65588 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service;

Notice of Intent To Extend a Currently

Approved Information Collection

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as

amended, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, and

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320,

this notice announces the Cooperative

State Research, Education, and

Extension Service’s (CSREES) intention

to request an extension for three years

for a currently approved information

collection in support of programs

administered by CSREES’s Small

Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

Grants Programs.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by February 17, 1998 to be

assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Contact Sarah J. Rockey, Deputy

Administrator, Competitive Research

Grants and Awards Management,

CSREES, USDA, STOP 2240, 1400

Independence Avenue, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20250–2240, (202)

401–1761. E-mail: OEP@reeusda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Grant Application Forms for the

Small Business Innovation Research

Grants Program.

OMB Number: 0524–0025.

Expiration Date of Current Approval:

May 31, 1998.

Type of Request: Intent to extend a

currently approved information

collection for three years.

Abstract: In 1982, the SBIR Program

was authorized by Pub. L. 97–219, and

in 1992 reauthorized through October 1,

2000, by Pub. L. 102–564. This

legislation requires each Federal agency

with a research and research and

development budget in excess of $100

million to establish an SBIR program.

The objectives of the SBIR Program are

to stimulate technological innovation in

the private sector, strengthen the role of

small businesses in meeting Federal

research and development needs,

increase private sector

commercialization of innovations

derived from USDA-supported research

and development efforts, and foster and

encourage participation by womenowned and socially and economically

disadvantaged small business firms in

technological innovation. The Program

is carried out in three separate phases.

The purpose of Phase I is to determine

the scientific or technical feasibility of

ideas; Phase II is the principal research

or research and development effort; and

Phase III is to stimulate technological

innovation and the national return on

investment from research through the

pursuit of commercial objectives

resulting from work carried out in

Phases I and II.

USDA conducts its SBIR program

through the use of grants awards and

these grants are administered by the

Grants Management Branch, Office of

Extramural Programs, Competitive

Research Grants and Awards

Management, CSREES. Each year, USDA

issues an SBIR program solicitation

requesting Phase I proposals. These

proposals are evaluated by peer review

panels and awarded on a competitive

basis. The SBIR Program Solicitation

follows the format outlined in the Small

Business Administration (SBA) Policy

Directive for solicitation and proposal

requirements. This simplified and

standardized proposal format is used by

all of the Federal agencies participating

in the SBIR Program in order to reduce

the application burden of the small

business firms that wish to apply to

more than one agency.

Before awards can be made, certain

information is required from applicants

as part of an overall proposal package.

In addition to project summaries,

descriptions of the research or teaching

efforts, literature reviews, curricula

vitae of principal investigators, and

other, relevant technical aspects of the

proposed project, supporting

documentation of an administrative and

budgetary nature also must be provided.

Because of the nature of the

competitive, peer-reviewed process, it is

important that information from

applicants be available in a

standardized format to ensure equitable

treatment.

This program uses forms that were

approved in OMB-approved collection

of information packages (OMB No.

0524–0022 and 0524–0033).

Forms CSREES–667, ‘‘Phase I and

Phase II Proposal Cover Sheet;’’ and

CSREES–668, ‘‘Phase I and Phase II

Project Summary’’ are used to obtain

USDA recordkeeping data, required

certifications, and information used to

respond to inquiries from Congress,

other Government agencies, and the

grantee community concerning grant

projects supported by the USDA SBIR

Program.

The following information has been

collected and will continue to be

collected:

Form CSREES–667—Identification:

designates the research topic area under

which a proposal is submitted for

consideration; USDA recordkeeping

data: provides names and addresses of

principal investigators and authorized

agents of small business firms; and

Certifications: Provides required

certifications; for example, the applicant

qualifies as a small business for

purposes of the SBIR Program; the

applicant qualifies as a socially and

economically disadvantaged and/or

women-owned small business.

Form CSREES–668—Project

Summary: Provides a Technical

Abstract used when releasing

information about grant projects

supported and keywords to identify the

technology/research thrust/commercial

application of the projects.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 4 hours per

response.

Respondents: Businesses or other forprofits.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Form: 480 for Form CSREES–667 and

480 for Form CSREES–668.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 1,920 hours, broken down

by: 960 hours for Form CSREES–667

(two hours per 480 respondents) and

960 hours for Form CSREES–668 (two

hours per 480 respondents).

Frequency of Responses: Annually.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Suzanne

Plimpton, Policy and Program Liaison

Staff, CSREES, (202) 401–1302. E-mail:

OEP@reeusda.gov.

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 will have practical utility;

(b) 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) 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 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. Comments may be sent to:

Sarah J. Rockey, Deputy Administrator,

Competitive Research Grants and

Awards Management, CSREES, USDA,

STOP 2240, 1400 Independence

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–

2240, (202) 401–1761. E-mail:

OEP@reeusda.gov. Comments also may
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 1997 / Notices 65589

be submitted directly to OMB and

should be addressed to: Desk Officer for

Agriculture, Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs, Office of

Management and Budget, Washington,

D.C. 20502.

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for OMB approval. All comments also

will become a matter of public record.

Done at Washington, D.C., this 8th day of

December, 1997.

Colien Hefferan,

Associate Administrator, Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 97–32542 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

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