85660 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2023 / Notices 

SUMMARY: NARA proposes to request an 

extension from the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) of a 

currently approved information 

collection used when veterans or other 

authorized individuals request 

information from or copies of 

documents in military service records. 

We invite you to comment on this 

proposed information collection 

pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995. 

DATES: We must receive written 

comments on or before February 6, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to 

Paperwork Reduction Act Comments 

(MP), Room 4100, National Archives 

and Records Administration, 8601 

Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740– 

6001 or email them to tamee.fechhelm@

nara.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Contact Tamee Fechhelm by telephone 

at 301–837–1694 with requests for 

additional information or copies of the 

proposed information collection and 

supporting statement. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(Pub. L. 104–13), NARA invites the 

public and other Federal agencies to 

comment on proposed information 

collections. The comments and 

suggestions should address one or more 

of the following points: (a) whether the 

proposed information collections are 

necessary for NARA to properly perform 

its functions; (b) NARA’s estimate of the 

burden of the proposed information 

collections and its accuracy; (c) ways 

NARA could enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information it 

collects; (d) ways NARA could 

minimize the burden on respondents of 

collecting the information, including 

through information technology; and (e) 

whether these collections affects small 

businesses. We will summarize any 

comments you submit and include the 

summary in our request for OMB 

approval. All comments will become a 

matter of public record. In this notice, 

NARA solicits comments concerning the 

following information collection: 

Title: Request Pertaining to Military 

Records. 

OMB number: 3095–0029. 

Agency form number: SF 180 & NA 

Form 13176. 

Type of review: Regular. 

Affected public: Veterans, their 

authorized representatives, State and 

local governments, and businesses. 

Estimated number of respondents: 

871,294. 

Estimated time per response: 5 

minutes. 

Frequency of response: On occasion 

(when respondent wishes to request 

information from a military personnel 

record). 

Estimated total annual burden hours: 

72,607 hours. 

Abstract: The authority for this 

information collection is contained in 

36 CFR 1233.18(d). In accordance with 

rules issued by the Department of 

Defense (DOD) and Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS, US Coast 

Guard), the National Personnel Records 

Center (NPRC) of the National Archives 

and Records Administration (NARA) 

administers military service records of 

veterans after discharge, retirement, and 

death. When veterans and other 

authorized individuals request 

information from or copies of 

documents in military service records, 

they must provide in forms or in letters 

certain information about the veteran 

and the nature of the request. Federal 

agencies, military departments, 

veterans, veterans’ organizations, and 

the general public use Standard Forms 

(SF) 180, Request Pertaining to Military 

Records, in order to obtain information 

from military service records stored at 

NPRC. Veterans and next-of-kin of 

deceased veterans can also use eVetRecs 

(http://www.archives.gov/research_

room/vetrecs/) to order copies. NA Form 

13176, Status Update to Request for 

Military Service Records, was added to 

allow the veteran or other authorized 

individuals to follow-up on their 

request. 

Sheena Burrell, 

Executive for Information Services/CIO. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26993 Filed 12–7–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7515–01–P 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Privacy Act of 1974; System of 

Records 

AGENCY: National Science Foundation 

(NSF). 

ACTION: Notice of a new system of 

records. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Privacy Act of 1974, NSF proposes to 

establish a new agency system of 

records, entitled Freedom of 

Information Act and Privacy Act 

Request and Appeal Records, NSF–81. 

This system comprises records of 

requests and administrative appeals 

filed by individuals seeking access to 

agency records under the Freedom of 

Information Act, and requests and 

appeals by individuals seeking to access 

or amend agency records, if any, that 

NSF may maintain about them under 

the Privacy Act. System records about 

individual requesters, and their 

attorneys or representatives, if 

applicable, include the original request 

for access, amendment, and any 

administrative appeal, and other 

supporting documentation, which can 

include memoranda, correspondence, 

notes, copies of records released to the 

requester, and other file materials 

compiled or generated in the processing 

and disposition of the individual’s 

request or appeal. 

DATES: This system of records shall be 

effective December 8, 2023, except for 

the ‘‘Routine Use’’ section of this 

document, which shall not become 

effective until January 8, 2024. Public 

comments on such Routine Uses or any 

other aspect of this notice will be 

accepted until January 8, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments, 

identified by ‘‘FOIA/PA SORN,’’ by any 

of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Email: Dorothy Aronson, Senior 

Agency Official for Privacy, daronson@

nsf.gov. Include ‘‘FOIA/PA SORN’’ in 

the subject line of the message. 

• Mail: Dorothy Aronson, Senior 

Agency Official for Privacy, Office of 

Information and Resource Management, 

NSF, 2415 Eisenhower Ave., 

Alexandria, VA 22314. 

Instructions: NSF intends to post all 

comments on the NSF’s website (https:// 

www.nsf.gov). All comments submitted 

in response to this Notice will become 

a matter of public record. Therefore, you 

should submit only information that 

you wish to make publicly available. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sandra Evans, FOIA/PA Officer, NSF, 

Office of General Counsel, 2415 

Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 

22314, foia@nsf.gov, (703) 292–8060. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

required by the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 

U.S.C. 552a, NSF is publishing this 

notice of the establishment of an agency 

system of records (i.e., system of records 

notice or SORN) pertaining to access 

requests and administrative appeals 

filed with NSF under the Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA), and access and 

amendment requests and administrative 

appeals under the Privacy Act. This 

system (Freedom of Information Act and 

Privacy Act Request and Appeal 

Records, NSF–81) is being established 

due to NSF’s acquisition of third-party 

commercial cloud-based services and 

software to track and manage 

electronically the receipt and processing 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2023 / Notices 85661 

of FOIA and Privacy Act requests and 

appeals. 

The system will be used by NSF to 

maintain records about individuals who 

submit FOIA access requests, Privacy 

Act access and amendment requests, 

administrative appeals to NSF under 

either the FOIA or Privacy Act, and 

FOIA and Privacy Act requests referred 

to NSF by other agencies. These records, 

which may be created or submitted in 

electronic and paper format, include the 

individual’s request for access, 

amendment, or administrative appeal, 

and other supporting documentation to 

include related internal memoranda, 

correspondence with the requester or 

third parties about the request, notes of 

NSF personnel or contractors assigned 

to handle the request or appeal, logs or 

other data automatically generated by 

the system (e.g., estimated deadline for 

the agency’s response), copies of 

records, if any, released to the requester, 

and other file materials compiled or 

generated in the processing and 

disposition of the individual’s request 

or appeal. The system does not 

duplicate any other existing NSF or 

Government-wide systems of records 

under the Privacy Act. 

In accordance with subsection (r) the 

Privacy Act, at 5 U.S.C. 552a(r), and 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) Circular No. A–108, in addition 

to publication in the Federal Register, 

NSF has also submitted notice of the 

establishment of this system of records 

to OMB and to the appropriate 

Congressional committees. All NSF 

SORNs, including this one, may be 

viewed at www.nsf.gov/privacy. 

SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER: 

Freedom of Information Act and 

Privacy Act Request and Appeal 

Records, NSF–81. 

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION: 

Unclassified. 

SYSTEM LOCATION: 

NSF, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, 

Alexandria, VA 22314. Information may 

also be maintained for NSF by thirdparty provider(s) in cloud-based storage, 

subject to applicable Federal 

information security and privacy 

controls. 

SYSTEM MANAGER(S): 

FOIA/PA Officer, NSF, Office of 

General Counsel, 2415 Eisenhower 

Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314. 

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM: 

Freedom of Information Act, as 

amended, 5 U.S.C. 552; Privacy Act of 

1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a; 45 

CFR parts 612 and 613 (NSF FOIA and 

PA regulations); OMB Circular Nos. A– 

130 and A–108. 

PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM: 

To report, track, and process access 

requests and administrative appeals 

under the FOIA, and access and 

amendment requests and administrative 

appeals under the Privacy Act; to 

participate in and support litigation that 

may arise from a FOIA and/or Privacy 

Act access request, amendment request, 

or administrative appeal; and to assist 

NSF in carrying out any other 

responsibilities under the FOIA or the 

access or amendment provisions of the 

Privacy Act. 

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE

SYSTEM: 

Individuals who submit access 

requests and appeals to NSF for records 

under the FOIA and/or the Privacy Act; 

individuals who submit access requests 

to other Federal agencies whose 

requests have been referred to NSF for 

processing or consultation; individuals 

who request amendment of their records 

in an NSF system of records under the 

Privacy Act; and attorneys or other 

representatives of the individuals listed 

above who make an authorized FOIA or 

PA request on behalf of such 

individuals. 

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM: 

This system comprises records 

created or compiled by NSF in response 

to FOIA access and Privacy Act access 

and amendment requests, and 

administrative appeals, including initial 

requests and administrative appeals, 

and related FOIA or Privacy Act 

litigation, if any. System records 

include: 

1. Identifying data about the requester 

or the request or appeal, including, but 

not limited to, the requester’s name, 

mailing address, telephone numbers, 

email addresses, tracking number, date 

and subject of the request, and may 

include other information (e.g., Social 

Security number) voluntarily submitted 

or on behalf of the individual in support 

of their request or appeal, as well as 

other system-generated data pertaining 

to the processing of the request or 

appeal (e.g., estimated date for agency’s 

response, extensions); 

2. The agency’s response to the 

individual’s request or appeal 

(including copies of responsive records, 

if any, that were released to the 

requester), copies of emails, 

correspondence, and other 

communications with the requester or 

others (e.g., third-party submitters of 

responsive records) generated or 

compiled in the course of processing a 

request or appeal; 

3. Intra- or interagency memoranda, 

referrals, correspondence, notes, fee 

schedules, assessments, cost 

calculations, and other documentation 

related to the processing of the FOIA 

and/or Privacy Act request or appeal, 

including correspondence or data 

related to fee determinations and 

collection of fees owed under the FOIA 

or Privacy Act; 

4. Memoranda, correspondence, 

notes, statements of disagreement 

following a denial of an appeal of a 

Privacy Act record amendment request, 

and other related or supporting Privacy 

Act documentation, which may include 

a signed certification, SSN, drivers’ 

license ID, or other information 

submitted by the individual or 

authorized representative as proof of the 

requester’s identity (or, in lieu thereof, 

identity verification data from login.gov 

or other non-NSF third-party agent used 

to establish the individual’s identity); 

and 

5. If a FOIA or PA request or appeal 

is litigated, information and materials 

relating to such litigation, including, but 

not limited to, affidavits, exhibits, 

record indexes, certifications, or other 

materials filed by or obtained from the 

Department of Justice (DOJ) and other 

government attorneys, personnel, and 

contractors. 

Consistent with para. 2, records 

responsive to an individual’s FOIA 

request, if they have not been released 

to the individual, are not treated as 

records maintained about that 

individual, or accessible to that 

individual, in this system under the 

Privacy Act. Such records may be part 

of one or more other NSF Privacy Act 

systems of records, see NSF SORNs at 

www.nsf.gov/privacy, and remain 

protected by applicable exemptions if 

disclosure is requested under the 

Privacy Act and/or the FOIA by the 

subject individual, or by any other 

requester under the FOIA. 

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES: 

Individuals who submit initial access 

requests and administrative appeals 

pursuant to the FOIA, and individuals 

submitting access or amendment 

requests and administrative appeals 

under the Privacy Act, and attorneys or 

other authorized representatives acting 

on behalf of such individuals with 

respect to such requests and appeals. 

1. NSF personnel and contractors who 

may be assigned to handle or assist with 

such requests and appeals, or related 

litigation arising therefrom. 

2. Other agencies that have referred a 

FOIA or Privacy Act request to NSF or 

with whom NSF consults or assists in 

processing a FOIA or Privacy Act 


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request received by or referred to NSF, 

or the litigation of such a request or 

appeal (e.g., Department of Justice). 

3. Third-party individuals or entities 

who have been consulted or notified 

regarding their proprietary or other 

interest in records responsive to a FOIA 

or Privacy Act request or appeal (e.g., as 

the submitter or source of such records). 

4. Governmental (e.g., shared service) 

or non-Governmental third-party 

providers performing fee collection (e.g., 

pay.gov), identity verification (e.g., 

login.gov), or other administrative or 

other functions incidental to the 

processing of FOIA and Privacy Act 

requests and appeals. 

5. Metadata routinely or automatically 

generated by the system software, 

relating to the tracking and processing 

of FOIA and Privacy Act requests and 

appeals (e.g., date that the FOIA request 

was received or logged, estimated date 

for agency response, NSF staff assigned 

to process the request). 

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE

SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND

PURPOSES OF SUCH USES: 

In addition to the disclosures 

expressly permitted under subsections 

(b)(1)–(2) and (b)(4)–(12) of the Privacy 

Act of 1974, as amended, see 5 U.S.C. 

552a(b)(1)–(2) and (b)(4)–(12), all or a 

portion of the records or information 

contained in this system are subject to 

the following NSF standard routine 

uses, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3): 

1. Members of Congress. Information 

from a system may be disclosed to 

congressional offices in response to 

inquiries from the congressional offices 

made at the request of the individual to 

whom the record pertains. 

2. Freedom of Information Act/ 

Privacy Act Compliance. Information 

from a system may be disclosed to the 

Department of Justice or the Office of 

Management and Budget in order to 

obtain advice regarding NSF’s 

obligations under the Freedom of 

Information Act and the Privacy Act. 

3. Counsel. Information from a system 

may be disclosed to NSF’s legal 

representatives, including the 

Department of Justice and other outside 

counsel, where the agency is a party in 

litigation or has an interest in litigation 

and the information is relevant and 

necessary to such litigation, including 

when any of the following is a party to 

the litigation or has an interest in such 

litigation: (a) NSF, or any component 

thereof; (b) any NSF employee in his or 

her official capacity; (c) any NSF 

employee in his or her individual 

capacity, where the Department of 

Justice has agreed to, or is considering 

a request to, represent the employee; or 

(d) the United States, where NSF 

determines that litigation is likely to 

affect the agency or any of its 

components. 

4. National Archives, General Services 

Administration. Information from a 

system may be disclosed to 

representatives of the General Services 

Administration and the National 

Archives and Records Administration 

(NARA) during the course of records 

management inspections conducted 

under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 

and 2906. 

5. Response to an Actual or Suspected 

Compromise or Breach of Personally 

Identifiable Information. NSF may 

disclose information from the system to 

appropriate agencies, entities, and 

persons when: (a) NSF suspects or has 

confirmed that there has been a breach 

of the system of records; (b) NSF has 

determined that as a result of the 

suspected or confirmed breach there is 

a risk of harm to individuals; NSF 

(including its information systems, 

programs, and operations); the Federal 

Government, or national security; and 

(c) the disclosure made to such 

agencies, entities, and persons is 

reasonably necessary to assist in 

connection with NSF efforts to respond 

to the suspected or confirmed breach or 

to prevent, minimize, or remedy such 

harm. Furthermore, NSF may disclose 

information from the system to another 

Federal agency or Federal entity, when 

NSF determines that information from 

this system of records is reasonably 

necessary to assist the recipient agency 

or entity in: responding to a suspected 

or confirmed breach; or preventing, 

minimizing, or remedying the risk of 

harm to individuals, the recipient 

agency or entity (including its 

information systems, programs, and 

operations), the Federal Government, or 

national security, resulting from a 

suspected or confirmed breach. 

6. Courts. Information from a system 

may be disclosed to the Department of 

Justice or other agencies in the event of 

a pending court or formal administrative 

proceeding, when the information is 

relevant and necessary to that 

proceeding, for the purpose of 

representing the government, or in the 

course of presenting evidence, or the 

information may be produced to parties 

or counsel involved in the proceeding in 

the course of pre-trial discovery. 

7. Contractors. Information from a 

system may be disclosed to contractors, 

agents, experts, consultants, or others 

performing work on a contract, service, 

cooperative agreement, job, or other 

activity for NSF and who have a need 

to access the information in the 

performance of their duties or activities 

for NSF. 

8. Audit. Information from a system 

may be disclosed to government 

agencies and other entities authorized to 

perform audits, including financial and 

other audits, of the agency and its 

activities. 

9. Law Enforcement. Information from 

a system may be disclosed, where the 

information indicates a violation or 

potential violation of civil or criminal 

law, including any rule, regulation or 

order issued pursuant thereto, to 

appropriate Federal, State, or local 

agencies responsible for investigating, 

prosecuting, enforcing, or implementing 

such statute, rule, regulation, or order. 

10. Disclosure When Requesting 

Information. Information from a system 

may be disclosed to Federal, State, or 

local agencies which maintain civil, 

criminal, or other relevant enforcement 

information or other pertinent 

information, such as current licenses, if 

necessary, to obtain information 

relevant to an agency decision 

concerning the hiring or retention of an 

employee, the issuance of a security 

clearance, the letting of a contract, or 

the issuance of a license, grant, or other 

benefit. 

11. To the news media and the public 

when: (a) A matter has become public 

knowledge, (b) the NSF Office of the 

Director determines that disclosure is 

necessary to preserve confidence in the 

integrity of NSF or is necessary to 

demonstrate the accountability of NSF’s 

officers, employees, or individuals 

covered by this system, or (c) the Office 

of the Director determines that there 

exists a legitimate public interest in the 

disclosure of the information, except to 

the extent that the Office of the Director 

determines in any of these situations 

that disclosure of specific information 

in the context of a particular case would 

constitute an unwarranted invasion of 

personal privacy. 

Furthermore, records (or portions 

thereof) in this system may be routinely 

used and disclosed, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 

552a(b)(3), for the following purposes 

relating to FOIA and Privacy Act 

requests, appeals, and litigation, if any: 

12. To NARA, Office of Government 

Information Services (OGIS), to the 

extent necessary to fulfill its 

responsibilities in 5 U.S.C. 552(h), to 

review administrative agency policies, 

procedures and compliance with the 

FOIA, and to facilitate OGIS’s offering of 

mediation services to resolve disputes 

between persons making FOIA requests 

and administrative agencies. 

13. To a Federal agency or other 

Federal entity that furnished the record 

or information for the purpose of 


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permitting that agency or entity to make 

a decision regarding access to or 

correction of the record or information, 

or to a Federal agency or entity for 

purposes of providing guidance or 

advice regarding the handling of 

particular requests. 

14. To facilitate, at NSF’s discretion, 

the placement of FOIA request and 

appeal letters, and agency letters 

responding thereto, on the agency’s 

public record (e.g., www.nsf.gov) to be 

made available to the public for routine 

inspection and copying, including 

where records have been ‘‘frequently 

requested’’ and disclosed under the 

FOIA within the meaning of that Act, as 

determined by the NSF. 

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF

RECORDS: 

Official copies of system records are 

accessed electronically through secured 

NSF systems and principally 

maintained by NSF or on its behalf in 

electronic cloud storage by third-party 

service provider(s). Records may be 

collected for processing and storage via 

online portals or other electronic 

platforms or means operated by NSF, by 

other Government shared-service 

provider(s) (e.g., FOIA.gov), or by other 

(non-Government) third-party service 

providers on behalf of NSF. Paper 

records, such as copies of FOIA or 

Privacy Act requests and appeals 

received through postal mail, may be 

scanned and stored electronically, so 

that the paper copies need not be 

maintained and may be securely 

destroyed. NSF personnel or contractors 

may download or print non-official 

copies of records or data from electronic 

system storage for temporary use or 

reference in processing a FOIA request 

or appeal, provided such copies are 

handled and stored under secure 

conditions (e.g., locked drawers, offices, 

and facilities). 

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF

RECORDS: 

Records may be retrieved by full name 

of requester; FOIA or Privacy Act 

tracking number pertaining to the 

request or appeal; date and/or year of 

request or appeal; subject matter; or by 

other searchable or indexed data 

elements pertaining to an individual’s 

request or appeal in the electronic 

system used to manage and stored the 

records. 

Note: System records may also be 

electronically retrieved by the name or 

other personally assigned identifier of 

individual NSF personnel or contractors 

who may be responsible for or otherwise 

involved in the processing of FOIA and 

PA requests. Because the records pertain 

to the individuals who filed the request, 

and are not about the NSF personnel or 

contractors handling such requests, 

these third-party individuals are not 

included in the categories of individuals 

covered by this system for access, 

amendment, or other Privacy Act 

purposes. 

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND

DISPOSAL OF RECORDS: 

Retention and disposal of records in 

this system of records is governed by 

National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA) General 

Records Schedule 4.2, Information 

Access and Protection Records, as 

follows: 

1. Access request files. Case files 

created in response to requests for 

records under the FOIA and Privacy 

Act, including administrative appeals, 

are destroyed six years after final agency 

action (initial response or appeal) or 

three years after final adjudication by 

the courts if applicable, whichever is 

later. Longer retention is authorized if 

required for business use. 

2. Privacy Act amendment request 

files. Files relating to an individual’s 

request to amend a record subject to the 

Privacy Act and any appeal or civil 

action that follows are destroyed with 

the records for which amendment was 

requested or four years after the final 

determination by agency or final 

adjudication by the courts if applicable, 

whichever is later. Longer retention is 

authorized if required for business use. 

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL

SAFEGUARDS: 

NSF safeguards records in this system 

of records according to applicable 

Federal and NSF rules, policies, and 

procedures, including all applicable 

NSF automated systems security and 

access policies. Controls include 

mandatory information assurance and 

privacy training for individuals who 

will have access; identification, 

marking, and safeguarding of PII; 

physical access safeguards including 

multifactor identification physical 

access controls, detection and electronic 

alert systems for access to servers and 

other network infrastructure; and 

electronic intrusion detection systems 

in NSF facilities. 

The third-party provider that provides 

cloud-based management has developed 

a comprehensive computer security 

handbook that includes an overarching 

organization-wide information security 

policy and associated procedures for 

each NIST family of security controls, 

including, for example, awareness and 

training policies and procedures. The 

third-party provider, to the extent it 

provides cloud-based storage and other 

services for this system, follows 

FedRAMP guidance when preparing 

security authorization and securityrelated assessment documentation, and 

it follows FedRAMP policies to meet all 

relevant associated security assessment 

and authorization controls. The Security 

Assessment and Authorization policy 

and procedures are reviewed annually. 

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES: 

You may seek access to records about 

you in this Privacy Act system (i.e., NSF 

records maintained about your FOIA or 

PA request(s)) by following the 

procedures in 45 CFR part 613 for 

making a Privacy Act access request. 

You may submit your request in person, 

via postal mail, via www.FOIA.gov, via 

the email address listed on the FOIA 

page at www.nsf.gov, or via the public 

access link (PAL) or other online portal, 

if any, provided by the agency or on its 

behalf by its contractor(s). (You do not 

need to submit such a request to check 

the status of your FOIA or PA request(s) 

in the system, which you can do online 

through the PAL portal.) 

To request access to your records 

under the Privacy Act, your request 

must be in writing, signed, and 

notarized, as detailed below. It should 

contain the name and number of the 

relevant Privacy Act records system to 

which you are seeking access—in this 

case, FOIA/PA Request and Appeal 

Records, NSF–81—along with your full 

name, current address, email address, 

and telephone number. Also include the 

assigned FOIA/PA tracking number, if 

any, for your FOIA or PA request(s) or 

appeal(s) maintained in this system, or 

other means of identifying records about 

you and your requests or appeals in this 

system. 

Before processing a Privacy Act access 

request, NSF also requires that you 

verify your identity in an appropriate 

fashion. Individuals appearing in person 

to submit a Privacy Act request should 

be prepared to show reasonable picture 

identification, such as driver’s license, 

government or other employment 

identification card, or passport. Your 

Privacy Act request also must be 

notarized, or submitted by you under 28 

U.S.C. 1746, a law that permits 

statements to be made under penalty of 

perjury as a substitute for notarization, 

as provided below: 

• If executed outside the United 

States: ‘‘I declare (or certify, verify, or 

state) under penalty of perjury under the 

laws of the United States of America 

that the foregoing is true and correct. 

Executed on (date). (Signature).’’ 

• If executed within the United 

States, its territories, possessions, or 


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commonwealths: ‘‘I declare (or certify, 

verify, or state) under penalty of perjury 

that the foregoing is true and correct. 

Executed on (date). (Signature).’’ 

In addition, your Privacy Act request 

should include a statement that you 

understand that knowingly or willfully 

seeking or obtaining access to Privacy 

Act records under false pretenses is 

punishable by a fine of up to $5,000. See 

5 U.S.C. 552a(i)(3). 

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES: 

Individuals seeking to amend or 

correct the content of records about 

themselves should follow the 

procedures in 45 CFR part 613. 

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES: 

Individuals seeking to determine 

whether information about themselves 

is contained in this system of records 

should follow the instructions for 

Record Access Procedures above. 

EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM: 

None. 

HISTORY: 

None. 

Dated: December 5, 2023. 

Suzanne H. Plimpton, 

Reports Clearance Officer, National Science 

Foundation. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27027 Filed 12–7–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7555–01–P 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Request for Information (RFI) on NSF 

Public Access Plan 2.0: Ensuring 

Open, Immediate, and Equitable 

Access to National Science 

Foundation Funded Research; 

Correction 

AGENCY: National Science Foundation 

(NSF). 

ACTION: Request for information; 

correction. 

SUMMARY: The National Science 

Foundation (NSF) published a 

document in the Federal Register of 

November 16, 2023, concerning a 

request for public input from the 

science and engineering research and 

education community on implementing 

NSF Public Access Plan 2.0: Ensuring 

Open, Immediate, and Equitable Access 

to National Science Foundation Funded 

Research. The links in the notice for the 

request for information and 

documentation did not publish; this 

notice serves to provide those links. The 

rest of the notice is being published in 

whole. This plan, described in 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, represents 

an update to NSF current public access 

requirements in response to recent 

White House Office of Science and 

Technology Policy guidance. A primary 

consideration during the development 

of NSF’s plan has been potential equity 

impacts of public access requirements. 

NSF’s goal is to improve equity 

throughout the research life cycle, 

making data and opportunities available 

to all researchers, including those from 

marginalized communities and 

historically under-resourced institutions 

of higher education in the U.S. NSF is 

committed to considering the needs of 

the diverse US research community, 

including identifying possible 

unintended consequences that the plan 

and its implementation could produce. 

DATES: Interested persons or 

organizations are invited to submit 

comments on or before 11:59 p.m. (EST) 

on Friday, January 19, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: The preferred method of 

response is to complete as much of the 

online RFI (https://www.surveymonkey.

com/r/NSFpublicaccessplan) as you 

wish. However, if you cannot or do not 

wish to access this tool, comments 

submitted in response to this notice may 

also be submitted by the following 

methods: 

Email: PublicAccess2-RFI@nsf.gov. 

Email submissions should be machinereadable and not be copy-protected. 

Submissions should include ‘‘RFI 

Response: NSF Public Access 2.0’’ in 

the subject line of the message. 

Mail: Attn. Martin Halbert, 2415 

Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria, VA 

22314. 

Responses may address one or as 

many topics as desired from the 

enumerated list provided in this RFI, 

noting the corresponding number of the 

topic(s) to which the response pertains. 

Submissions must not exceed 3 pages 

(exclusive of cover page) in 11-point or 

larger font, with a page number 

provided on each page. Responses 

should include the name of the 

person(s) or organization(s) filing the 

comment, as well as the respondent 

type (e.g., academic institution, 

advocacy group, professional society, 

community-based organization, 

industry, member of the public, 

government, other). Respondent’s role 

in the organization may also be 

provided (e.g., researcher, administrator, 

student, program manager, journalist) 

on a voluntary basis. 

No business proprietary information, 

copyrighted information, or personally 

identifiable information (aside from that 

requested above) should be submitted in 

response to this RFI. Comments 

submitted in response to this RFI will be 

used internally at NSF and may be 

shared with other Federal agencies. Any 

online or public release of data will only 

be in aggregate form to protect the 

identity of submitters. Please note that 

all questions are optional. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

additional information, please direct 

questions to Martin Halbert at 

PublicAccess2-RFI@nsf.gov, (703) 292– 

5111. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. 

National Science Foundation Public 

Access Plan 2.0: Ensuring Open, 

Immediate, and Equitable Access to 

National Science Foundation Funded 

Research (https://nsf-govresources.nsf.gov/2023-06/NSF23

104.pdf?VersionId=cSTD31SSPUEkM_

Vm25HSlgZBDeiPvzdQ) has been 

prepared in response to the 

memorandum dated August 25, 2022, 

from the White House Office of Science 

and Technology Policy, or OSTP, titled 

Ensuring Free, Immediate, and 

Equitable Access to Federally Funded 

Research (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ 

wp-content/uploads/2022/08/08-2022- 

OSTP-Public-Access-Memo.pdf), and 

signed by Alondra Nelson. It updates 

NSF’s original public access plan, 

Today’s Data, Tomorrow’s Discoveries: 

Increasing Access to the Results of 

Research Funded by the National 

Science Foundation (https://nsf-my.

sharepoint.com/personal/0543114207_

nsf_gov/Documents/RFI%20FR%20

Notices/Public%20Access/Today’s

%20Data,%20Tomorrow’s%

20Discoveries:%

20Increasing%20Access%20

to%20the%20Results%20

of%20Research%20

Funded%20by%20the%20National%

20Science%20Foundation), dated 

March 18, 2015. 

Broadly, Public Access Plan 2.0: 

Ensuring Open, Immediate, and 

Equitable Access to National Science 

Foundation Funded Research describes 

how: 

• all peer-reviewed scholarly 

publications resulting from NSF-funded 

research will be made freely available 

and publicly accessible by default in the 

NSF Public Access Repository, or NSF– 

PAR (https://par.nsf.gov/), without 

embargo; 

• such publications will be accessible 

for assistive technologies; 

• scientific data associated with peerreviewed publications resulting from 

NSF awards will be made available in 

disciplinary repositories; 

• exceptions to the data-sharing 

requirements will be made based on 

legal, privacy, ethical, intellectual 

property and national security 

considerations; and 


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