[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4449-4451]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1616]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Privacy Act of 1974: Revision to Two Systems of Records
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of revised systems of records.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the
National Science Foundation is providing notice of a revision to two
systems of records--NSF-12, ``Fellowships and other Awards'' and NSF-
50, ``Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records''.
Both systems include records maintained by NSF as a result of
applications for financial support and subsequent evaluation of
applicants and their proposals. System 12 contains records on
fellowship applicants and on nominees for fellowships submitted by an
institution on behalf of the nominee, and on nominees for other awards.
Fellowship awards are usually administered by the applicant or
nominee's home institution. System 50 contains records on research and
other proposals jointly submitted by individual applicants (principal
investigators) and their home academic or other institutions. NSF makes
awards to these institutions under which the individual applicants
serve as principal investigators.
NSF revised these system notices to eliminate two redundant or
otherwise unnecessary routine uses and to alter existing routine uses
to make them consistent between each related system. Both system
notices are reprinted in their entirety.
In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act, NSF has
provided a report on the proposed systems of records to the Office of
Management and Budget; the Chairman, Senate Committee on Governmental
Affairs, and the Chairman, House Committee on Government Operations
(now Government Reform and Oversight).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Sections 552a(e) (4) and (11) of Title 5 of the U.S.
Code provides the public thirty days to comment on the routine uses of
systems of records. The altered routine uses in this notice will take
effect on February 22, 1995, unless modified by a subsequent notice to
incorporate comments received from the public.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to the NSF Privacy Act
Officer, National Science Foundation, Division of Contracts, Policy and
Oversight, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, room 485, Arlington, Virginia 22230.
Dated: January 17, 1995.
Herman G. Fleming,
NSF Privacy Act Officer.
NSF-12
Fellowships and other Awards.
Decentralized. Numerous separate files are maintained by individual
offices and programs at the National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson
Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230. Others are maintained by NSF
contractors such as the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), 2101
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC, and Oak Ridge Associated
Universities, PO Box 3010, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-2010.
Persons applying or nominated for and/or receiving NSF support,
either individually or through an academic institution, including
fellowships or awards of various types.
Information varies depending on type of fellowship or award.
Normally the information includes personal information supplied with
the application or nomination; reference reports; transcripts and
Graduate Record Examination scores to the extent required during the
application process; abstracts; evaluations and recommendations, review
records and selection process results; administrative data and
correspondence accumulating during fellows' tenure; and other related
materials. There is a cumulative index of all persons applying for or
receiving NSF Graduate and NATO fellowships.
1. Information from the system may be merged with other computer
files in order to carry out statistical studies. Disclosure may be made
for this purpose to NSF contractors and collaborating researchers,
other Government agencies, and qualified research institutions and
their staffs. NSF contractors are subject to the provisions of the
Privacy Act. The results of such studies are statistical in nature and
do not identify individuals.
2. Disclosure of information from the system may be made to
qualified reviewers for their opinion and evaluation of applicants or
nominees as part of the application review process; to other Government
agencies needing data regarding applicants or nominees as part of the
application review process, or in order to coordinate programs; and to
contractors assisting NSF staff in the performance of their duties.
Contractors are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act.
3. Information (such as name, Social Security Number, field of
study, and other information directly relating to the fellowship,
review status including the agency's decision, year of first award,
tenure pattern, start time, whether receiving international travel
allowance or a mentoring assistantship) is given to the institution the
applicant or fellow is attending or planning to attend or employed by
for purposes of facilitating review or award decisions or administering
fellowships or awards. Notice of the agency's decision may be given to
nominators.
4. In the case of Fellows or awardees receiving stipends directly
from the Government, information is transmitted to the Department of
the Treasury for preparation of checks or electronic fund transfer
authorizations.
5. Awardees' name, home institution, and field of study may be
released for public information/affairs purposes including press
releases.
6. Disclosure may be made to a congressional office from the record
of an individual in response to an inquiry from the congressional
office made at the request of that individual.
7. Information from the system may be given to contractors,
grantees, volunteers and other individuals who perform a service or
work on or under a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other
arrangement with or for the Federal government.
8. Information from the system may be given to the Department of
Justice or the Office of Management and Budget for the purpose of
obtaining advice on the application of the Freedom of Information Act
or Privacy Act to the records.
9. Information from the system may be given to another Federal
agency, a [[Page 4450]] court, or a party in litigation before a court
or in an administrative proceeding being conducted by a Federal agency
when the Government is a party to the judicial or administrative
proceeding.
The records kept by the NSF contractor are on computer tapes. All
original application materials are kept at NSF. However, microfilms of
application materials received prior to 1963 are kept at NAS.
Alphabetically by applicant or nominee name.
Building is locked during non-business hours. Records at NSF are
kept in rooms that are locked during non-business hours. Records
maintained by NSF contractors are kept in similar rooms and some
records are locked in cabinets. Records maintained in electronic form
are accessible only by protected password and available only to those
employees with a need-to-know.
NAS tapes are kept indefinitely. Records at NSF are transferred to
the Federal Records Center and destroyed 10 years after completion of
Fellowship or award.
Division Director of particular office or program maintaining such
records, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington,
VA 22230.
Contact the NSF Privacy Act Officer in accordance with procedures
found at 45 CFR part 613. You can expedite your request if you identify
the fellowship or award program about which you are interested. For
example, indicate whether you applied for or received a ``Graduate
Fellowship'' or a ``Faculty Fellowship in Science'' as opposed to
merely saying you want a copy of your fellowship.
See ``Notification'' above.
See ``Notification'' above.
Information supplied by of for individuals applying for, nominated
for, or receiving support, references, the Education Testing Service,
educational institutions supplying transcripts, review records and
administrative data developed during selection process and award
tenure.
NSF at 45 CFR 613.6 has exempted from disclosure the identity of
references and reviewers in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(5).
NSF-50
Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records.
Decentralized: There are numerous separate files maintained by
individual NSF offices and programs. National Science Foundation, 4201
Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.
Each person that requests, or has previously requested, support
from the National Science Foundation, either individually or through an
academic or other institution.
The name of the principal investigator, the proposal and its
identifying number, supporting data from the academic institution or
other applicant, proposal evaluations from peer reviewers, a review
record, financial data, and other related material. Other related
material includes, for example, committee or panel discussion summaries
and other agency records containing or reflecting comments on the
proposal or the proposers from peer reviewers.
44 U.S.C. 3101; 42 U.S.C. 1870.
This system enables program offices to maintain appropriate files
and investigatory material in evaluating applications for grants or
other support. NSF employees may access the system to make decisions
regarding which proposals to fund, and to carry out other authorized
internal duties.
1. Disclosure of information from the system may be made to
qualified reviewers for their opinion and evaluation of applicants and
their proposals as part of the application review process; and to other
Federal government agencies needing information regarding applicants or
nominees as part of the application review process, or in order to
coordinate programs.
2. Information from the system may be provided to the applicant
institution for purposes of obtaining data regarding the application
review process or award decisions, or administering grant awards.
3. Disclosure may be made to a congressional office from the record
of an individual in response to an inquiry from the congressional
office made at the request of that individual.
4. Information from the system may be disclosed to contractors,
grantees, volunteers and other individuals who perform a service or
work on or under a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other
arrangement with or for the Federal government.
5. Information from the system may be given to the Department of
Justice or the Office of Management and Budget for the purpose of
obtaining advice on the application of the Freedom of Information Act
or Privacy Act to the records.
6. Information from the system may be given to another Federal
agency, a court, or a party in litigation before a court or in an
administrative proceeding being conducted by a Federal agency when the
Government is a party to the judicial or administrative proceeding.
Various portions of the system are maintained on computer or in
hard copy files, depending on the individual program office.
Information can be accessed from the computer database by
addressing data contained in the database, including individual names.
An individual's name may be used to manually access material in
alphabetized hard copy files.
All records containing personal information are maintained in
secured file cabinets or are accessed by unique passwords and log-on
procedures. Only those persons with a need-to-know in order to perform
their duties may access the information.
Files are maintained in accordance with approved record retention
schedules. Awarded proposals are transferred to the Federal Records
[[Page 4451]] Center for permanent retention. Declined proposals are
destroyed five years after they are closed out.
Division Director of particular office or program maintaining such
records, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington,
Virginia 22230.
The NSF Privacy Act Officer should be contacted in accordance with
procedures set forth at 45 CFR part 613.
See ``Notification Procedure'' above.
See ``Notification Procedure'' above.
Information is obtained from the principal investigator, academic
institution or other applicant, peer reviewers, and others.
The portions of this system consisting of investigatory material
which would identify persons supplying evaluations of NSF applicants
and their proposals have been exempted pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(5).
[FR Doc. 95-1616 Filed 1-20-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M
