrative steps.
DATES: Comments are due: February 9,
2015.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6773-6776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02385]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request;
Engineering IIP Program Monitoring Clearance
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13 (44
U.S.C. U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), and as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the National Science Foundation
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this
opportunity to comment on this information collection. This is the
second notice for public comment; the first was published in the
Federal Register at 79 FR 9485 and no comments were received. NSF is
forwarding the proposed 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.
DATES: Comments regarding these information collections are best
assured of having their full effect if received by OMB within March 9,
2015.
ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the information collection and
requests for copies of the proposed information collection request
should be addressed to Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer,
National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Rm. 1265, Arlington, VA
22230, or by email to splimpto@nsf.gov. Copies of the submission may be
obtained by calling (703) 292-7556.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Contact Suzanne Plimpton, the NSF Reports
Clearance Officer, phone (703) 292-7556, or send email 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, which is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365
days a year (including federal holidays).
An agency 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: Engineering IIP Program; Monitoring Data
Collections.
OMB Number: 3145-NEW.
Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to establish specific
collections for 5 IIP programs for post-award output and outcome
monitoring.
Abstract
Proposed Project: NSF provides nearly 20 percent of federal funding
for basic research to academic institutions.\1\ Within NSF, the
Directorate for Engineering (ENG) has primary responsibility for
promoting the progress of engineering in the United States in order to
enable the Nation's capacity to perform. Its investments in engineering
research and education aim to build and strengthen a national capacity
for innovation that can lead over time to the creation of new shared
wealth and a better quality of life. Most NSF programs in engineering
are funded through the Directorate for Engineering, which also sponsors
the NSF's Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) Division. To
these ends, ENG provides support for research and implementation
activities that may meet national needs. While scientists seek to
discover what is not yet known, engineers apply fundamental science to
design and develop new devices and engineered systems to solve societal
problems. ENG also focuses on broadening participation in engineering
research and careers, particularly among those individuals
traditionally underrepresented and underemployed in the STEM workforce,
including but not limited to, women, persons with disabilities, and
racial and ethnic minorities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ National Science Foundation. (2012). NSF at a glance.
Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/about/glance.jsp.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This request seeks approval for a group of information collections
intended to monitor outputs, short-term, intermediate and long-term
outcomes of NSF-ENG investments in research and innovation in the
Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP). IIP programs
serve the entire foundation by fostering partnerships to advance
technological innovation and plays an important role in the public-
private
[[Page 6774]]
innovation partnership enterprise by investing in science and
engineering research across all disciplines that have the potential for
high impact in meeting national and societal needs. IIP focuses on
leveraging federal, small business, industrial, university, state and
community college resources.
Genuine partnerships between academe and industry are an important
aspect of IIP programs and should facilitate the types of
infrastructure that can sustain and nurture the spread of innovative
activity.
Innovation infrastructures educate and train human capital for the
research enterprise and the entrepreneurial aspects of innovation;
develop social networks characterized by shared commitment and trust;
and build a base of operational support without which sustainable
partnerships cannot exist. This support includes a diversified base of
private investment, a physical place to provide a context for
incubation, technical, management, and administrative support,
laboratories, communications services, and reliable sources of capital.
One end of the innovation spectrum within the division includes
unsolicited research proposals generated by the academic community. On
the other end of the innovation spectrum, IIP supports small business
research proposals aimed at pursuing opportunities to commercialize
products and services.
IIP is home to the two Congressionally mandated small business
research programs, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. IIP
also manages the Partnerships for Innovation: Accelerating Innovation
Research (PFI:AIR) as well as the Partnerships for Innovation: Building
Innovation Capacity (PFI:BIC) program, which stimulate innovation by
building partnerships across the scientific, engineering, and business
community. In addition, the IIP leverages industrial support through
the Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) program.
The division also actively participates in NSF-wide programs, such as
the Grants Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI)
program. Another NSF-wide program in which IIP actively participates is
the Innovation Corps program (I-Corps), which equips scientists with
the entrepreneurial tools needed to transform discoveries with
commercial realization potential into innovative technologies.\2\ ENG-
funded projects could include research opportunities and mentoring for
educators, scholars, small businesses and university students.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ National Science Foundation. (2014) About IIP. Retrieved
from https://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/about.jsp.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
These survey questionnaires, individually tailored to measure
outputs and outcomes for different programs, will provide essential
information for program monitoring purposes. Data collected by ENG IIP
program monitoring collections will be used for program planning,
management, and evaluation. Summaries of monitoring data are used to
respond to queries from Congress, the public, NSF's external merit
reviewers who serve as advisors, including Committees of Visitors
(COVs), and NSF's Office of the Inspector General. These data are
needed for effective administration, program and project monitoring,
evaluation, and for measuring attainment of NSF's program and strategic
goals, as identified by the President's Accountable Government
Initiative, the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)
Modernization Act of 2010, and NSF's Strategic Plan.
The seven (7) program-specific collections included in this request
are designed to assist in management of specific programs and to serve
as data resources for current and future program evaluations. As such,
expected outcomes could vary according to the nature of the program
funding, field of study, and other program characteristics.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Programs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Industrial Innovation and Partnerships Grant Opportunities for
(IIP). Academic Liaison with Industry
(GOALI).
Innovation Corps (I-Corps).
Partnerships For Innovation:
Accelerating Innovation
Research (PFI:AIR).
Partnerships For Innovation:
building Innovation Capacity
(PFI:BIC).
Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This data collection effort will enable program officers to
longitudinally monitor outputs and outcomes given the unique goals and
purpose of their programs. This is very important to enable appropriate
and accurate evidence-based management of the programs and to determine
whether or not the specific goals of the programs are being met.
Grantees will be invited to submit this information on a periodic
basis via data collection methods that include but are not limited to
online surveys, interviews, phone interviews, etc. These indicators are
both quantitative and descriptive and may include, for example, the
characteristics of project personnel and students; sources of
complementary cash and in-kind support to the ENG project;
characteristics of industrial and/or other sector participation;
research activities; education activities; knowledge transfer
activities; patents, licenses; publications; descriptions of
significant advances and other outcomes of the ENG-funded effort.
Use of the Information: The data collected will be used for NSF
internal reports, historical data, program level studies and
evaluations, and for securing future funding for the ENG program
maintenance and growth. These data could be used for program evaluation
purposes if deemed necessary for a particular program. Evaluation
designs could make use of metadata associated with the award, and other
characteristics to identify a comparison group to evaluate the impact
of the program funding and other interesting research questions.
[[Page 6775]]
Estimate of Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual number
Collection title Number of of hours/ Annual hour
respondents respondents burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI).. 200 2 400
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Longitudinal Collection.............. 800 .25 200
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Pre-Course Survey Questionnaire...... 150 .25 37.5
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Post-Course Survey Questionnaire..... 150 .25 37.5
Partnerships for Innovation: Accelerating Innovation Research 200 2 400
(PFI:AIR)......................................................
Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity 30 2 60
(PFI:BIC)......................................................
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)....................... 1,100 2 2,200
-----------------------------------------------
Total....................................................... 2,630 8.75 3,335
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below is an example that shows how the hour burden was estimated
for the monitoring system.
The estimated average number of annual respondents is 2,630, with
an estimated annual response burden of 3,335 hours. For post-award
monitoring systems, IIP expects to collect data at 1, 2, 5, and 10
years post-award, in order to have the best chance of capturing the
more immediate outcomes expected by 1-2 years post-award, intermediate
outcomes at 5 years post-award, and long-term outcomes/impacts at 10
years post award. These seven (7) data collections spread over the span
of 10 years; this averages to 0.25 data collections/year. For the IIP
division, many awards are made in translational research, such that we
might expect a shorter and more condensed timeline of outcomes and
impacts. Thus, some programs may wish to collect data quarterly for the
first two years of the award, and then once annually at 5 and 10 years
post-award. The annual number of responses for the first 2 years post
award is included in this table.
For life-of-award monitoring, the data collection burden to
awardees will be limited to no more than 2 hours of the respondents'
time in each instance.
Respondents: The respondents are PIs, partners or students. For
some programs (I-Corps) the burden already includes a response from 3
members of the team in the pre and post surveys. For all others, one PI
or assignee per award completes the questionnaire.
Estimates of Annualized Cost to Respondents for the Hour
Burdens: The overall annualized cost to the respondents is
estimated to be $215,660. The following table shows the annualized
estimate of costs to PI/program coordinator respondents, who are
generally university professors. This estimated hourly rate is based on
a report from the American Association of University Professors,
``Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2011-12,''
Academe, March-April 2012, Survey Report Table 4. According to this
report, the average salary of an associate professor across all types
of doctoral-granting institutions (public, private- independent,
religiously affiliated) was $86,319. When divided by the number of
standard annual work hours (2,080), this calculates to approximately
$41 per hour.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Burden hours Average hourly Estimated
Respondent respondents per respondent rate annual cost
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PIs, Assignees, Partners or Students........ 2,630 2 $41 $215,660
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Number of Responses per Report
Data collection for the collections involves all awardees in the
programs involved. The table below shows the total universe and sample
size for each of the collections.
Respondent Universe and Sample Size of ENG Program Monitoring Clearance
Collections
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Universe of
Collection title respondents Sample size
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison 200 200
with Industry (GOALI)..................
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Longitudinal 800 800
Collection.............................
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Pre-Course 150 150
Survey Questionnaire...................
Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Post-Course 150 150
Survey Questionnaire...................
Partnerships for Innovation: 200 200
Accelerating Innovation Research
(PFI:AIR)..............................
Partnerships for Innovation: Building 30 30
Innovation Capacity (PFI:BIC)..........
Small Business Innovation Research 1,100 1,100
(SBIR).................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 6776]]
Dated: February 3, 2015.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2015-02385 Filed 2-5-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
