2021-00056. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; NIST Associates Information System

AGENCY:

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection, request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES:

To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed information collection must be received on or before March 8, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by mail to Maureen O'Reilly, Management Analyst, NIST to [e-mail]). Please reference OMB Control Number 0693-0067 in the subject line of your comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or specific questions related to collection activities should be directed to Mary Clague, NIST Technology Partnerships Office, 301-975-4188, [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

NIST Associates (NA) will include guest researchers, research associates, contractors, and other non-NIST employees that require access to NIST campuses or NIST resources. The NIST Associates Information System (NAIS) information collection instrument(s) are completed by the incoming NAs. The NAs will be requested to provide personal identifying data including home address, date and place of birth, employer name and address, and basic security information. The data provided by the collection instruments will be input into NAIS, which automatically populates the appropriate forms, and is routed through the approval process. NIST's Office of Security receives security forms through the NAIS process and is able to allow preliminary access to NAs to the NIST campuses or resources. The data collected will also be the basis for further security investigations as necessary.

II. Method of Collection

The information is collected in paper format.

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0693-0067.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Review: Revision and extension of a current information collection.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,000.

Estimated Time Per Response: 40 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,667.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority:

IV. Request for Comments

We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department.