[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 134 (Monday, July 14, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37538-37539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-18299]
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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(Pub. L.
104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR
Part 1320 (60 FR 44977, August 29, 1995), 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 September 17, 1997
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; Telephone: (202) 401-1766; E-mail: [email protected]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: CSREES/Higher Education Grants Program.
OMB Number: 0524-0030.
Expiration Date of Current Approval: September 30, 1997.
Type of Request: Intent to extend a currently approved information
collection for three years.
Abstract: The HEP unit of USDA/CSREES administers several
competitive, peer-reviewed research and teaching programs, under which
grants of a high-priority nature are awarded. These programs are
authorized pursuant to the authorities contained in the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as
amended (7 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), section 1417(b)(1) for the Challenge
Grants Program (7 U.S.C. 3152), section 1417(b)(4) for the Capacity
Building Grants Program (7 U.S.C. 3152), section 1455 for the Hispanic-
Serving Institutions Education Grants Program (7 U.S.C. 3241), and the
Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 et
seq.) for the Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants Program.
The Challenge Grants Program is intended to assist colleges and
universities in the United States in providing high quality educational
programs in the food and agricultural sciences. The Capacity Building
Grants Program is intended to strengthen the teaching and research
capabilities of the sixteen 1890 historically black Land-Grant
Institutions and Tuskegee University. The Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Education Grants Program is intended to promote and strengthen the
ability of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to carry out educational
programs. The Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants Program is
intended to support projects that strengthen academic programs at the
1994 Land-Grant Institutions. All of these programs will, in turn,
attract outstanding students and produce graduates capable of
strengthening the Nation's food and agricultural scientific and
professional work force.
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
[[Page 37539]]
research and teaching areas targeted for support. Applicants submit
proposals for these targeted research and 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.
These programs have been using forms that have been approved in an
OMB-approved collection of information package (OMB No. 0524-0030).
Forms CSREES-662, ``Assurance Statement(s);'' CSREES-663, ``Current
and Pending Support;'' CSREES-708, ``Summary Vita--Teaching Proposal;''
CSREES-710, ``Summary Vita--Research Proposal;'' CSREES-711, ``Intent
to Submit a Proposal;'' CSREES-712, ``Higher Education Proposal Cover
Page;'' and CSREES-713, ``Higher Education Budget'' 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 scientific research.
The following information has been collected and will continue to
be collected:
Form CSREES-662--Assurances: Provides required assurances of
compliance with regulations involving the protection of human subjects,
animal welfare, and recombinant DNA research.
Form CSREES-663--Current and Pending Support: Provides information
for active and pending projects an applicant may have.
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-710--Research Credentials: Identifies key personnel
contributing substantially to the conduct of a research project and
provides pertinent information concerning their backgrounds. Currently,
the only program using this form is the Capacity Building Grants
Program.
Form CSREES-711--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-712--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-713--Budget: Provides a breakdown of the purposes for
which funds will be spent in the event of a grant award.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 6.75 hours per response.
Respondents: Non-profit institutions, individuals, businesses,
Federal Government, and State, Local, or Tribal Governments.
Estimated Number of Responses per Form: 200 for Form CSREES-710;
400 for Form CSREES-708; and 600 each for Forms CSREES-662, CSREES-663,
CSREES-711, CSREES-712 and CSREES-713.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 3,450 hours, broken
down by: 150 hours for Form CSREES-662 (one-quarter hour per 600
respondents); 150 hours for Form CSREES-663 (one-quarter hour per 600
respondents); 400 hours for Form CSREES-708 (one hour per 400
respondents); 200 hours for Form CSREES-710 (one hour per 200
respondents); 150 hours for Form CSREES-711 (one-quarter hour per 600
respondents); 1,800 hours for Form CSREES-712 (3 hours per 600
respondents); 600 hours for Form CSREES-713 (one hour per 600
respondents).
Frequency of Responses: Annually.
Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Suzanne
Plimpton, Policy and Program Liaison Staff, CSREES; Telephone: (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; Telephone:
(202) 401-1766; 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 8th day of July, 1997.
B.H. Robinson,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service .
[FR Doc. 97-18299 Filed 7-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P
