[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5495-5496]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2508]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 22 / Tuesday, February 3, 1998 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
Notice of Intent To Extend a Currently Approved Information
Collection
AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as
amended, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, and Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320, this notice announces the
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service's (CSREES)
intention to request an extension for three years for a currently
approved information collection in support of programs administered by
CSREES's Higher Education Programs (HEP) unit.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 9, 1998 to be
assured of consideration.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Sally J. Rockey, Deputy
Administrator, Competitive Research Grants and Awards Management,
CSREES, USDA, STOP 2240, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington,
D.C. 20250-2240, (202) 401-1761. E-mail: [email protected]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: CSREES/Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs
Graduate Fellowships Grants Program Application Guidelines.
OMB Number: 0524-0024.
Expiration Date of Current Approval: August 31, 1998.
Type of Request: Intent to extend a currently approved information
collection for three years.
Abstract: The HEP unit of USDA/CSREES administers a competitive,
peer-reviewed research and teaching program, under which grants of a
high-priority nature are awarded. This program is authorized pursuant
to the authorities contained in section 1417(b)(6) of the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as
amended (7 U.S.C. 3152(b)(6)), for the Food and Agricultural Sciences
National Needs Graduate Fellowships Program.
This program is conducted to help meet the Nation's needs for food
and agricultural scientific and professional expertise. These
fellowships are intended to encourage outstanding students to pursue
and complete a graduate degree in an area of the food and agricultural
sciences for which development of scientific expertise is designated by
HEP-CSREES as a national need.
Before awards can be made, certain information is required from
applicants as part of an overall proposal package. In addition to
project summaries, descriptions of the research or teaching efforts,
literature reviews, curricula vitae of principal investigators, and
other, relevant technical aspects of the proposed project, supporting
documentation of an administrative and budgetary nature also must be
provided. Because of the nature of the competitive, peer-reviewed
process, it is important that information from applicants be available
in a standardized format to ensure equitable treatment.
Each year, HEP solicitations are issued requesting proposals for
various teaching areas targeted for support. Applicants submit
proposals for these targeted teaching areas following the format
outlined in the proposal application guidelines accompanying each
solicitation. These proposals are evaluated by peer review panels and
awarded on a competitive basis.
This program uses forms that were approved in an OMB-approved
collection of information package (OMB No. 0524-0024).
The National Needs Graduate Fellowships Grants Program Summary (not
numbered), Forms CSREES-701, ``Proposal Cover Page;'' CSREES-702,
``National Need Summary;'' CSREES-703, ``Proposal Budget;'' CSREES-706,
``Intent to Submit;'' CSREES-707, ``Fellowship Appointment
Documentation;'' CSREES-708, ``Summary Vita--Teaching Proposal;''
CSREES-709, ``Graduate Fellow Exit Report'' are mainly used for
proposal evaluation and administration purposes. While some of the
information will be used to respond to inquiries from Congress and
other government agencies, the forms are not designed to be statistical
surveys or data collection instruments. Their completion by potential
recipients is a normal part of the application to Federal agencies
which support basic and applied science.
The following information is collected from each applicant:
Form CSREES-701--Proposal Identification: Provides names,
addresses, and phone numbers of project directors and authorized agents
of applicant institutions and general information regarding the
proposals.
Form CSREES-702--National Need Summary: Provides a summary for the
national need area addressed in the proposal.
Form CSREES-703--Budget: Provides a breakdown of the purposes for
which funds will be spent in the event of a grant award.
Form CSREES-706--Intent to Submit: Provides names, addresses, and
phone numbers of project directors and authorized agents of applicant
institutions and general information regarding potential proposals.
Form CSREES-707--Fellowship Appointment Documentation: Completed by
project directors awarded grants under the program. Provides
documentation of fellowship appointments, pertinent demographic data on
fellows supported under the program.
Form CSREES-708--Teaching Credentials: Identifies key personnel
contributing substantially to the conduct of a teaching project and
provides pertinent information concerning their backgrounds.
Form CSREES-709--Graduate Fellow Exit Report: Provides
documentation of fellows' completion of the program.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 23 hours per response for
applicants and two hours per response for grantees.
Respondents: Non-profit institutions, individuals, and State,
local, or Tribal governments.
Estimated Number of Responses per Form: For applicants: 200 each
for the
[[Page 5496]]
National Needs Narrative (not numbered), Forms CSREES-701, CSREES-702,
CSREES-703, CSREES-706, and 400 for CSREES-708. For grantees: 100 each
for Forms CSREES-707 and CSREES-709.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: For applicants: 9,233
hours, broken down by: 50 hours for Form CSREES-701 (one-quarter hour
per 200 respondents); 300 hours for Form CSREES-702 (one and one-half
hours per 200 respondents); 50 hours for Form CSREES-703 (one-quarter
hour per 200 respondents); 33 hours for Form CSREES-706 (10 minutes per
200 respondents); 2,800 hours for Form CSREES-708 (seven hours per 400
respondents); and 6,000 hours for the National Need Narrative (30 hours
per 200 respondents). For grantees, this estimate is 225 hours, broken
down by: 25 hours for Form CSREES-707 (one-quarter hour per 100
respondents); and 200 hours for Form CSREES-709 (two hours per 100
respondents).
Frequency of Responses: Annually.
Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Suzanne
Plimpton, Policy and Program Liaison Staff, CSREES, (202) 401-1302. E-
mail: [email protected]
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 will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of
the burden of the proposed collection of information including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (d) 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. Comments may be
sent to: Sally J. Rockey, Deputy Administrator, Competitive Research
Grants and Awards Management, CSREES, USDA, STOP 2240, 1400
Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-2240, (202) 401-1761.
E-mail: [email protected] Comments also may be submitted directly to OMB
and should be addressed to: Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, D.C. 20502.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments also will become a matter of
public record.
Done at Washington, D.C., this 22nd day of January, 1998.
B.H. Robinson,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-2508 Filed 2-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P
