Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; National Science Foundation Research Infrastructure Guide, 1550-1552 [2025-00197]

Download as PDF 1550 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 5 / Wednesday, January 8, 2025 / Notices E. Grant Terms C. Multiple Pre-Applications Applicants to the TIG program may propose grant terms between 12 and 36 months for general category projects and between 12 and 18 months for Technology Improvement Projects. For SEA Grants, the grant term is set at 24 months. The grant terms for projects in the General TIG and SEA categories will begin on January 1, 2026. TIP Grants will have a start date of October 1, 2025. Alternate start dates may be available. Applicants may submit multiple preapplications. If applying for multiple grants that require pre-applications, applicants should submit separate preapplications for each funding request. III. Grant Application Process A. Technology Initiative Grant Application Process lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 B. Late or Incomplete Applications LSC may consider a request to submit a pre-application after the deadline, but only if the applicant has submitted an email to techgrants@lsc.gov explaining the circumstances that caused the delay prior to the pre-application deadline. Communication with LSC staff, including assigned program liaisons, is not a substitute for sending a formal request and explanation to techgrants@ lsc.gov. At its discretion, LSC may consider incomplete applications. LSC will determine whether it will consider late or incomplete applications on a case-by-case basis. 17:50 Jan 07, 2025 Jkt 265001 Additional guidance and instructions on the pre-application and application processes for Technology Initiative Grants will be available and regularly updated at https://www.lsc.gov/grants/ technology-initiative-grant-program. (Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2996g(e).) The TIG application process will be administered in LSC’s unified grants management system, GrantEase. Applicants in the General TIG and SEA categories must first submit a preapplication to LSC in GrantEase by March 21, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET, to be considered for a grant. After review by LSC staff, LSC’s president decides which applicants will be asked to submit a full application. Applicants will be notified of approval to submit a full application by late April 2025. Full applications are due to LSC in the GrantEase system on June 18, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Once received, full applications will undergo a rigorous review by LSC staff. LSC’s president makes the final decisions on funding for the TIG program. As noted above, applicants applying for TIP funding are not required to submit pre-applications. LSC will launch the online application system for TIP by April 1, 2025, and set a submission deadline of May 23, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. LSC follows a similar review process for applications in these categories, which includes LSC staff conducting a rigorous review of all proposals and the LSC president making final funding decisions. VerDate Sep<11>2014 D. Additional Information and Guidelines Dated: January 3, 2025. Stefanie Davis, Deputy General Counsel, Legal Services Corporation. [FR Doc. 2025–00214 Filed 1–7–25; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7050–01–P in confidence by indemnity applicants, and material that is likely to disclose trade secrets or other privileged or confidential information, and because it is important to keep the values of objects to be indemnified and the methods of transportation and security measures confidential, I have determined that that the meeting will be closed to the public pursuant to subsection (c)(4) of section 552b of Title 5, United States Code. I have made this determination under the authority granted me by the Chairman’s Delegation of Authority to Close Advisory Committee Meetings, dated April 15, 2016. Dated: January 3, 2025. Jessica Graves, Paralegal Specialist, National Endowment for the Humanities. [FR Doc. 2025–00239 Filed 1–7–25; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7536–01–P NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; National Science Foundation Research Infrastructure Guide Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Panel Advisory Committee Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities; National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities. ACTION: Notice of meeting. AGENCY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities will hold a meeting of the Arts and Artifacts Domestic Indemnity Panel. DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. until adjourned. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held by videoconference originating at the National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC 20506. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Voyatzis, Committee Management Officer, 400 7th Street SW, Room 4060, Washington, DC 20506, (202) 606–8322; evoyatzis@neh.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the meeting is for panel review, discussion, evaluation, and recommendation on applications for Certificates of Indemnity submitted to the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities, for exhibitions beginning on or after April 1, 2025. Because the meeting will consider proprietary financial and commercial data provided SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00117 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 March 10, 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., 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: SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\08JAN1.SGM 08JAN1 lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 5 / Wednesday, January 8, 2025 / Notices Title of Collection: Research Infrastructure Guide. OMB Approval Number: 3145–0239. Expiration Date of Approval: June 30, 2025. 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://new.nsf.gov/ bfa/rio/resources. 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:50 Jan 07, 2025 Jkt 265001 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 everchanging 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 PO 00000 Frm 00118 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 1551 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 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 E:\FR\FM\08JAN1.SGM 08JAN1 lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 1552 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 5 / Wednesday, January 8, 2025 / Notices 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 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: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:50 Jan 07, 2025 Jkt 265001 (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: January 3, 2025. Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation. [FR Doc. 2025–00197 Filed 1–7–25; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. CP2023–204; K2025–100; MC2025–1013 and K2025–1012; MC2025– 1014 and K2025–1013; MC2025–1015 and K2025–1014; MC2025–1016 and K2025– 1015; MC2025–1017 and K2025–1016; MC2025–1018 and K2025–1017; MC2025– 1019 and K2025–1018; MC2025–1020 and K2025–1019; MC2025–1021 and K2025– 1020; MC2025–1022 and K2025–1021; MC2025–1023 and K2025–1022; MC2025– 1024 and K2025–1023; MC2025–1030 and K2025–1029; MC2025–1031 and K2025– 1030; MC2025–1032 and K2025–1031; MC2025–1033 and K2025–1032; MC2025– 1034 and K2025–1033; MC2025–1035 and K2025–1034; MC2025–1036 and K2025– 1035] New Postal Products Postal Regulatory Commission. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing for the Commission’s consideration concerning a negotiated service agreement. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps. DATES: Comments are due: January 10, 2025. ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission’s Filing Online system at https:// www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00119 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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: Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Public Proceeding(s) III. Summary Proceeding(s) I. Introduction Pursuant to 39 CFR 3041.405, the Commission gives notice that the Postal Service filed request(s) for the Commission to consider matters related to Competitive negotiated service agreement(s). The request(s) may propose the addition of a negotiated service agreement from the Competitive product list or the modification of an existing product currently appearing on the Competitive product list. The public portions of the Postal Service’s request(s) can be accessed via the Commission’s website (https:// www.prc.gov). Non-public portions of the Postal Service’s request(s), if any, can be accessed through compliance with the requirements of 39 CFR 3011.301.1 Section II identifies the docket number(s) associated with each Postal Service request, if any, that will be reviewed in a public proceeding as defined by 39 CFR 3010.101(p), the title of each such request, the request’s acceptance date, and the authority cited by the Postal Service for each request. For each such request, the Commission appoints an officer of the Commission to represent the interests of the general public in the proceeding, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505 and 39 CFR 3000.114 (Public Representative). Section II also establishes comment deadline(s) pertaining to each such request. The Commission invites comments on whether the Postal Service’s request(s) identified in Section II, if any, are consistent with the policies of title 39. Applicable statutory and regulatory requirements include 39 U.S.C. 3632, 39 U.S.C. 3633, 39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3035, and 39 CFR part 3041. Comment deadline(s) for each such request, if any, appear in Section II. Section III identifies the docket number(s) associated with each Postal Service request, if any, to add a 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). E:\FR\FM\08JAN1.SGM 08JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1550-1552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00197]


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

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 March 10, 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., 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: 

[[Page 1551]]

    Title of Collection: Research Infrastructure Guide.
    OMB Approval Number: 3145-0239.
    Expiration Date of Approval: June 30, 2025.
    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://new.nsf.gov/bfa/rio/resources.
    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 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

[[Page 1552]]

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: January 3, 2025.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2025-00197 Filed 1-7-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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