83906 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Notices 

TABLE 3—FILING FEES—Continued 

Item No. Item Responses 

(year) 

Filing fee 

($) 

Total non-hour 

respondent 

cost burden 

($/hour) 

(a) (b) (a) × (b) = (c) 

10 Petition to the Director of the Office of Enrollment and Discipline under 37 

CFR 11.2(c).

7 420 2,940 

11 Review of Decision of the Director of Enrollment and Discipline Under 37 

CFR 11.2(d).

1 420 420 

Totals ............................................................................................................................ 5,901 ........................ 865,958 

Postage costs are also associated with 

this information collection. The USPTO 

estimates that the average postage cost 

for a mailed submission, depending 

upon the item sent, will be $0.55. The 

USPTO estimates that with 2,450 mailed 

submissions, the postage costs in this 

information collection will be $1,348. 

Additional costs are incurred for new 

Patent Bar members who are required to 

obtain and submit an Oath or 

Affirmation. These items usually require 

the services of a public notary. The cost 

of a notarized document is dependent 

upon local rules, but is estimated by 

USPTO to average $10. The cost of 840 

Oaths is estimated to be $8,400. 

Therefore, the USPTO estimates that 

the total annual (non-hour) cost burden 

for this information collection, in the 

form of filing fees, postage, and notary 

fees is $875,706. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain or retain benefits. 

IV. Request for Comments 

The USPTO is soliciting public 

comments to: 

(a) Evaluate 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) Evaluate 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) Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

(d) 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, 

e.g., permitting electronic submission of 

responses. 

All comments submitted in response 

to this notice are a matter of public 

record. USPTO will include or 

summarize each comment in the request 

to OMB to approve this information 

collection. Before including an address, 

phone number, email address, or other 

personal identifying information in a 

comment, be aware that the entire 

comment—including personal 

identifying information—may be made 

publicly available at any time. While 

you may ask in your comment to 

withhold personal identifying 

information from public view, USPTO 

cannot guarantee that it will be able to 

do so. 

Kimberly Hardy, 

Information Collections Officer, Office of the 

Chief Administrative Officer, United States 

Patent and Trademark Office. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28412 Filed 12–22–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

[Docket No. PTO–P–2020–0057] 

Request for Comments on the National 

Strategy for Expanding American 

Innovation 

AGENCY: United States Patent and 

Trademark Office, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Request for comments. 

SUMMARY: On September 14, 2020, the 

United States Patent and Trademark 

Office (USPTO) hosted the inaugural 

meeting of the National Council for 

Expanding American Innovation 

(NCEAI). The NCEAI consists of 

distinguished leaders from industry, 

academia, government, and nonprofit 

organizations. It was organized as an 

outgrowth of the Study of 

Underrepresented Classes Chasing 

Engineering and Science Success Act of 

2018, which charged the USPTO with 

preparing a report concerning patenting 

and entrepreneurship activities among 

women, minorities, and veterans. The 

goal of the NCEAI is to help the USPTO 

develop a national strategy to build a 

more demographically, geographically, 

and economically inclusive innovation 

ecosystem. To assist in the development 

of this strategy, the USPTO is seeking 

input from the public. 

DATES: Comment Deadline: To be 

ensured of consideration, written 

comments must be received by February 

8, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Comments must be 

submitted through the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal at 

www.regulations.gov. To submit 

comments via the portal, enter docket 

number PTO–P–2020–0057 on the 

homepage and click ‘‘search.’’ The site 

will provide a search results page listing 

all documents associated with this 

docket. Find a reference to this notice 

and click on the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. Attachments 

to electronic comments will be accepted 

in ADOBE® portable document format 

or MICROSOFT WORD® format. 

Because written comments and 

testimony will be made available for 

public inspection, information that a 

respondent does not desire to be made 

public, such as a phone number, should 

not be included in the testimony or 

written comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

questions or comments regarding this 

notice, please send your inquiries to 

innovationcomment@uspto.gov, or 

telephone Janine Scianna, Office of 

Governmental Affairs, at 571–272–0502. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To 

maintain the United States’ economic 

competitiveness on the world stage, it is 

imperative for our nation to encourage 

individuals from all backgrounds and 

areas of the country to participate in the 

innovation ecosystem, particularly in 

obtaining intellectual property rights. 

However, research reveals patterns of 

disparity in innovation participation 

rates for women, people of color, 

veterans, economically disadvantaged 


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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Notices 83907 

people, and geographically 

underrepresented people. This disparity 

negatively affects the development of 

local communities as well as the social 

and economic well-being of the country 

at large. To increase participation in 

innovation by individuals from 

traditionally underrepresented groups, 

it is critically important to equip all 

inventors and prospective inventors, 

regardless of their demographic, 

geographic, or economic backgrounds, 

with information, resources, supportive 

communities, and opportunities. Our 

economy will benefit from a wealth of 

previously untapped talent when we, as 

a nation, successfully build an 

innovation community that more 

closely reflects the underlying diversity 

of our citizens. 

In its SUCCESS Act report to 

Congress, the USPTO announced its 

plan to create a national strategy to 

promote and increase participation by 

underrepresented groups in inventing 

and innovation. The NCEAI consists of 

leaders from every corner of the 

innovation ecosystem—industry, 

academia, government, and nonprofit 

organizations. NCEAI representatives 

will provide input to help the USPTO 

develop its national strategy to expand 

innovation demographically, 

geographically, and economically. This 

strategy will be organized by a broad 

conceptual framework that considers 

the entire pathway along which interest 

and expertise in innovation is cultivated 

in an individual. One element of this 

framework will focus on ‘‘Creating 

Innovators,’’ which will address 

expanding access to foundational 

exposure and educational opportunities 

for students and individuals of all ages 

and backgrounds. Another element will 

focus on ‘‘Practicing Innovation,’’ which 

will address the empowerment of all 

innovative individuals by providing 

adequate resources and supportive work 

environments to turn their ideas into 

protectable inventions. A third element 

will focus on ‘‘Realizing Innovation,’’ 

which will address the assurance that 

all innovators can successfully 

commercialize their products and 

services. 

Issues for Comment: The USPTO 

seeks comments from the public that 

will be used to help draft a national 

strategy to create opportunities that will 

expand our innovation ecosystem to 

include all individuals, including those 

from underrepresented socioeconomic, 

geographic, and demographic groups. 

The questions below are grouped 

according to the categories within the 

broad conceptual framework outlined 

above for the national strategy. The 

USPTO welcomes answers to these 

questions, as well as any additional 

comments, from the public: 

I. General 

1. Inventors and entrepreneurs come 

from all walks of life and are not always 

employed by a large corporate or 

educational institution. How can people 

and organizations in the innovation 

ecosystem better support them? 

2. Women and some minorities have 

not participated proportionally in the 

patenting of inventions. What barriers to 

innovation inclusion are specific to 

underrepresented groups? What 

supporting role should government 

organizations play in helping 

underrepresented groups overcome 

these barriers? 

3. Mentoring and networking have 

been shown to be effective tools in 

supporting and encouraging 

underrepresented inventors and 

entrepreneurs. How can organizations 

and intellectual property practitioners 

in the innovation ecosystem better 

connect underrepresented innovators to 

each other and to mentors, both 

internally and across organizations? 

4. Developing organizational metrics 

to document the effectiveness of 

diversity and inclusion initiatives is 

necessary to track outcomes of action 

plans and initiatives. What are best 

practices that organizations can 

internally employ to measure their own 

progress, particularly in the area of 

intellectual property protection? 

5. Measuring national progress in 

realizing greater inclusion and diversity 

in invention, entrepreneurship, and 

intellectual property may take years, 

and it will be critical to identify 

complementary short- and long-term 

metrics that are precursors to and 

indicators of expanding innovation. 

What are some specific, meaningful, and 

relevant measures that can be used to: 

a. Support year-over-year performance 

of action plans and initiatives in the 

short-term? 

b. Demonstrate the long-term creation 

of diversity and inclusion in the 

innovation ecosystem while 

complementing short-term performance 

metrics? 

6. Invention, entrepreneurship, and 

intellectual property protection have 

been shown to be concentrated in 

certain areas of the country and among 

individuals from higher socioeconomic 

groups. What new or existing channels 

could be created or utilized to more 

effectively deliver information and 

resources to prospective innovators 

from all demographic, geographic, and 

economic backgrounds? 

II. Creating Innovators—Helping To 

Prepare People To Obtain the Skills 

and Develop the Interests Necessary To 

Become Innovators, Problem Solvers, 

and Entrepreneurs 

7. Research has shown that 

‘‘invention education’’—the infusion of 

transdisciplinary education in problem 

identification and problem solving—is 

critical to developing innovation skills 

in learners. How can educational 

institutions at all levels (prekindergarten through post-graduate) 

successfully infuse concepts of 

invention, entrepreneurship, and 

intellectual property education into 

curricula? 

8. To supplement formal education, 

how can community institutions, 

particularly in rural and economically 

disadvantaged areas, build awareness of, 

and skills and interests in, invention, 

entrepreneurship, and intellectual 

property among students of all ages? 

9. More can be done to help teachers, 

even those with a formal science, 

technology, engineering, or mathematics 

(STEM) background, incorporate 

concepts of innovation into their 

teaching methods. What new or existing 

professional development opportunities, 

resources, and programs could train 

teachers to incorporate invention 

education concepts into their 

instruction? How could these efforts be 

leveraged and scaled so that similar 

resources and opportunities are 

accessible to all teachers? 

III. Practicing Innovation—Harnessing 

Skills and Interests to the Act of 

Innovation 

10. Recent progress in developing 

STEM graduates from underrepresented 

groups has been documented. How can 

similar rates of invention and 

entrepreneurship be attained? How can 

organizations best recruit and retain 

innovators from diverse backgrounds? 

11. Inventors thrive when cultural 

and institutional barriers within 

workplaces are minimized or removed. 

What are examples of these barriers, and 

how can organizations remove them to 

create an inclusive, innovative 

workplace culture? 

12. Access to information and 

resources is pivotal for the development 

of individual inventors and small 

businesses. How can the nation better 

support individual inventors and small 

businesses with resources so they can 

successfully translate their skills and 

creativity into the acts of invention, 

intellectual property protection, and 

entrepreneurship? 

13. Another important objective is 

increasing diversity in the entire 


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83908 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Notices 

intellectual property field. What are 

ways of promoting diversity in the corps 

of intellectual property attorneys and 

agents who represent innovators? 

IV. Realizing Innovation—Reaping the 

Personal and Societal Benefits of 

Innovation 

14. Financial support is a critical 

element in translating an innovation 

into commercial success. What 

organizations, programs, or other efforts 

help promote access to capital to an 

expanded group of inventors and 

entrepreneurs—demographically, 

geographically, and economically? 

15. Successfully commercializing an 

inventive product or concept requires 

in-depth knowledge about production 

processes, market forces, and other 

pertinent information. What types of 

mentoring initiatives could be 

implemented or expanded to help 

experienced entrepreneurs impart this 

specialized knowledge to diverse and 

novice inventors? 

16. Formalized partnerships like tech 

transfer offices/conferences, 

accelerators, and incubators can help 

streamline commercialization objectives 

such as product development, licensing, 

and distribution. What can be done to 

make these partnerships more accessible 

and effective at supporting all inventors 

and entrepreneurs? 

V. Other 

17. Please provide any other 

comments that you feel should be 

considered as part of, and that are 

directly related to, the development of 

a national strategy to expand the 

innovation ecosystem demographically, 

geographically, and economically. 

Andrei Iancu, 

Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual 

Property and Director of the United States 

Patent and Trademark Office. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28298 Filed 12–22–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Army 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

Addressing Heat and Electrical 

Upgrades at Fort Wainwright, Alaska 

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DOD. 

ACTION: Amended Notice of Availability. 

SUMMARY: The Department of the Army 

(Army) is issuing this Amended Notice 

of Availability, updating the original 

notice published on October 9, 2020 

(Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 197, 

64133) of the continuing availability of 

the Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) as part of the 

environmental planning process to 

address heat and electrical upgrades at 

Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The comment 

period for the Draft EIS, originally 

scheduled to conclude on December 8, 

2020, is being reopened for an 

additional 60 days to conclude on 

February 22, 2021. 

The Army invites public comments 

on the Draft EIS during the comment 

period that began with the publication 

of the NOA in the Federal Register on 

October 9, 2020. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

February 22, 2021 to be considered in 

the preparation of the Final EIS. 

ADDRESSES: Please submit written 

comments to Laura Sample, NEPA 

Program Manager at: Directorate of 

Public Works, ATTN: IMFW–PWE (L. 

Sample), 1046 Marks Road #4500, Fort 

Wainwright, AK 99703–4500, email: 

usarmy.wainwright.id-pacific.mbx.heueis@mail.mil, or through the project 

website: https://home.army.mil/alaska/ 

index.php/fort-wainwright/NEPA/HEUEIS. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Please contact Grant Sattler, Public 

Affairs Office, IMPC–FWA–PAO 

(Sattler), 1060 Gaffney Road #5900, Fort 

Wainwright, AK 99703–5900; telephone 

(907) 353–6701; email: 

alan.g.sattler.civ@mail.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

current condition of Fort Wainwright’s 

heat and power plant requires an 

upgrade to provide reliable heat and 

electrical infrastructure for the 

installation that resolves safety, 

resiliency, fiscal, and regulatory 

concerns. The Draft EIS evaluates 

reasonable alternatives, potential 

environmental impacts, and key issues 

of concern. A preferred alternative is not 

identified at this time. The comment 

period is being reopened in response to 

requests from commenters. Additional 

information can be found within the 

original notice published on October 9, 

2020 (Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 197, 

64133). Federal, state, and local 

agencies; Alaska Natives; Native 

Americans; Native American 

organizations and tribes; private 

organizations; and the public are invited 

to continue being involved in this EIS 

process by providing written comments. 

An electronic copy of the Draft EIS is 

available online at: https://

home.army.mil/alaska/index.php/fortwainwright/NEPA/HEU-EIS. Copies of 

the Draft EIS will be available for review 

at the Noel Wien Library, 1215 Cowles 

Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701; the Post 

Library, Building 3700, Santiago 

Avenue, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703; 

and the Tri-Valley Community Library, 

400 Suntrana Road, Healy, AK 99743, if 

these facilities are open. Copies of the 

Draft EIS are also available by 

submitting a request to: see ADDRESSES. 

Written comments must be sent by 

February 22, 2021. The Army will 

consider all comments received on the 

Draft EIS when preparing the Final EIS. 

As with the Draft EIS, the Army will 

announce the availability of the Final 

EIS. 

James W. Satterwhite Jr., 

Alternate, Army Federal Register Liaison 

Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28322 Filed 12–22–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 5061–AP–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Office of the Secretary 

[Transmittal No. 21–0A] 

Arms Sales Notification 

AGENCY: Defense Security Cooperation 

Agency, Department of Defense (DoD). 

ACTION: Arms sales notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Defense is 

publishing the unclassified text of an 

arms sales notification. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karma Job at karma.d.job.civ@mail.mil 

or (703) 697–8976. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

36(b)(5)(C) arms sales notification is 

published to fulfill the requirements of 

section 155 of Public Law 104–164 

dated July 21, 1996. The following is a 

copy of a letter to the Speaker of the 

House of Representatives, Transmittal 

21–0A with attached Policy 

Justification. 

Dated: December 17, 2020. 

Aaron T. Siegel, 

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison 

Officer, Department of Defense. 

BILLING CODE 5001–06–P 


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