8186 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 22 / Thursday, February 4, 2021 / Notices 

B. Petition Dismissal by the USPTO: If 

the applicant files an incomplete Form 

PTO/SB/437, or if an application 

accompanied by Form PTO/SB/437 does 

not comply with the requirements set 

forth in this notice, the USPTO will 

notify the applicant of the deficiencies 

by dismissing the petition, and the 

applicant will be given a single 

opportunity to correct the deficiencies. 

If the applicant still wishes to 

participate in the pilot program, the 

applicant must make appropriate 

corrections within 1 month or 30 days 

of the mailing date of the dismissal 

decision, whichever is longer. The time 

period for reply is not extendable under 

37 CFR 1.136(a). If the applicant timely 

files a response to the dismissal 

decision correcting all the noted 

deficiencies without introducing any 

new deficiencies, the USPTO will grant 

the petition if a grantable request has 

been filed in a corresponding 

counterpart application. If the applicant 

fails to correct the noted deficiencies 

within the time period set forth, the 

USPTO may dismiss the petition and 

notify the designated partner IP 

office(s). The U.S. application will then 

be taken up for examination in 

accordance with standard examination 

procedures, unless designated special in 

accordance with another established 

procedure (e.g., Request for Prioritized 

Examination, Petition to Make Special 

Based on Applicant’s Age). 

C. Withdrawal of a Petition: An 

application can be withdrawn from the 

pilot program only by filing a request to 

withdraw the petition to participate in 

the pilot program prior to the issuance 

of a decision granting the petition. Once 

the petition for participation in the pilot 

program has been granted, withdrawal 

from the pilot program is not permitted. 

V. Requirement for Restriction 

The claims must be directed to a 

single invention. If the examiner 

determines that not all the claims 

presented are directed to a single 

invention, the telephone restriction 

practice set forth in MPEP sec. 812.01 

will be followed. The applicant must 

make an election without traverse 

during the telephonic interview. If the 

applicant refuses to make an election 

without traverse, or if the examiner 

cannot reach the applicant after a 

reasonable effort (i.e., three business 

days), the examiner will treat the first 

claimed invention (the group of claim 1) 

as constructively elected without 

traverse for examination and include a 

basis for the restriction or lack of unity 

requirement in the FAOM. When a 

telephonic election is made, the 

examiner will provide a complete 

record of the telephonic interview, 

including the restriction or lack of unity 

requirement and the applicant’s 

election, in the FAOM. Applicants are 

strongly encouraged to ensure that 

applications submitted for the 

Expanded CSP are written in such a way 

that they claim a single, independent, 

and distinct invention. The applicant is 

responsible for ensuring that the same 

invention is elected in both the United 

States and all corresponding counterpart 

applications for concurrent treatment in 

the Expanded CSP. 

VI. First Action on the Merits (FAOM) 

During examination, the USPTO 

examiner will consider all exchanged 

search results and all references 

submitted by the applicant in 

accordance with 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. 

Search results that are not received by 

the USPTO within four months from the 

date the petition was granted may not be 

included in the FAOM. The examiner 

will prepare and issue an Office action 

and notify the applicant if any 

designated partner IP office did not 

provide search results prior to the 

issuance of the Office action. Once an 

FAOM issues, the application will no 

longer be treated as special under the 

Expanded CSP. 

Andrew Hirshfeld, 

Performing the Functions and Duties of the 

Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual 

Property and Director of the United States 

Patent and Trademark Office. 

[FR Doc. 2021–02342 Filed 2–3–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 

COUNCIL OF THE INSPECTORS 

GENERAL ON INTEGRITY AND 

EFFICIENCY 

Privacy Act of 1974; System of 

Records; Correction; Extension of 

Comment Period 

AGENCY: Council of the Inspectors 

General on Integrity and Efficiency 

(CIGIE). 

ACTION: Notice; correction; extension of 

comment period. 

SUMMARY: CIGIE published a notice in 

the Federal Register on January 27, 

2021, proposing to establish a system of 

records that is subject to the Privacy Act 

of 1974 entitled, ‘‘PRAC Data 

Warehouse System (PDWS)—CIGIE–5’’ 

(CIGIE–5). In that document, CIGIE 

erroneously stated that comments could 

be made through the Federal 

Rulemaking Portal: http://

www.regulations.gov. This notice 

corrects that error and extends the 

comment period associated with the 

notice. 

DATES: The system of records, CIGIE–5, 

appearing in the Federal Register of 

January 27, 2021, in FR Doc. 2021– 

01429, will become effective without 

further notice on March 8, 2021 unless 

comments are received that would 

result in a contrary determination. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Virginia Grebasch, Senior Counsel, 

Pandemic Response Accountability 

Committee, Council of the Inspectors 

General on Integrity and Efficiency, 

(202) 292–2600 or comments@cigie.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Correction 

In the Federal Register of January 27, 

2021, in FR Doc. 2021–01429, on page 

7280, in the third column, correct the 

ADDRESSES caption to read: 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments 

identified by ‘‘CIGIE–5’’ by any of the 

following methods: 

1. Mail: Council of Inspectors General 

on Integrity and Efficiency, 1717 H 

Street NW, Suite 825, Washington, DC 

20006. Attn: Virginia Grebasch/CIGIE–5, 

Notice of New System of Records. 

2. Email: comments@cigie.gov. 

Dated: February 1, 2021. 

Allison C. Lerner, 

Chairperson of the Council of the Inspectors 

General on Integrity and Efficiency. 

[FR Doc. 2021–02338 Filed 2–3–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation 

Research Abroad Program 

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary 

Education, Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

is issuing a notice inviting applications 

for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for the 

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation 

Research Abroad (DDRA) Program, 

Assistance Listing Number 84.022A. 

This notice relates to the approved 

information collection under OMB 

control number 1840–0005. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: February 4, 

2021. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: April 5, 2021. 

Pre-Application Webinar information: 

The Department will hold a preapplication meeting via webinar for 

prospective applicants. Detailed 


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