2011-20961. Proposed Collection; Comment Request; National Institutes of Health Construction Grants

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.

Proposed Collection: Title: National Institutes of Health Construction Grants 42 CFR Part 52b (Final Rule). Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of OMB Control No. 0925-0424, expiration date 10/31/2011. Need and Use of the Information Collection: This request is for OMB review and approval of a renewal for the information collection and recordkeeping requirements contained in the regulation codified at 42 CFR part 52b. The purpose of the regulation is to govern the awarding and administration of grants awarded by NIH and its components for construction of new buildings and the alteration, renovation, remodeling, improvement, expansion, and repair of existing buildings, including the provision of equipment necessary to make the buildings (or applicable part of the buildings) suitable for the purpose for which it was constructed. In terms of reporting requirements: Section 52b.9(b) of the regulation requires the transferor of a facility which is sold or transferred, or owner of a facility, the use of which has changed, to provide written notice of the sale, transfer or change within 30 days. Section 52b.10(f) requires a grantee to submit an approved copy of the construction schedule prior to the start of construction. Section 52b.10(g) requires a grantee to provide daily construction logs and monthly status reports upon request at the job site. Section 52b.11(b) requires applicants for a project involving the acquisition of existing facilities to provide the estimated cost of the project, cost of the acquisition of existing facilities, and cost of remodeling, renovating, or altering facilities to serve the purposes for which they are acquired. In terms of recordkeeping requirements: Section 52b.10(g) requires grantees to maintain daily construction logs and monthly status reports at the job site. Frequency of Response: On occasion. Affected Public: Non-profit organizations and Federal agencies. Type of respondents: Grantees. The estimated respondent burden is as follows:

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden

	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Average time per response	Annual hour burden
Reporting:
Section 52b.9(b)	1	1	.50	.50
Section 2b.10(f)	60	1	1.0	60
Section 2b.10(g)	60	12	1.0	720
Section 2b.11(b)	100	1	1.0	100
Recordkeeping:
Section 2b.10(g)	60	260	1.0	15,600
Totals	281			16,480.5

The annualized cost to the public, based on an average of 60 active grants in the construction phase, is estimated at: $576,818. There are no Capital Costs to report. There are no operating or Maintenance Costs to report.

Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or more of the following points: (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information and recordkeeping are necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information and recordkeeping, including the methodology and assumptions used; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected and the recordkeeping information to be maintained; and (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection and recordkeeping techniques of other forms of information technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, contact Jerry Moore, NIH Regulations Officer, Office of Management Assessment, Division of Management Support, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Room 601, MSC 7669, Rockville, Maryland 20852-7669; call 301-496-4607 (this is not a toll free number) or e-mail your request to [e-mail].

Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of having their full effect if received within 60 days of the date of this publication.

Dated: August 12, 2011.

Jerry Moore,

Regulations Officer, National Institutes of Health.