Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; National Science Foundation Research Infrastructure Guide, 84634-84636 [2024-24501]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 205 / Wednesday, October 23, 2024 / Notices
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Jkt 265001
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SUMMARY:
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Comment Request; National
Science Foundation Research
Infrastructure Guide
National Science Foundation.
Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the
requirement of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the National
Science Foundation (NSF) is providing
opportunity for public comment on
revisions to the NSF Research
Infrastructure Guide (RIG).
DATES: Written comments should be
received by January 17, 2025, to be
assured of consideration. Comments
received after that date will be
considered to the extent practicable.
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, 2415 Eisenhower Ave.,
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\23OCN1.SGM
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khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 205 / Wednesday, October 23, 2024 / Notices
Alexandria, VA 22314, or by email to
splimpto@nsf.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Suzanne Plimpton on (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).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Research
Infrastructure Guide.
OMB Approval Number: 3145–0239.
Expiration Date of Approval:
December 31, 2024.
Type of Request: Intent to seek
approval to extend with revision an
information collection for three years.
Proposed Project: The revision to the
Research Infrastructure Guide (RIG)
aims to enhance guidance for the
Construction Stage and implementation,
focusing on planning and execution,
and improve guidance for Operations
Stage planning. It introduces contextual
guidance for tailoring, scaling, and
progressively elaborating planning
efforts across all life cycle stages of
Major Facilities and Mid-scale Research
Infrastructure (RI). The updates provide
more comprehensive project
management guidance, including risk
management, contingency estimating
and management, and performance
measurement. Additionally, the revision
offers enhanced supplemental guidance
on cyberinfrastructure, information
assurance, partnerships, and Agile
methodology for NSF projects. The draft
version of the NSF RIG is available on
the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/
bfa/lfo/lfo_documents.jsp.
To facilitate review, a section called
List of Changes with brief descriptions
of the changes is provided in the RIG.
NSF is particularly interested in public
comment on the new content provided
in Sections 2.9 Mid-scale Research
Infrastructure Guidance, 3.5
Construction Stage and Implementation
Planning, and 3.6 Operations Stage
Planning.
The National Science Foundation Act
of 1950 (Pub. L. 81–507) set forth NSF’s
mission and purpose:
‘‘To promote the progress of science;
to advance the national health,
prosperity, and welfare; to secure the
national defense.* * *’’
The Act authorized and directed NSF
to initiate and support:
• Basic scientific research and
research fundamental to the engineering
process;
• Programs to strengthen scientific
and engineering research potential;
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18:48 Oct 22, 2024
Jkt 265001
• Science and engineering education
programs at all levels and in all the
various fields of science and
engineering;
• Programs that provide a source of
information for policy formulation; and
• Other activities to promote these
ends.
Among Federal agencies, NSF is a
leader in providing the academic
community with advanced
instrumentation needed to conduct
state-of-the-art research and to educate
the next generation of scientists,
engineers, and technical workers. The
knowledge generated by these tools
sustains U.S. leadership in science and
engineering to drive the U.S. economy
and secure the future. A crucial part of
NSF’s responsibility is to ensure that the
research and education communities
have access to these resources and to
provide the support needed to utilize
them optimally and implement timely
upgrades.
The scale of advanced
instrumentation spans from small
research tools to large, shared resources
or facilities accessible to entire scientific
communities. Demand for such
instrumentation is rapidly growing,
driven by the accelerating pace of
discovery. The need for shared Research
Infrastructure (RI) is especially high,
and this demand is expected to increase
further as more researchers and
educators depend on these expansive
facilities, instruments, and databases to
achieve the next significant intellectual
breakthroughs.
NSF defines RI as any combination of
facilities, equipment, instrumentation,
computational hardware and software,
and the necessary human capital in
support of the same. Historically, NSF
has supported diverse types of RI,
including particle accelerators,
detectors, radio and optical telescopes,
remote research stations, research
vessels and aircraft, high-performance
computing, and geographically
distributed observatories, as well as
large-scale surveys and data sets.
NSF currently provides support for
facility construction through the Major
Research Equipment and Facility
Construction (MREFC) account and the
Research and Related Activities (R&RA)
account. The MREFC account,
established in FY1995, is an agencywide capital account that provides
funding for the Construction Stage of
Major Facilities with a Total Project
Cost (TPC) of $100M or greater for
construction, and Mid-scale RI with a
TPC of $20–$100M.
The growth and diversification of
Major Facility and Mid-scale RI require
that NSF remain attentive to the ever-
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84635
changing issues and challenges inherent
in their planning, construction,
operation, management, and oversight.
Most importantly, dedicated, competent
NSF and Awardee staff are needed to
manage and oversee these RI, giving the
attention and oversight that good
practice dictates and that proper
accountability to taxpayers and
Congress demands. To this end, there is
also a need for consistent, documented
requirements and procedures to be
understood and used by NSF program
managers and awardees for all such RI.
Use of the Information: Research
Infrastructure (RI) is a crucial
component of the science and
engineering enterprise, and supporting
it is one of NSF’s primary
responsibilities. NSF provides awards to
external entities—primarily universities,
university consortia, or non-profit
organizations—to construct, manage,
and operate these facilities. These
awards are typically made through
cooperative agreements. While NSF
does not directly build or operate the
facilities it funds, it remains responsible
for overseeing their development,
management, and overall performance.
The Research Infrastructure Guide
(RIG) is intended to:
• Articulate NSF’s oversight policies,
processes, and procedures at each life
cycle stage for Major Facilities and Midscale RI.
• Provide guidance to organizations
for proposal development and effective
management of funded activities,
following established program and
project management best practices.
This version of the RIG provides
enhanced guidance for planning across
all life cycle stages, including
Development, Design, Construction and
implementation, Operations, and
Disposition. It offers detailed
instructions on tailoring, appropriately
scaling, and progressively elaborating
plans to align with the scale and
complexity of the RI. Additionally, key
project management elements are
improved to ensure stronger oversight.
The RIG does not replace the formal
procedures outlined in the Proposal &
Award Policies and Procedures Guide
(PAPPG), which are required for all NSF
awards. Instead, it supplements the
PAPPG by providing specific guidance
on NSF policies and procedures for the
planning, management, and oversight of
Major Facilities and Mid-scale RI. All RI
require merit and technical review, as
well as approval of specific deliverables.
The level of review and approval for
these projects differs significantly from
standard grants, as does the degree of
oversight necessary to ensure proper
accountability for federal funds. The
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84636
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 205 / Wednesday, October 23, 2024 / Notices
RIG’s requirements, recommended
procedures, and best practices apply to
any RI substantial enough to require
ongoing, close interaction with NSF and
the National Science Board.
NSF will update the RIG periodically
to reflect requirements, policies, and/or
procedures changes. Awardees are
expected to monitor and adopt the
requirements and best practices
included in the RIG, which aim to
improve management and oversight of
Major Facility and Mid-scale RIs and
enable the most efficient and costeffective delivery of tools to the research
and education communities.
Submitting proposals and subsequent
documentation related to the
development, design, construction or
implementation, and operations of a
Major Facility or Mid-scale RI to NSF is
part of the information collected that
NSF uses to fulfill its responsibility to
support merit-based research and
education projects in all the scientific
and engineering disciplines. NSF is also
committed to providing oversight on RI,
which they must balance against
monitoring its information collection to
identify and address any excessive
reporting burdens.
NSF has approximately 25 Major
Facilities in various stages of
Development, Design, Construction,
Operations, and Disposition. Major
Facilities undergoing a significant
upgrade may be classified in both
design or construction and operations at
the same time. Two to four new
construction awards are made
approximately every five years based on
science community RI needs and
availability of funding. Among the 25
Major Facilities, there are approximately
seven (7) facilities annually that are
either in Design or Construction Stages.
These stages require the highest level of
reporting and management
documentation per the RIG. Currently,
there are approximately 27 Mid-scale
Research Infrastructure in the Track1
Program and nine in the Track 2
Program.
Burden on the Public: NSF estimates
that approximately five Full Time
Equivalents (FTEs) are necessary for
each Major Facility in design or
construction to respond to NSF
performance and financial reporting and
project management documentation
requirements on an annual basis; or
10,400 hours per year. NSF estimates
approximately one and half (1.5) FTE
for a Major Facility in operations to
respond to performance and financial
reporting on an annual basis; or 3,120
hours per year. For Mid-scale RI, NSF
estimates approximately one (1) FTE is
necessary for each Mid-Scale RI to
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18:48 Oct 22, 2024
Jkt 265001
respond to NSF project management
documentation requirements on an
annual basis; or 2,080 hours per year.
With seven (7) Major Facilities in design
or construction and twenty-one (20) in
operations and four (4) Mid-scale RI,
this equates to roughly 150,000 public
burden hours annually.
Comments: In addition to the
previously mentioned types of
comments, feedback is also invited on
the following:
(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.
After obtaining and considering
public comment, NSF will prepare the
submission requesting OMB clearance
of this collection for no longer than 3
years.
Dated: October 18, 2024.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science
Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2024–24501 Filed 10–22–24; 8:45 am]
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invites public comment, and takes other
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electronically via the Commission’s
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ADDRESSES:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Public Proceeding(s)
III. Summary Proceeding(s)
I. Introduction
Pursuant to 39 CFR 3041.405, the
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Service filed request(s) for the
Commission to consider matters related
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propose the addition of a negotiated
service agreement from the Competitive
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defined by 39 CFR 3010.101(p), the title
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1 See Docket No. RM2018–3, Order Adopting
Final Rules Relating to Non-Public Information,
June 27, 2018, Attachment A at 19–22 (Order No.
4679).
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84634-84636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24501]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request;
National Science Foundation Research Infrastructure Guide
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is providing
opportunity for public comment on revisions to the NSF Research
Infrastructure Guide (RIG).
DATES: Written comments should be received by January 17, 2025, to be
assured of consideration. Comments received after that date will be
considered to the extent practicable.
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, 2415 Eisenhower Ave.,
[[Page 84635]]
Alexandria, VA 22314, or by email to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne Plimpton on (703) 292-7556 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).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Research Infrastructure Guide.
OMB Approval Number: 3145-0239.
Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2024.
Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend with revision an
information collection for three years.
Proposed Project: The revision to the Research Infrastructure Guide
(RIG) aims to enhance guidance for the Construction Stage and
implementation, focusing on planning and execution, and improve
guidance for Operations Stage planning. It introduces contextual
guidance for tailoring, scaling, and progressively elaborating planning
efforts across all life cycle stages of Major Facilities and Mid-scale
Research Infrastructure (RI). The updates provide more comprehensive
project management guidance, including risk management, contingency
estimating and management, and performance measurement. Additionally,
the revision offers enhanced supplemental guidance on
cyberinfrastructure, information assurance, partnerships, and Agile
methodology for NSF projects. The draft version of the NSF RIG is
available on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/lfo/lfo_documents.jsp.
To facilitate review, a section called List of Changes with brief
descriptions of the changes is provided in the RIG. NSF is particularly
interested in public comment on the new content provided in Sections
2.9 Mid-scale Research Infrastructure Guidance, 3.5 Construction Stage
and Implementation Planning, and 3.6 Operations Stage Planning.
The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (Pub. L. 81-507) set
forth NSF's mission and purpose:
``To promote the progress of science; to advance the national
health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense.* * *''
The Act authorized and directed NSF to initiate and support:
Basic scientific research and research fundamental to the
engineering process;
Programs to strengthen scientific and engineering research
potential;
Science and engineering education programs at all levels
and in all the various fields of science and engineering;
Programs that provide a source of information for policy
formulation; and
Other activities to promote these ends.
Among Federal agencies, NSF is a leader in providing the academic
community with advanced instrumentation needed to conduct state-of-the-
art research and to educate the next generation of scientists,
engineers, and technical workers. The knowledge generated by these
tools sustains U.S. leadership in science and engineering to drive the
U.S. economy and secure the future. A crucial part of NSF's
responsibility is to ensure that the research and education communities
have access to these resources and to provide the support needed to
utilize them optimally and implement timely upgrades.
The scale of advanced instrumentation spans from small research
tools to large, shared resources or facilities accessible to entire
scientific communities. Demand for such instrumentation is rapidly
growing, driven by the accelerating pace of discovery. The need for
shared Research Infrastructure (RI) is especially high, and this demand
is expected to increase further as more researchers and educators
depend on these expansive facilities, instruments, and databases to
achieve the next significant intellectual breakthroughs.
NSF defines RI as any combination of facilities, equipment,
instrumentation, computational hardware and software, and the necessary
human capital in support of the same. Historically, NSF has supported
diverse types of RI, including particle accelerators, detectors, radio
and optical telescopes, remote research stations, research vessels and
aircraft, high-performance computing, and geographically distributed
observatories, as well as large-scale surveys and data sets.
NSF currently provides support for facility construction through
the Major Research Equipment and Facility Construction (MREFC) account
and the Research and Related Activities (R&RA) account. The MREFC
account, established in FY1995, is an agency-wide capital account that
provides funding for the Construction Stage of Major Facilities with a
Total Project Cost (TPC) of $100M or greater for construction, and Mid-
scale RI with a TPC of $20-$100M.
The growth and diversification of Major Facility and Mid-scale RI
require that NSF remain attentive to the ever-changing issues and
challenges inherent in their planning, construction, operation,
management, and oversight. Most importantly, dedicated, competent NSF
and Awardee staff are needed to manage and oversee these RI, giving the
attention and oversight that good practice dictates and that proper
accountability to taxpayers and Congress demands. To this end, there is
also a need for consistent, documented requirements and procedures to
be understood and used by NSF program managers and awardees for all
such RI.
Use of the Information: Research Infrastructure (RI) is a crucial
component of the science and engineering enterprise, and supporting it
is one of NSF's primary responsibilities. NSF provides awards to
external entities--primarily universities, university consortia, or
non-profit organizations--to construct, manage, and operate these
facilities. These awards are typically made through cooperative
agreements. While NSF does not directly build or operate the facilities
it funds, it remains responsible for overseeing their development,
management, and overall performance.
The Research Infrastructure Guide (RIG) is intended to:
Articulate NSF's oversight policies, processes, and
procedures at each life cycle stage for Major Facilities and Mid-scale
RI.
Provide guidance to organizations for proposal development
and effective management of funded activities, following established
program and project management best practices.
This version of the RIG provides enhanced guidance for planning
across all life cycle stages, including Development, Design,
Construction and implementation, Operations, and Disposition. It offers
detailed instructions on tailoring, appropriately scaling, and
progressively elaborating plans to align with the scale and complexity
of the RI. Additionally, key project management elements are improved
to ensure stronger oversight.
The RIG does not replace the formal procedures outlined in the
Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), which are
required for all NSF awards. Instead, it supplements the PAPPG by
providing specific guidance on NSF policies and procedures for the
planning, management, and oversight of Major Facilities and Mid-scale
RI. All RI require merit and technical review, as well as approval of
specific deliverables. The level of review and approval for these
projects differs significantly from standard grants, as does the degree
of oversight necessary to ensure proper accountability for federal
funds. The
[[Page 84636]]
RIG's requirements, recommended procedures, and best practices apply to
any RI substantial enough to require ongoing, close interaction with
NSF and the National Science Board.
NSF will update the RIG periodically to reflect requirements,
policies, and/or procedures changes. Awardees are expected to monitor
and adopt the requirements and best practices included in the RIG,
which aim to improve management and oversight of Major Facility and
Mid-scale RIs and enable the most efficient and cost-effective delivery
of tools to the research and education communities.
Submitting proposals and subsequent documentation related to the
development, design, construction or implementation, and operations of
a Major Facility or Mid-scale RI to NSF is part of the information
collected that NSF uses to fulfill its responsibility to support merit-
based research and education projects in all the scientific and
engineering disciplines. NSF is also committed to providing oversight
on RI, which they must balance against monitoring its information
collection to identify and address any excessive reporting burdens.
NSF has approximately 25 Major Facilities in various stages of
Development, Design, Construction, Operations, and Disposition. Major
Facilities undergoing a significant upgrade may be classified in both
design or construction and operations at the same time. Two to four new
construction awards are made approximately every five years based on
science community RI needs and availability of funding. Among the 25
Major Facilities, there are approximately seven (7) facilities annually
that are either in Design or Construction Stages. These stages require
the highest level of reporting and management documentation per the
RIG. Currently, there are approximately 27 Mid-scale Research
Infrastructure in the Track1 Program and nine in the Track 2 Program.
Burden on the Public: NSF estimates that approximately five Full
Time Equivalents (FTEs) are necessary for each Major Facility in design
or construction to respond to NSF performance and financial reporting
and project management documentation requirements on an annual basis;
or 10,400 hours per year. NSF estimates approximately one and half
(1.5) FTE for a Major Facility in operations to respond to performance
and financial reporting on an annual basis; or 3,120 hours per year.
For Mid-scale RI, NSF estimates approximately one (1) FTE is necessary
for each Mid-Scale RI to respond to NSF project management
documentation requirements on an annual basis; or 2,080 hours per year.
With seven (7) Major Facilities in design or construction and twenty-
one (20) in operations and four (4) Mid-scale RI, this equates to
roughly 150,000 public burden hours annually.
Comments: In addition to the previously mentioned types of
comments, feedback is also invited on the following:
(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.
After obtaining and considering public comment, NSF will prepare
the submission requesting OMB clearance of this collection for no
longer than 3 years.
Dated: October 18, 2024.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2024-24501 Filed 10-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
