[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 189 (Monday, September 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 79528]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22366]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Conflict of Interest Disclosure for Non-Federal Government 
Individuals Who Are Candidates To Conduct Peer Reviews Required by the 
OMB Peer Review Bulletin

    The Department of Commerce will submit the following information 
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite the 
general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and 
continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of 
our information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. Public comments were previously requested via the 
Federal Register on July 26, 2024, during a 60-day comment period. This 
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
    Title: Conflict of Interest Disclosure for Non-Federal Government 
Individuals Who are Candidates to Conduct Peer Reviews Required by the 
OMB Peer Review Bulletin.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0567.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission [extension of a current 
information collection].
    Number of Respondents: 321.
    Average Hours per Response: 30 minutes each: Conflict of Interest 
Disclosure For General Scientific and Technical Studies and Assistance; 
and Conflict of Interest Disclosure For Studies Related to Government 
Regulation.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 161.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a currently 
approved collection.
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued government-wide 
guidance to enhance the practice of peer review of government science 
documents. OMB's Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review 
(``Peer Review Bulletin'' or PRB) (available at https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/memoranda_fy2005_m05-03/) establishes 
minimum peer review standards for influential scientific information 
that Federal agencies intend to disseminate.
    The Peer Review Bulletin also directs Federal agencies to adopt or 
adapt the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) policy for evaluating 
conflicts of interest when selecting peer reviewers who are not Federal 
government employees (federal employees are subject to Federal ethics 
requirements). For peer review purposes, the term ``conflicts of 
interest'' means any financial or other interest which conflicts with 
the service of the individual because it could: (1) significantly 
impair the individual's objectivity; or (2) create an unfair 
competitive advantage for any person or organization. NOAA has adapted 
the NAS policy and developed two confidential conflict disclosure forms 
which the agency will use to examine prospective reviewers' potential 
financial conflicts and other interests that could impair objectivity 
or create an unfair advantage. One form is for peer reviewers of 
studies related to government regulation and the other form is for all 
other influential scientific information subject to the Peer Review 
Bulletin. In addition, the latter form has been adapted by NOAA's 
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research for potential reviewers of 
scientific laboratories.
    The forms include questions about employment as well as investment 
and property interests and research funding. Both forms also require 
the submission of curriculum vitae. NOAA is seeking to collect this 
information from potential peer reviewers who are not government 
employees when conducting a peer review pursuant to the PRB. The 
information collected in the conflict of interest disclosure is 
essential to NOAA's compliance with the OMB PRB, and helps to ensure 
that government studies are reviewed by independent, impartial peer 
reviewers.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of 
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of 
this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently 
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search 
function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB 
Control Number 0648-0567.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-22366 Filed 9-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-P