Skip to main content
Notice2026-19303

Submission for OMB review; 30-Day Comment Request; the Impact and Costs of Promoting Objectivity in Research 42 CFR Part 50 Subpart F and Responsible Prospective Contractors 45 CFR Part 94 (Office of the Director)

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
September 22, 2026
Effective
October 22, 2026

Issuing agencies

Health and Human Services DepartmentNational Institutes of Health

Abstract

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and approval of the information collection listed below.

Full Text

<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 182 (Tuesday, September 22, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 182 (Tuesday, September 22, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60138-60140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19303]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Submission for OMB review; 30-Day Comment Request; the Impact and 
Costs of Promoting Objectivity in Research 42 CFR Part 50 Subpart F and 
Responsible Prospective Contractors 45 CFR Part 94 (Office of the 
Director)

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and approval of the 
information collection listed below.

DATES: Comments regarding this information collection are best assured 
of having their full effect if received by October 22, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
instruments, contact: Mr. Romeo K. Tengey, Director, Division of 
Compliance of Foreign Interference Research Misconduct, Harassment, and 
Intellectual, Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration, 
Office of Extramural Research, National Institutes of Health, 6705 
Rockledge Drive, Suite 800, Bethesda, MD 20892, or call non-toll-free 
number (301) 402-0892 or email your request, including your address to: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#386c5d565f5d414a785559515416565150165f574e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8edaebe0e9ebf7fccee3efe7e2a0e0e7e6a0e9e1f8">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposed information collection was 
previously published in the Federal Register on July 10, 2025 (FR 90-
page 30649) and allowed 60 days for public comment. No comments were 
received. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days 
for public comment. The National Institutes of Health may not conduct 
or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an 
information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented 
on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.
    In compliance with Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and 
approval of the information collection listed below.
    Proposed Collection: Promoting Objectivity in Research 42 CFR part 
50 Subpart F and Responsible Prospective Contractors 45 CFR part 94, 
0925-0417, expiration date 6/30/2025, Reinstatement With Change, Office 
of Policy for Extramural Research Administration (OPERA), Office of 
Extramural Research (OER), National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    Need and Use of Information Collection: This request is for Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of a Reinstatement With Change 
of a currently approved collection resulting from the development of 
revised regulations regarding the Promoting Objectivity in Research (42 
CFR part 50, subpart F) and Responsible Prospective Contractors (45 CFR 
part 94). The purpose of these regulations is to promote objectivity in 
research by requiring institutions to establish standards to ensure 
that there is no reasonable expectation that the design, conduct, or 
reporting of Public Health Service (PHS)-funded research will be biased 
by any Investigator Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI). NIH is 
implementing a change or enhancement in the FCOI reporting requirement 
within the eRA Commons FCOI Module to require the grant and cooperative 
agreement respondent to identify foreign FCOIs and provide the type of 
foreign entity and the name of the foreign country. This enhanced 
requirement is insignificant on the part of respondents.
    OMB approval is requested for 3 years. There are no costs to 
respondents other than their time. The total estimated annualized 
burden hours are 680,473.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Average
     Type of respondents based on                                    Number of      burden per     Total annual
   applicable section of regulation       Number of respondents    responses per   response  (in   burden hours
                                                                    respondent         hrs.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporting:
    Initial Reports under 42 CFR        1,128...................               1               2           2,256
     50.605(b)(1) and (b)(3) or 45 CFR
     94.5(b)(1) and (b)(3) from
     awardee Institutions.

[[Page 60139]]

 
    Subsequent Reports under 42 CFR     50 FCOI reports as in 42               1               2             100
     50.605(a)(3)(iii) and (b)(2) or     CFR 50.605(a)(3)(ii)
     45 CFR 94.5(a)(3)(iii) and (b)(2)   and 45 CFR
     from awardee Institutions.          94.5(a)(3)(ii).
                                        5 mitigation reports....               1               2              10
    Annual Report under 42 CFR          2,712...................               1               1           2,712
     50.605(b)(4) or 45 CFR 94.5(b)(4)
     from awardee Institutions.
    Subsequent Reports under 42 CFR     20......................               1              10             200
     50.606(a) or 45 CFR 94.6(a) from
     awardee Institutions.
Record Keeping:
    Under 42 CFR 50.604(i) or 45 CFR    2,000...................               1               4           8,000
     94.4(i) from awardee institutions.
Disclosure:
    Under 42 CFR 50.604(a) or 45 CFR    3,000...................               1              81         243,000
     94.4(a) for Investigators.
    Under 42 CFR 50.604(b) or 45 CFR    38,000..................               1           30/60          19,000
     94.4(b) for Investigators.
    Under 42 CFR 50.604(b) or 45 CFR    2,000...................               1               6          12,000
     94.4(b) for Institutions.
    Under 42 CFR 50.604(c)(1) or 45     500.....................               1               1             500
     CFR 94.4(c)(1) from subrecipients.
    Under 42 CFR 50.604(d) or 45 CFR    3,000 \1\...............               1               1           3,000
     94.4(d) for Institutions.
    Under 42 CFR 50.604(e)(1) or 45     38,000..................               1               4         152,000
     CFR 94.4(e)(1) for Investigators.
    Under 42 CFR 50.604(e)(2) or 45     38,000..................               1               1          38,000
     CFR 94.4(e)(2) for Investigators.
    Under 42 CFR 50.604(e)(3) or 45     1,128...................               1           30/60             564
     CFR 94.4(e)(3) for Investigators.
    Under 42 CFR 50.604(f) or 45 CFR    2,000...................               1               1           2,000
     94.4(f) for institutions.
    Under 42 CFR 50.605(a)(1) or 45     2,000 \2\...............               1              82         164,000
     CFR 94.5(a)(1) for Institutions.
    Under 42 CFR 50.605(a)(3) or 45     500 \3\.................               1               3           1,500
     CFR 94.5(a)(3) for Institutions.
    Under 42 CFR 50.605(a)(3)(i) or 45  50 \4\..................               1              80           4,000
     CFR 94.5(a)(3)(i).
    Under 42 CFR 50.605(a)(3)(ii) or    50 \5\..................               1              80           4,000
     45 CFR 94.5(a)(3)(ii).
    Under 42 CFR 50.605(a)(3)(iii) or   50......................               1               1              50
     45 CFR 94.5(a)(3)(iii).
    Under 42 CFR 50.605(a)(4) or 45     1,128...................               1              12          13,536
     CFR 94.5(a)(4).
    Public Website Posting under 42     2,000...................               1               5          10,000
     CFR 50.605(a)(5) or 45 CFR
     94.5(a)(5) from awardee
     Institutions.
Under 42 CFR 50.606(c) or 45 CFR        50 \6\..................           3 \7\           18/60              45
 94.6(c).
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Total.........................  137,371.................         137,471  ..............         680,473
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Assuming that 3,000 Institutions solicit disclosures on an annual basis by sending a notification to all
  Investigators.
\2\ Although an estimated 1,128 reports of Financial Conflict of Interest are expected annually, the 2,000
  responding Institutions must review all financial disclosures associated with PHS-funded awards to determine
  whether any financial conflicts of interest exist. Thus, the review burden of 76,000 hours is based upon
  estimates that it will take on the average 2 hours for an institutional official(s) to review each of 38,000
  financial disclosures associated with PHS funded awards. The burden for developing a management plan for
  identified FCOI is estimated at 80 hours x 1,128 cases = 90,240 hours.
\3\ Assuming that this is a rare occurrence based on prior experience.
\4\ Assuming only a fraction of the newly identified SFIs will constitute FCOI.
\5\ Assuming only a fraction of the newly identified SFIs will constitute FCOI.
\6\ Number based on 50.605/94.5(a)(3)(i)--of those only a fraction will relate to a project of clinical research
  whose purpose is to evaluate the safety or effectiveness of a drug, medical device, or treatment, but we are
  calculating the maximum estimated burden.
\7\ Assuming an average of 3 publications annually.


[[Page 60140]]

    The Deputy Director for Extramural Research, Jon Lorsch, having 
reviewed and approved this document, authorizes Alycia Booth, who is 
the Federal Register Liaison, to electronically sign this document for 
purposes of publication in the Federal Register.

    Dated: September 17, 2026.
Alycia Booth,
Federal Register Liaison, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2026-19303 Filed 9-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-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 September 22, 2026.

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.