Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Grantee Reporting Requirements for NSF NRT Program, 54251-54252 [2021-21326]

Download as PDF LOTTER on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 187 / Thursday, September 30, 2021 / Notices awardees from four postsecondary community/technical colleges or systems. The NTEWS sample design will meet the needs of both NCSES and NCES by providing coverage of the workforce-eligible adult population and including an oversample of adults who are in skilled technical occupations. Estimate of Burden: The expected response rate for the overall NTEWS sample is 62 percent, or 30,565 respondents. The amount of time to complete the survey may vary depending on an individual’s circumstances and the collection mode (web, paper, or telephone). NCSES estimates an average completion time of 15 minutes. NCSES estimates that the average annual burden for the initial NTEWS for the three-year OMB clearance period will be no more than 2,547 hours [(30,565 completed cases × 15 minutes)/3 years]. Updates: A few changes occurred between the publication of the first FRN and this second FRN. The first FRN did not include the estimated burden of the non-production seeded sample and bridge panel studies, which are reflected in this FRN. The estimated burden for the production sample in the first FRN approximated the average annual burden for the initial NTEWS throughout the three-year OMB clearance period to be 2,084 hours [(25,000 completed cases × 15 minutes)/ 3 years]. NCSES increased the production sample size from 42,000 to 43,200 to meet precision requirements for NTEWS estimates. This FRN contains revised burden information. Comments: Comments are invited on (a) aspects of the data collection effort (including, but not limited to, the following: the availability of administrative and supplemental sources of data on the skilled technical workforce, survey content, contact strategy, and statistical methods); (b) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of NCSES, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (c) the accuracy of the NCSES’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (d) ways to enhance the quality, use, and clarity of the information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) 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. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:15 Sep 29, 2021 Jkt 253001 Dated: September 27, 2021. Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation. [FR Doc. 2021–21254 Filed 9–29–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 National Science Foundation. Notice of permit applications received. AGENCY: ACTION: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act in the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications received. DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, or views with respect to this permit application by November 1, 2021. This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit Office, address below. ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 or ACApermits@nsf.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Polly Penhale, ACA Permit Officer, at the above address, 703–292–8030. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Publ. L. 95–541, 45 CFR 671), as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, has developed regulations for the establishment of a permit system for various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and certain geographic areas as requiring special protection. The regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic Specially Protected Areas. SUMMARY: Application Details Permit Application: 2022–010 1. Applicant: Dr. John Durban, 446 Harbor Vista Drive Friday Harbor, WA 98250. Activity for Which Permit Is Requested: Take, Import into the U.S.A. The Applicant seeks an Antarctic PO 00000 Frm 00103 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 54251 Conservation Act permit for continued research activities studying the health of whale populations in the Southern Ocean and impacts of environmental changes on Antarctic marine ecosystems. The applicant will use aerial photogrammetry to collect data on whale morphometrics and health. The applicant proposes to use unoccupied aerial systems (UAS), particularly small, radio-controlled hexacopters, for aerial photogrammetry, and to use handheld cameras for photo-identification. The hexacopters will be flown greater than 100 ft above the whales for identification and assessment purposes. The applicant also proposes use of the UAS to collect respiratory (blow) samples of commonly encountered whales to aid in understanding of cetacean microbiomes and respiratory health. This data will be supplemented by the collection of remote biopsy samples of whale skin and blubber, which will provide more detailed information on cetacean diet and contribute to genetic understanding of whale populations in the Southern Ocean. Additionally, opportunistic samples of dead marine mammals may be salvaged by the applicant to further understanding of killer whale diet and ecology. Samples will be imported into the United States for analysis and ultimate disposition at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Location: Antarctic Peninsula Region, Southern Ross Sea region. Dates of Permitted Activities: December 1, 2021–April 30, 2026. Erika N. Davis, Program Specialist, Office of Polar Programs. [FR Doc. 2021–21201 Filed 9–29–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Grantee Reporting Requirements for NSF NRT Program National Science Foundation. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request. AGENCY: ACTION: 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. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal Register and no comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed new submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM 30SEN1 LOTTER on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 54252 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 187 / Thursday, September 30, 2021 / Notices clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice. DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ PRAmain. Find this particular information collection by selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or by using the search function. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314, 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). Comments regarding this information collection 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. 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: NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Monitoring Program. OMB Number: 3145–NEW. Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to establish an information collection. Abstract: The National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Division of Graduate Education (DGE) in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) administers the NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program. The NRT program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The NRT program seeks to ensure that graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. NRT is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:15 Sep 29, 2021 Jkt 253001 areas, through the use of a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. Currently NRT awardees provide NSF with information on their activities through periodic research performance progress reports. The NRT program will now replace these reports with a tailored program monitoring system that will use internet-based information and communication technologies to collect, review, and validate specific data on NRT awards. EHR is committed to ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness with which respondents provide and NSF staff can access and analyze data on funded projects within the NRT program. The NRT monitoring system will include subsets of questions aimed at the different project participants (i.e., Principal Investigators (PIs) and trainees), and will allow for data analysis and data report generation by authorized NSF staff. The collections will generally include three categories of descriptive data: (1) Staff and project participants (data that are necessary to determine individual-level treatment and control groups for future third-party study or for internal evaluation); (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). NRT awardees will be required to report data on an annual basis for the life of their award. Use of the Information: NSF will primarily use the data from this collection 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 (COVs), the NSF’s Office of the Inspector General, and as a basis for either internal or third-party evaluations of individual programs. 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, and as identified by the President’s Accountability in Government Initiative; GPRA, and the NSF’s Strategic Plan. The Foundation’s FY 2018–2022 Strategic Plan may be found at: https://www.nsf.gov/ publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key= nsf18045. Since this collection will primarily be used for accountability and evaluation PO 00000 Frm 00104 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 purposes, including responding to queries from COVs and other scientific experts, a census rather than a 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 this collection will serve as baseline data for separate research and evaluation studies. NSF-funded contract or grantee researchers and internal or external evaluators in part may identify control, comparison, or treatment groups for NSF’s education and training portfolio using some of the descriptive data gathered through this collection to conduct well-designed and rigorous research and portfolio evaluation studies. Use of the Information: The information collected is primarily for the purposes of program monitoring and accountability purposes. The information may also be used to respond to queries from Congress, NSF’s external merit reviewers, and as the basis for program evaluations. Respondents: NRT PIs, coPIs, Faculty, and Trainees. Estimated number of respondents: 2,346. Average Burden per Reporting: The average hours per year works out to 4,207.5 hours. This reflects a range of 10–15 minutes for the PI/coPI/Faculty surveys, 1.5 hours for the trainee survey, and 24 hours for the project survey. Frequency: Once annually Comments: 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; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Dated: September 27, 2021. Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation. [FR Doc. 2021–21326 Filed 9–29–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM 30SEN1

Agencies

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 187 (Thursday, September 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54251-54252]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21326]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; 
Grantee Reporting Requirements for NSF NRT Program

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. This is the second 
notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal 
Register and no comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed 
new submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for

[[Page 54252]]

clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice.

DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAmain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance 
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, 
Alexandria, VA 22314, or send email to [email protected]. 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). Comments regarding this information collection 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.
    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: NSF Research 
Traineeship (NRT) Monitoring Program.
    OMB Number: 3145-NEW.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to establish an 
information collection.
    Abstract: The National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Division of 
Graduate Education (DGE) in the Directorate for Education and Human 
Resources (EHR) administers the NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program. 
The NRT program is designed to encourage the development and 
implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative models for 
STEM graduate education training. The NRT program seeks to ensure that 
graduate students in research-based master's and doctoral degree 
programs develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to 
pursue a range of STEM careers. NRT is dedicated to effective training 
of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or 
convergent research areas, through the use of a comprehensive 
traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with 
changing workforce and research needs.
    Currently NRT awardees provide NSF with information on their 
activities through periodic research performance progress reports. The 
NRT program will now replace these reports with a tailored program 
monitoring system that will use internet-based information and 
communication technologies to collect, review, and validate specific 
data on NRT awards. EHR is committed to ensuring the efficiency and 
effectiveness with which respondents provide and NSF staff can access 
and analyze data on funded projects within the NRT program.
    The NRT monitoring system will include subsets of questions aimed 
at the different project participants (i.e., Principal Investigators 
(PIs) and trainees), and will allow for data analysis and data report 
generation by authorized NSF staff. The collections will generally 
include three categories of descriptive data: (1) Staff and project 
participants (data that are necessary to determine individual-level 
treatment and control groups for future third-party study or for 
internal evaluation); (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). NRT awardees will be required to 
report data on an annual basis for the life of their award.
    Use of the Information: NSF will primarily use the data from this 
collection 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 
(COVs), the NSF's Office of the Inspector General, and as a basis for 
either internal or third-party evaluations of individual programs. 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, and as 
identified by the President's Accountability in Government Initiative; 
GPRA, and the NSF's Strategic Plan. The Foundation's FY 2018-2022 
Strategic Plan may be found at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf18045.
    Since this collection will primarily be used for accountability and 
evaluation purposes, including responding to queries from COVs and 
other scientific experts, a census rather than a 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 this collection will serve as 
baseline data for separate research and evaluation studies.
    NSF-funded contract or grantee researchers and internal or external 
evaluators in part may identify control, comparison, or treatment 
groups for NSF's education and training portfolio using some of the 
descriptive data gathered through this collection to conduct well-
designed and rigorous research and portfolio evaluation studies.
    Use of the Information: The information collected is primarily for 
the purposes of program monitoring and accountability purposes. The 
information may also be used to respond to queries from Congress, NSF's 
external merit reviewers, and as the basis for program evaluations.
    Respondents: NRT PIs, coPIs, Faculty, and Trainees.
    Estimated number of respondents: 2,346.
    Average Burden per Reporting: The average hours per year works out 
to 4,207.5 hours. This reflects a range of 10-15 minutes for the PI/
coPI/Faculty surveys, 1.5 hours for the trainee survey, and 24 hours 
for the project survey.
    Frequency: Once annually
    Comments: 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; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

    Dated: September 27, 2021.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2021-21326 Filed 9-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P

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