Notice2021-25896
Notice of Intent To Extend and Revise a Currently Approved Information Collection
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 29, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentNational Institute of Food and Agriculture
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice announces the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) intention to request a new information collection titled Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Lifecycle Certification. This information collection replaces an existing information collection, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Lifecycle Certification.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 226 (Monday, November 29, 2021)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 226 (Monday, November 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 67679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25896]
[[Page 67679]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Notice of Intent To Extend and Revise a Currently Approved
Information Collection
AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice
announces the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA)
intention to request a new information collection titled Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Lifecycle Certification. This
information collection replaces an existing information collection,
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Lifecycle
Certification.
DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by January 28,
2022 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date
will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking
Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the instructions for
submitting comments.
Instructions: All comments received will be posted without change
to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information
provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Martin, 202-445-5388,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4b1924292e393f65262a393f2225780b3e382f2a652c243d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="64360b060116104a090516100d0a5724111700054a030b12">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Program Lifecycle Certification.
OMB Control Number: 4040-001.
Expiration Date of Current Approval: 12/31/2022.
Type of Request: Notice of intent to extend and revise a currently
approved information collection. The burden for this collection remains
unchanged.
NIFA is requesting a one-year extension for the current collection
entitled ``Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Lifecycle
Certification.''
NIFA asks recipients of SBIR grants to submit the Lifecycle
Certification form as part of their required interim and final reports.
NIFA is also proposing updates to the existing Certification form to
match the language provided for this form in the 2020 ``SBA SBIR/STTR
Policy Directive,'' October 1, 2020. These changes are in response to
the recommendation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its
SBIR Fraud Waste and Abuse Review, completed on June 30, 2021.
Abstract: The SBIR program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) makes competitively awarded grants to qualified small businesses
to support high quality, advanced concepts research related to
important scientific problems and opportunities in agriculture that
could lead to significant public benefit if successful.
The objectives of the SBIR Program are to: Stimulate technological
innovations 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 women-owned and socially and economically
disadvantaged small business firms in technological innovations. The
USDA SBIR program is carried out in three separate phases:
1. Phase I awards to determine, insofar as possible, the scientific
and technical merit and feasibility of ideas that appear to have
commercial potential.
2. Phase II awards to further develop work from Phase I that meets
particular program needs and exhibits potential for commercial
application.
3. Phase III awards where commercial applications of SBIR- funded
R(Research)/R&D (Research and Development) are funded by non-Federal
sources of capital; or where products, services or further research
intended for use by the Federal Government are funded by follow-on non-
SBIR Federal Funding Agreements. The USDA SBIR Program is administered
by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the USDA.
NIFA exercises overall oversight for the policies and procedures
governing SBIR grants awarded to the U.S. small business community,
representing approximately 2.5% to 2.8% of the USDA extramural R/R&D
budget. This represents approximately $201M in Phase II grants awarded
to the U.S. small business community from 1994 to 2014. In 1982, the
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants Program (Pub. L. 97-
219, 96 stat. 217), 15 U.S.C. 638, was authorized, and in 2016, The
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Pub. L. 114-
328), enacted on December 23, 2016, reauthorized the SBIR and STTR
programs through September 30, 2022.
The Lifecycle Certification form is used by USDA to ensure Small
Business Concerns continue to meet specific program requirements during
the life of the Funding Agreement. The GAO determined that the
previously approved form currently in use has material deviations from
the Small Business Administration (SBA) model language. NIFA is
proposing minor changes to two of the questions on the form. The
proposed changes contain clarifying language intended to address the
GAO's recommendation that the language on the Lifecycle Certification
form should match the model SBA language.
Estimate of Burden: The annual public reporting burden for the
collection of information is estimated to average one (1) hour per
response. Respondents include businesses or other for-profit concerns.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 110.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 2.
Estimated Burden per Response: 1 hour.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 500 hours.
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; (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.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request to OMB for approval. All comments will become a matter of
public record.
Obtaining a Copy of the Information Collection: A copy of the
information collection and related instructions may be obtained free of
charge by contacting Robert Martin as directed above.
Done at Washington, DC, this day of November 18, 2021.
Carrie L. Castille,
Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department
of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2021-25896 Filed 11-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on November 29, 2021.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.