[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 125 (Wednesday, June 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38189-38190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-16300]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
New Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Environmental Science
Formative Research Methodology Studies for the National Children's
Study
SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment
on proposed data collection projects, the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and
approval. This proposed information collection was previously published
in the Federal Register on April 27, 2011, pages 23603-23605, and
allowed 60 days for public comment. One written comment was received.
The comment questioned the cost and utility of the study specifically
and of federally funded biomedical research in general. The purpose of
this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.
Proposed Collection
Title: Environmental Science Formative Research Methodology Studies
for the National Children's Study (NCS).
Type of Information Collection Request: Generic Clearance.
Need and Use of Information Collection: The Children's Health Act
of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-310) states:
(a) PURPOSE.--It is the purpose of this section to authorize the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development* to conduct
a national longitudinal study of environmental influences (including
physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial) on children's
health and development.
(b) IN GENERAL.--The Director of the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development* shall establish a consortium of
representatives from appropriate Federal agencies (including the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental
Protection Agency) to--
(1) plan, develop, and implement a prospective cohort study,
from birth to adulthood, to evaluate the effects of both chronic and
intermittent exposures on child health and human development; and
(2) investigate basic mechanisms of developmental disorders and
environmental factors, both risk and protective, that influence
health and developmental processes.
(c) REQUIREMENT.--The study under subsection (b) shall--
(1) incorporate behavioral, emotional, educational, and
contextual consequences to enable a complete assessment of the
physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial environmental
influences on children's well-being;
(2) gather data on environmental influences and outcomes on
diverse populations of children, which may include the consideration
of prenatal exposures; and
(3) consider health disparities among children, which may
include the consideration of prenatal exposures.
To fulfill the requirements of the Children's Health Act, the
results of formative research will be used to maximize the efficiency
(measured by scientific robustness, participant and infrastructure
burden, and cost) of environmental sample collection procedures and
technology, storage procedures, accompanying questionnaires, and
assays, and thereby inform data collection methodologies for the
National Children's Study (NCS) Vanguard and Main Studies. With this
submission, the NCS seeks to obtain OMB's generic clearance to collect
environmental samples from homes and child care settings, and conduct
accompanying short surveys related to the physical and chemical
environment.
The results from these formative research projects will inform the
feasibility (scientific robustness), acceptability (burden to
participants and study logistics) and cost of NCS Vanguard and Main
Study environmental sample and information collection in a manner that
minimizes public information collection burden compared to burden
anticipated if these projects were incorporated directly into either
the NCS Vanguard or Main Study.
Frequency of Response: Annual [As needed on an on-going and
concurrent basis].
Affected Public: Members of the public, researchers, practitioners,
and other health professionals.
Type of Respondents: Women of child-bearing age, fathers, public
health and environmental science professional organizations and
practitioners, and schools and child care organizations. These include
both persons enrolled in the NCS Vanguard Study and their peers who are
not participating in the NCS Vanguard Study.
Annual reporting burden: See Table 1. The annualized cost to
respondents is estimated at: $780,000 (based on $10 per hour). There
are no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or Maintenance
Costs to report.
Table 1--Estimated Annual Reporting Burden Summary, Environmental Science
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Estimated
Estimated number of Average burden Estimated total
Data collection activity Type of respondent number of responses per hours per annual burden
respondents respondent response hours requested
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Home Air...................................... NCS participants................ 4,000 1 1 4,000
[[Page 38190]]
Members of NCS target population 4,000 1 1 4,000
(not NCS participants).
Home Water.................................... NCS participants................ 4,000 1 1 4,000
Members of NCS target population 4,000 1 1 4,000
(not NCS participants).
Home Dust..................................... NCS participants................ 4,000 1 1 4,000
Members of NCS target population 4,000 1 1 4,000
(not NCS participants).
School and Child Care Facility Air............ NCS participants................ 4,000 1 1 4,000
Members of NCS target population 4,000 1 1 4,000
(not NCS participants).
School and Child Care Facility Water.......... NCS participants................ 4,000 1 1 4,000
Members of NCS target population 4,000 1 1 4,000
(not NCS participants).
School and Child Care Facility Dust........... NCS participants................ 4,000 1 1 4,000
Members of NCS target population 4,000 1 1 4,000
(not NCS participants).
Small, focused survey and instrument design NCS participants................ 4,000 2 1 8,000
and administration.
Members of NCS target population 4,000 2 1 8,000
(not NCS participants).
Health and Social Service 2,000 1 1 2,000
Providers.
Community Stakeholders.......... 2,000 1 1 2,000
Focus groups.................................. NCS participants................ 2,000 1 1 2,000
Members of NCS target population 2,000 1 1 2,000
(not NCS participants).
Health and Social Service 2,000 1 1 2,000
Providers.
Community Stakeholders.......... 2,000 1 1 2,000
Cognitive interviews.......................... NCS participants................ 500 1 2 1,000
Members of NCS target population 500 1 2 1,000
(not NCS participants).
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Total..................................... ................................ 69,000 ................ ................ 78,000
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Request for comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the
public and affected agencies are invited on one or more of the
following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) The
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology
and assumptions used; (3) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection
of information on those who are to respond, including the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
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 Dr. Sarah L. Glavin, Deputy Director, Office of
Science Policy, Analysis and Communication, National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development, 31 Center Drive, Room 2A18, Bethesda,
Maryland 20892, or call non-toll free number (301) 496-1877 or E-mail
your request, including your address to glavins@mail.nih.gov.
DATES: Comments due date: Comments regarding this information
collection are best assured of having their full effect if received
within 30 days of the date of this publication.
Dated: June 21, 2011.
Sarah L. Glavin,
Deputy Director, Office of Science Policy, Analysis and Communications,
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
[FR Doc. 2011-16300 Filed 6-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P