[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 233 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72004-72005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28498]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Proposed Collection; 60-Day Comment Request; Surveys and
Interviews To Support an Evaluation of the Innovative Molecular
Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program (NCI)
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 Cancer Institute
(NCI), 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.
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 enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4) 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.
To Submit Comments and For Further Information: To obtain a copy of
the data collection plans and instruments, submit comments in writing,
or request more information on the proposed project, contact: Anthony
Dickherber, NCI Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives, 31 Center
Drive, Rm10A33, Bethesda, MD 20892 or call non-toll-free number 301-
547-9980 or Email your request, including your address to:
[email protected]. Formal requests for additional plans and
instruments must be requested in writing.
Comment Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection
are best assured of having their full effect if received within 60 days
of the date of this publication.
Proposed Collection: Surveys and Interviews to Support an
Evaluation of the Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT)
Program (NCI), 0925-NEW, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National
Institutes of Health (NIH).
Need and Use of Information Collection: The purpose of the proposed
evaluation is to pursue a comprehensive process and outcome assessment
of the 15-year old Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT)
program. While the program consistently offers promising indicators of
success, the full program has not been evaluated since 2008, and never
in as comprehensive a manner as has been formulated in the current
evaluation plan. An outcome evaluation of the long-standing National
Cancer Institute's (NCI) IMAT program presents a rich and unique
opportunity likely to serve institutes across the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), and perhaps other federal agencies, considering the
costs and benefits of directing resources towards supporting technology
development. An award through the NIH Evaluation Set-Aside program to
support this evaluation, for which NIH-wide relevance is a principle
element of determining merit for support, is testament to this. The
evaluation serves as an opportunity to gauge the impact of investments
in technology development and also to assess the strengths and
weaknesses of phased innovation award mechanisms.
Like all institutes and centers (ICs) of the NIH, NCI seeks
opportunities for improving their programs' utility for the broad
continuum of researchers, clinicians and ultimately patients. NCI
Director Harold Varmus and other leadership across NCI, as well as the
NCI Board of Scientific Advisors, will be the primary users of the
evaluation results. Findings are primarily intended for considering the
long-term strategy to support innovative technology development and how
to more efficiently translate emerging capabilities through such
technologies into the promised benefits for cancer research and
clinical care. Interviews with grantees, program officers, review
officers, and other NIH awardees make up a crucial component of the
evaluation plan and will largely follow set survey protocols. Specific
near-term aims include the use of this information to consider the
utility of continued investment through existing solicitations and in
strategic planning generally for institute support for innovative
technology development.
OMB approval is requested for 1 year. There are no costs to
respondents other than their time. The total estimated annualized
burden hours are 575.
[[Page 72005]]
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Average
Number of Number of burden per Total annual
Form name Type of respondents respondents responses per response (in burden hours
respondent hours)
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IMAT Awardee Interview......................... IMAT Awardees.......................... 100 1 1 100
Evaluation Web-based Survey.................... IMAT Awardees, and other NIH Awardees 900 1 30/60 450
(Comparison group).
Tech End Users Interview....................... Technology End-Users................... 50 1 30/60 25
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Dated: November 24, 2014.
Karla Bailey,
NCI Project Clearance Liaison, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2014-28498 Filed 12-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P