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 appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

24568 

Vol. 75, No. 86 

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Research Service 

Notice of Intent To Seek OMB Approval 

To Collect Information: Revision of a 

Form Pertaining to the Peer Review of 

ARS Research Projects 

AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service 

(ARS), USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The proposed revised form for 

the information collection requirement 

described below will be submitted to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for review, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 

OMB implementing regulations. The 

Department is soliciting public 

comments on the subject proposal. 

DATES: Written comments on this notice 

must be received by July 9, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Address all comments 

concerning this notice to: Michael S. 

Strauss, Peer Review Program 

Coordinator, Office of Scientific Quality 

Review; Agricultural Research Agency, 

USDA; 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, 

Beltsville, Maryland; 20705; Phone: 

301–504–3283; Fax: 301–504–1251. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael S. Strauss, 301–504–3283. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Scientific Quality Review will seek 

approval from OMB to revise one 

existing form so as to comply with new 

Transportation Security Administration 

information needs for travelers. All 

forms are transferred and received in an 

electronic storage format that does not 

include on-line access. 

Abstract: The Office of Scientific 

Quality Review was established in 

September of 1999 as a result of the 

Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Education Reform Act 1998 (‘‘The 

Act’’)(Pub. L. 105–185). The Act 

included mandates to perform scientific 

peer reviews of all research activities 

conducted by the USDA. The Office 

manages the ARS peer review system by 

centrally planning peer panel reviews 

for ARS research projects on a five-year 

cycle. 

Each set of reviews is assigned a 

chairperson to govern the review 

process. The majority of the peer 

reviewers are non-ARS scientists. Peer 

review panels are convened to provide 

in-depth discussion and review of the 

research project plans. Each panel 

reviewer receives information on 

between 1 and 20 ARS research projects. 

On average, 220 research projects are 

reviewed annually by an estimated 100 

reviewers; whereby approximately 200 

are reviewed by panel and 

approximately 20 are reviewed through 

an ad hoc process. The organization and 

management of this peer review system, 

particularly panel reviews, is highly 

dependent on the use of forms. 

The Office of Scientific Quality 

Review will seek OMB approval of the 

revised Panelist Information FormUSDA uses this form to gather up-todate background information about the 

reviewer, as well as information 

necessary for the payment of the 

honorarium and, where necessary, for 

arranging travel. This form requires an 

original signature. Because of the 

sensitive nature of information on this 

form it is not copied or stored in an 

electronic file. The copy received is 

held only in a single locked file and 

destroyed when no longer needed, and 

in accordance with the relevant Records 

Retention Policies and under conditions 

mandated by the Privacy Act. The 

revised form re-orders information 

requested so as to make clearer the 

purpose for each and adds a request for 

the respondent to indicate their gender, 

as required by the Transportation 

Security Administration. 

Estimate of Burden: The burden is the 

minimum required to achieve program 

objectives. The overall information 

collection frequency is the minimum 

consistent with program objectives. 

Revision of this form neither increases 

nor decreases the already-approved 

burden for this information collection. 

The Panelist Information Form takes 

about 20 minutes to complete. It 

resembles a typical request for personal 

information; many reviewers provide 

the same data as grant reviewers in 

other peer review programs. It also 

includes information necessary for 

arranging government-sponsored travel 

and for paying an honorarium, when 

needed. 

Respondents and Estimated Number 

of Respondents: No change to the 

number of respondents is anticipated 

with this revision. 

Frequency of Response: No change to 

the frequency of response is anticipated 

with this revision. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: No change to the 

estimated total annual burden is 

anticipated with this revision. 

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act 

of 1995, 44 U.S.C. chap. 35. 

Comments: The Notice is soliciting 

comments from members of the public 

and affected agencies concerning 

revision of the form in the approved 

collection of information to: (1) Evaluate 

whether the proposed collection is 

necessary for the proper performance of 

ARS functions, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the 

estimated burden from proposed 

collection of information; (3) Enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (4) 

Minimize the burden of the collection of 

information on those who are to 

respond, including the use of 

appropriate automated collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology, e.g., permitting electronic 

submission of responses. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. 

All comments will become a matter of 

public record. 

Dated: April 16, 2010. 

Caird E. Rexroad, Jr., 

Associate Administrator for Operations and 

Management, Agricultural Research Service, 

USDA. 

[FR Doc. 2010–10560 Filed 5–4–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–03–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Research Service 

Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive 

License 

AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 


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