Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 93 / Friday, May 12, 2000 / Notices 30601

dated November 9, 1995, are being

amended to make policy changes

approved by the Secretary. Specifically,

the Notice is to reflect that the Assistant

Secretary for Health (ASH) will make

proposed findings of research

misconduct and administrative actions

in response to allegations of research

misconduct involving research

conducted or supported by components

of the Public Health Service (PHS); that

direct investigations, previously

conducted by ORI, will be conducted by

components of the PHS for intramural

research and by the Office of Inspector

General for extramural research; and

that role and structure of ORI will be

changed to focus more on preventing

misconduct and promoting research

integrity through expanded education

programs. The changes are as follows:

I. Amend Chapter AC.20 Functions,

paragraph A. ‘‘Office of Public Health

and Science,’’ paragraph titled, ‘‘The

Immediate Office (ACA)’’ by adding the

following new clause:

(1) Proposes findings of research

misconduct and administrative actions

in response to allegations of research

misconduct involving research

conducted or supported by the Public

Health Service (PHS) OPDIVs, including

reversal of an institution’s no

misconduct finding or opening of a new

investigation.

II. Under Section AC.20 Function,

delete, paragraph E. ‘‘Office of Research

Integrity (ACF)’’ in its entirety, and

replace with the following:

E. Office of Research Integrity (ACF)—

The Director reports to the Secretary

and will: (1) Oversee and direct Public

Health Service (PHs) research integrity

activities on behalf of the Secretary with

the exception of the regulatory research

integrity activities of the Food and Drug

Administration; (2) recommend to the

Assistant Secretary for Health for

decision, findings of research

misconduct and administrative actions

in connection with research conducted

or supported by the PHS; (3) coordinate

the development of research integrity

policies designed to ensure that subjects

of investigations and whistleblowers are

treated fairly, including clear

specification of what constitutes

misconduct, a fair hearing process,

appropriate time limits on pursuing

allegations, and specific whistleblower

protections; (4) manage the financial

resources and provide overall

administrative guidance in carrying out

the activities; and (5) oversee and direct

the research misconduct and integrity

activities of the office, including the

oversight of research misconduct

inquiries and investigations, education

and training in the responsible conduct

of research, activities designed to

promote research integrity and prevent

misconduct, and research and

evaluation programs.

1. Division of Education and Integrity

(ACF2)—The Director and staff: (1)

develop and implement, in consultation

with the PHS OPDIVs, activities and

programs for PHS intramural and

extramural research to teach the

responsible conduct of research,

promote research integrity, prevent

research misconduct, and to enable the

extramural institutions and PHS

OPDIVs to respond effectively to

allegations of research misconduct; (2)

coordinate the dissemination of research

integrity policies, procedures, and

regulations; (3) conduct policy analyses,

evaluations, and research to improve

DHHS research integrity policies and

procedures and build the knowledge

base in research misconduct, research

integrity, and prevention; (4) develop

(in consultation with the PHS OPDIVs)

policies, procedures, and regulations for

review by the Director, Office of

Research Integrity, and

recommendations to the Secretary; (5)

administer programs for: approval of

institutional assurances; response to

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy

Act requests; review and approval of

intramural and extramural policies and

procedures; and response to allegations

of whistleblower retaliation.

2. Division of Investigative Oversight

(ACF3)—The Director and staff: (1)

review and monitor investigations

conducted by applicant and awardee

institutions and intramural research

programs; (2) evaluate investigations

and investigatory findings of awardee

and applicant institutions, intramural

research programs, and the Office of

Inspector General and develop and

recommend to the ORI Director,

findings of research misconduct and

proposal administrative actions against

those who committed misconduct; (3)

assist the Office of the General Counsel

(OGC) in preparing and presenting cases

in hearings before the Research Integrity

Adjudications Panel of the DHHS

Department Appeals Board; (4) provide

information on DHHS policies and

procedures, as requested, to individuals

who have made an allegation or have

been accused of research misconduct;

and (5) establish and implement a

program of advice and technical

assistance to entities that conduct

inquiries and investigations, or

otherwise respond to allegations of

research misconduct.

III. Under Chapter AC, Section ACF–

30, Delegations of Authority—All

delegations and redelegations of

authority to the Assistant Secretary for

Health and officials of the Office of

Research Integrity that were in effect

prior to the effective date of this

reorganization shall continue in effect

pending further redelegation.

Dated: April 14, 2000.

Betsy D’Jamos,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Management

and Budget.

[FR Doc. 00–11958 Filed 5–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4150–04–M

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR–4562–N–05

Notice of Proposed Information

Collection for Public Comment:

Assessing the Effectiveness of

HUD2020 Management Reforms—

Public Knowledge of Fair Housing

Issues

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant

Secretary for Policy Development and

Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The proposed 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. The Department is

soliciting public comments on the

subject proposal.

DATES: July 11, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are

invited to submit comments regarding

this proposal. Comments should refer to

the proposal by name and should be

sent to: Reports Liaison Officer, Office

of Policy Development and Research,

Department of Housing and Urban

Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW,

Room 8226, Washington, DC 20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

B. Dornan, Department of Housing and

Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202)

708–0574, extension 4486 (this is not a

toll-free number). Copies of the

proposed data collection instruments

and other available documents may be

obtained from Mr. Dornan.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Department will submit the proposed

information collection to OMB for

review, as required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 35, as amended).

This Notice is soliciting comments

from members of the public and

affecting agencies concerning the

proposed collection of information to:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed

30602 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 93 / Friday, May 12, 2000 / Notices

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

functions 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; (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

through the use of appropriate

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology,

e.g., permitting electronic submission of

responses.

This Notice also lists the following

information:

Title of Proposal: Assessing the

Effectiveness of HUD2020 Management

Reforms.

Description of the need for the

information and proposed use: The

Department is conducting under

contract an assessment of the impact of

the management reforms that the

Department has implemented

collectively under the name

‘‘HUD2020’’. As part of this analysis, the

Department proposes to undertake

biennial surveys of public knowledge of

fair housing issues and law. These

surveys will permit the Department to

gauge HUD’s performance against its

goal of ensuring equal opportunity in

housing for all Americans and, in

particular, the objective of increasing

the share of the American population

with adequate awareness of fair housing

law. The proposed information

collection will include the baseline

survey and the first follow-on

administration of the survey two years

thereafter.

Members of affected public: A sample

generalizable to and representative of

the nation’s adult population.

Estimation of the total numbers of

hours needed to prepare the information

collection including number of

respondents, frequency of response, and

hours of response: The researchers will

administer a baseline survey to 1500

randomly selected members of the

American adult population; two years

thereafter, the same survey will be

administered to another sample of 1500

from the same universe; the surveys are

expected to last 7 minutes each, for a

total of 175 hours of response each time

and, therefore, a total of 350 hours.

Status of the proposed information

collection: Pending OMB approval.

Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35,

as amended.

Dated: May 4, 2000.

Lawrence L. Thompson,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy

Development.

[FR Doc. 00–11895 Filed 5–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–62–M

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR–4562–0901]

Notice of Proposed Information

Collection for Public Comment:

Assessing the Effectiveness of

HUD2020 Management Reforms—Fair

Housing Opinions

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant

Secretary for Policy Development and

Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The proposed 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. The Department is

soliciting public comments on the

subject proposal.

DATES: Comments Due Date: July 11,

2000.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are

invited to submit comments regarding

this proposal. Comments should refer to

the proposal by name and should be

sent to: Reports Liaison Officer, Office

of Policy Development and Research,

Department of Housing and Urban

Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW.,

Room 8226, Washington, DC 20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

B. Dornan, Department of Housing and

Urban Development, 451 7th Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20410; telephone

(202) 708–0574, extension 4486 (this is

not a toll-free number). Copies of the

proposed data collection instruments

and other available documents may be

obtained from Mr. Dornan.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Department will submit the proposed

information collection to OMB for

review, as required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 35, as amended).

This Notice is soliciting comments

from members of the public and

affecting agencies concerning the

proposed collection of information to:

(1) 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; (2) evaluate the

accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the

burden of the 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

through the use of appropriate

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology,

e.g, permitting electronic submission of

responses.

This Notice also lists the following

information:

Title of Proposal: Assessing the

Effectiveness of HUD 2020 Management

Reforms.

Description of the need for the

information and proposed use: The

Department is conducting under

contract an assessment of the impact of

the management reforms that the

Department has implemented

collectively under the name

‘‘HUD2020’’. As part of that assessment,

the Department proposes to survey the

opinions of the people and

organizations HUD works with to

implement its programs, in particular,

local elected officials, housing agency

community development directors, Fair

Housing Assistance Program agencies,

owners of HUD-assisted multifamily

projects and nonprofit organizations

concerning the effect of the HUD2020

reforms.

Members of affected public: Members

of the following groups selected by

random assignment: Local chief elected

officials; community development

directors; housing authority directors;

owners of HUD-assisted multifamily

housing projects; representatives of

nonprofit organizations; and fair

housing assistance program agency

directors.

Estimation of the total numbers of

hours needed to prepare the information

collection including number of

respondents, frequency of response, and

hours of response: The researchers will

survey representatives of the partner

groups once for the baseline survey.

4,000 participants will be surveyed in

all; the surveys are expected to last 10

minutes. This constitutes a total burden

hour estimate of 6662⁄3 burden hours.

Status of the proposed information

collection: Pending OMB approval.

Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35,

as amended.

Dated: May 4, 2000.

Lawrence L. Thompson,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy

Development.

[FR Doc. 00–11896 Filed 5–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–62–M