Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 157 / Monday, August 17, 2009 / Notices 41371 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; Hollings 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership 

(HMEP) Program Application 

Requirements 

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards 

and Technology (NIST), Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, as part of its continuing 

effort to reduce paperwork and 

respondent burden, invites the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

take this opportunity to comment on 

proposed and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before October 16, 

2009. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Diana Hynek, Departmental 

Paperwork Clearance Officer, 

Department of Commerce, Room 7845, 

14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 

Internet at dHynek@doc.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument and instructions should be 

directed to Diane Henderson at (301) 

975–5105 or by e-mail at 

Diane.Henderson@nist.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The objective of NIST Hollings 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership 

Program (HMEP) is to enhance 

productivity, technological 

performance, and strengthen the global 

competitiveness of small- and mediumsized U.S.-based manufacturing firms. 

Rather than creating products, services, 

and programs from scratch, HMEP 

works with partners to leverage 

resources and bring those resources to 

manufacturing clients. The nationwide 

network, with its direct reach to the 

nation’s manufacturers, has proven to be 

invaluable to numerous Federal 

government partners who utilize the 

network to distribute valuable, cuttingedge information and resources. 

This request is for the information 

collection requirements associated with 

submission of grant proposals for NIST 

HMEP funding. The intent of the 

collection is to meet statutory 

requirements for NIST HMEP, as well as 

compliance with 15 U.S.C. 278k, as 

implemented in 15 CFR part 290. 

The manufacturing extension centers 

(MECs) are part of the HMEP national 

system of extension service providers. 

Currently, the HMEP national system 

consists of over 400 centers and field 

offices located throughout the United 

States and Puerto Rico. The information 

regarding HMEP and the MECs is 

provided in the information packet that 

can be obtained as explained above or 

on-line at http://www.mep.nist.gov. 

The focus of a center is to provide 

those manufacturing extension services 

required by the small- and mediumsized manufacturers in its service region 

utilizing the most cost-effective, local, 

leveraged resources for those services. It 

is not the intent of this program that the 

centers perform research and 

development. 

II. Method of Collection 

Paper or electronically via http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: None. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission. 

Affected Public: Not-for-profit 

institutions or organizations, including 

universities, State and local 

governments, and consortia of not-forprofit institutions. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

12. 

Estimated Time per Response: 112 

hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 448. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $100. 

IV. Request for 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 shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden 

(including hours and cost) of the 

proposed collection of information; (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 respondents, including through the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the request for OMB 

approval of this information collection; 

they also will become a matter of public 

record. 

Dated: August 11, 2009. 

Gwellnar Banks, 

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. E9–19576 Filed 8–14–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; National Voluntary 

Laboratory Accreditation Program 

(NVLAP) Information Collection 

System 

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards 

and Technology (NIST). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, as part of its continuing 

effort to reduce paperwork and 

respondent burden, invites the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

take this opportunity to comment on 

proposed and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before October 16, 

2009. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Diana Hynek, Departmental 

Paperwork Clearance Officer, 

Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 

14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 

Internet at dHynek@doc.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument and instructions should be 

directed to the attention of Vanda R. 

White, National Voluntary Laboratory 

Accreditation Program, National 

Institute of Standards and Technology, 

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2140, 

Gaithersburg, MD 20899–2140; phone: 

(301) 975–3592; e-mail: 

vanda.white@nist.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

This information is collected from all 

testing or calibration laboratories that 

apply for NVLAP accreditation. The 

applicants provide the minimum 

information necessary for NVLAP to 

evaluate the competency of laboratories 

to carry out specific tests or calibrations 

or types of tests or calibrations. The 

applicant provides such information as 

name, address, phone and fax numbers, 

and contact person, and selects the test 

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