[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 207 (Friday, October 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85252-85254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24913]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; 
Grantee Reporting Requirements for NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF 
Engines) Program

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to 
establish this collection. In accordance with the requirements of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are providing an opportunity for 
public comment on this action. After obtaining and considering public 
comment, NSF will prepare the submission requesting Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) clearance of this collection for no longer 
than 3 years.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by December 24, 
2024, to be assured consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to the 
address below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance 
Officer, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 
E6400, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone (703) 292-7556; or send 
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#93e0e3fffafee3e7fcd3fde0f5bdf4fce5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bbc8cbd7d2d6cbcfd4fbd5c8dd95dcd4cd">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339, which is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 
days a week, 365 days a year (including federal holidays).
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Foundation, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Foundation's estimate 
of the burden 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 those who are to respond, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional 
Innovation Engines (Engines) Program Evaluation Capacity Building.
    OMB Number: 3145-NEW.
    Expiration Date of Approval: Not Applicable.
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to establish an 
information collection.
    Proposed Project: The NSF Engines program was authorized in the 
CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (Section 10388) to (1) advance 
multidisciplinary, collaborative, use-inspired and translational 
research, technology development, in key technology focus areas; (2) 
address regional, national, societal, or geostrategic challenges; (3) 
leverage the expertise of multidisciplinary and multi-sector partners, 
including partners from private industry, nonprofit organizations, and 
civil society organizations; and (4) support the development of 
scientific, innovation, entrepreneurial, and STEM educational capacity 
within the region of each Engine to grow and sustain regional 
innovation.
    In Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, NSF established 10 inaugural NSF Engines 
awards, uniquely placing science and technology leadership as the 
central driver for regional economic competitiveness. Each NSF Engine 
is accelerating technological innovation while also addressing 
national, societal and/or geostrategic challenges that are of 
significant interest in the NSF Engine's defined ``region of service.''
    The programmatic level goals of NSF Engines are to:
    Goal 1: Establish self-sustaining innovation ecosystems;
    Goal 2: Establish nationally recognized regional ecosystems for key 
industries;
    Goal 3: Broaden participation in innovation ecosystems by enabling 
all members of a region to engage;
    Goal 4: Advance technologies relevant to national competitiveness;
    Goal 5: Catalyze regions with nascent innovation ecosystems;
    Goal 6: Increase economic growth;
    Goal 7: Increase job creation.
    To achieve these goals, each NSF Engine will carry out an 
integrated and comprehensive set of activities spanning use-inspired 
research, translation research, innovation and entrepreneurship, and 
workforce development to nurture and accelerate regional industries. In 
addition, each NSF Engine is expected to embody a culture of innovation 
and have a demonstrated, intense, and meaningful focus on engaging 
everyone throughout its regional science and technology ecosystem.
    Owing to the bespoke goals and objectives that are varied by 
regions and NSF Engines, and the expansive network of stakeholders that 
are involved, it is important for each NSF Engine to build (and 
subsequently strengthen) its own evaluation capacity, within a broader 
context of NSF's assessment of the NSF Engines individually and 
collectively.
    Here, evaluation capacity refers to enabling each Engine to have 
the competencies in designing, managing, implementing, and using 
evaluation. It includes ``strengthening a culture of valuing evidence, 
valuing questioning, and valuing evaluative thinking. This

[[Page 85253]]

can include the capacity of evaluators, as well as the capacity of 
evaluation and program managers, internal staff, and community 
members.'' \1\ The idea is for each NSF Engine to build the capability 
and ability to frame evaluations, make sense of them, and apply them in 
contextually appropriate ways in order to in turn, for example: make 
evidence-based decisions, provide a supportive network of trust and 
reciprocity, and continue growing and fostering the structure and 
infrastructure of each Engine.
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    \1\ https://www.betterevaluation.org/frameworks-guides/rainbow-framework/manage/strengthen-evaluation-capacity.
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    This request is to seek approval from OMB in establishing a new 
data collection to enable evaluation capacity to be built and 
maintained by each NSF Engine. To build evaluation capacity, we are 
requesting each NSF Engine to provide two sets of documents:

1. Evaluation Plan
2. Annual Evaluation Report

    Evaluation Plan. Each NSF Engine award recipient is requested to 
establish its own external evaluation team. Each evaluation team is 
tasked to systematically assess the activities, processes, and 
practices implemented by its respective NSF Engine. The evaluation 
team, in collaboration with its respective NSF Engine, will work 
together to formulate a comprehensive Evaluation Plan.
    The primary objective of the Evaluation Plan is to serve as an 
alternative and objective approach for the NSF Engine to monitor and 
measure its progress, determine the effectiveness of its activities, 
and gauge the broader socioeconomic impacts of its endeavors. It also 
serves as an assessment tool for each NSF Engine award recipient to 
identify, reflect, and address development needs and challenges as they 
arise, and perform any intervention and/or course corrections, if 
necessary, in a timely fashion. Finally, it also serves as a tool to 
systematically and structurally communicate internally within an Engine 
and externally with partners and other stakeholders.
    The Evaluation Plan contains 14 sections:

1. Engine vision and mission
2. Engine goals and alignment
3. Engine overview
4. Purpose of Engine evaluation
5. Timeline
6. Information sharing
7. Research and development (R&D) including translation
8. Workforce development
9. Engagement of the region
10. Ecosystem building
11. Engine level outcomes and impact
12. Internal assessment of evaluation process
13. Other
14. Data management

    Annual Evaluation Plan. The external evaluation teams of each NSF 
Engine award recipient will also produce an Annual Evaluation Report to 
be provided to both their respective NSF Engine leadership team and to 
NSF. The annual evaluation report provides a structured mechanism for 
the evaluation teams to provide an independent and objective assessment 
on the baselines, progresses, achievements, milestones, and challenges 
faced by its respective NSF Engine over the past award year. In 
addition, the evaluation teams will provide recommendations to their 
respective NSF Engine leadership team on ways to improve existing 
processes, policies, and practices. These reports offer a comprehensive 
overview of the team's activities and their outcomes over the previous 
award year. The report has dual purposes, as a reflection tool for each 
NSF Engine to learn from their experiences and to make improvements, 
and as an assessment tool for NSF program directors for award oversight 
and management.
    There are 8 sections to the report:

1. Executive summary
2. Introduction
3. Research and development (R&D) including translation
4. Workforce development
5. Engagement of the region
6. Ecosystem building
7. Outcomes and Impact
8. Evaluation action plan for next year
9. Appendices
a. Appendix A: NSF Engines bi-annual evaluation form
b. Appendix B: Updated methodologies
c. Appendix C: Additional figures and tables
d. Appendix D: Other Information

    Burden on the Public: For each Engine award, we anticipate the 
following number of responses and response burden by reporting 
requirement:

A.12.1. Number of Respondents, Frequency of Response, and Annual Hour 
Burden

                             Table 1--Respondents, Responses, and Annual Hour Burden
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                                                                                                        Annual
                                     Number of      Minimum burden per        Maximum burden per        burden
      Reporting requirements         responses       response (hours)          response (hours)      (hours) per
                                      per year                                                          engine
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Evaluation Plan...................            1  Year 1: 200.............  Year 1: 300.............      200-300
                                                 Year 2: 20..............  Year 2: 40..............        20-40
                                                 Year 3: 20..............  Year 3: 40..............        20-40
Annual Evaluation Report..........            1  Year 1: 160.............  Year 1: 240.............      160-240
                                                 Year 2: 80..............  Year 2: 160.............       80-160
                                                 Year 3: 80..............  Year 3: 160.............       80-160
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.........................            2  ........................  ........................      100-540
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    A total of 10 NSF Engine teams were awarded. For the first year, 
the total amount of burden is estimated to be between 3,600 and 5,400 
hours for all 10 NSF Engines. For subsequent years, 1,000 and 2,000 
hours for all 10 NSF Engines, which translates to 100-200 hours per NSF 
Engine divided among all participants. Here, participants include 
members of the Leadership Team of an NSF Engine, which consists between 
8 and 12 persons, the Governance Board, which consists between 10 and 
20 persons, and the (external) Evaluation Team, which consists of 4-8 
persons. Thus, the annual burden hours for the listed evaluation 
capacity building activities are shared between 22 and 40 persons. And 
this is to be expected, as evaluation in general is a highly 
collaborative and

[[Page 85254]]

participatory activity, it is therefore expected that both the 
Evaluation Plan and Annual Evaluation Report would involve and engage 
across and within an NSF Engine.
    Finally, the upper bound estimate for the Annual Evaluation Report 
reflects not only the effort for writing the report but also account 
for data cleaning, data analysis, and data visualization. We anticipate 
that the burden for subsequent years to be lower as workflow and 
cadence will be established after the first year.

    Dated: October 22, 2024.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2024-24913 Filed 10-24-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P


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