Overview
Title
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; DUE Project Data Form
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The National Science Foundation wants people to share their thoughts on a form that helps them see how their education grants are working. They tried asking before, but no one commented, so they're asking again for ideas within 30 days.
Summary AI
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is requesting public comments on a proposed information collection requirement under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second notice, as the first received no feedback. The DUE Project Data Form is for grant proposals to NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education, collecting data on project impact on institutions, students, and faculty. The public has 30 days from the notice's publication to submit comments, with a total estimated annual response time of 850 hours for 2,550 respondents.
Abstract
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the following information collection requirement to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal Register and no comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed renewal submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document in question is a notice from the National Science Foundation (NSF), requesting public feedback on the renewal of an information collection requirement under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This request appears in the Federal Register, highlighting a second round of public commentary given the absence of feedback from the initial announcement.
General Summary
The information collection activity revolves around the DUE Project Data Form, utilized in grant proposals submitted to the NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education. The form is designed to gather essential data on proposed projects to aid in directing proposals to suitable reviewers and to assess their potential impact on educational institutions, students, and faculty. The form requests details such as the academic focus, target audiences, and any strategic initiatives of the project. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments within 30 days via the specified online platform.
Significant Issues and Concerns
A primary concern is the lack of clarity regarding any new updates or changes in the information collection process that justify its renewal. Without specifying improvements, it's challenging to discern if there might be any increased administrative burden or otherwise unnecessary elements. Additionally, the abstract notes that no comments were received previously, suggesting a potential issue with outreach or engagement strategies to encourage public feedback.
The notice sets a 30-day period for comments without indicating a precise end date. This could lead to confusion and missed opportunities for stakeholders to provide input. Furthermore, the document lacks specific examples of how the collected data meaningfully enhances NSF's processes or determines benefits, which makes it difficult to assess its practical utility.
Broad Public Impact
For the general public, the document's impact primarily pertains to transparency and the opportunity to participate in shaping the information collection practices of a federal agency. However, the lack of detailed communication could limit this engagement. Inaccurate perceptions of the complexity or importance of the process might deter some from providing feedback.
Stakeholder-Specific Impacts
Investigators and Academics are the primary stakeholders directly affected by this notice. They are responsible for filling out the DUE Project Data Form, with an estimated 20-minute burden per respondent, totaling 850 hours annually across 2,550 respondents. While this specific burden is outlined, the methodology for estimating the time required lacks detail, potentially undermining the accuracy of the estimate.
Educational Institutions may be indirectly impacted as the collected data could influence funding decisions and project evaluations. The form's data might help tailor grants and other aid to institutions' specific needs, although the document does not clearly articulate these benefits.
Lastly, underrepresented groups and specialized audiences could experience indirect benefits if the information collected leads to more targeted and effective educational projects. However, without concrete examples of past successes, it is unclear how the form actively contributes to improved educational outcomes for these populations.
In summary, while the NSF's intention to solicit additional public feedback is commendable, more detailed explanations and illustrative examples of the form's past effectiveness and any procedural improvements are necessary to fully evaluate its impact and ensure comprehensive public engagement.
Issues
• The document does not specify what specific improvements or changes are being made in the renewed information collection requirement, making it difficult to assess any new expenses or potential waste.
• The abstract mentions the lack of comments from the first notice, which might indicate insufficient outreach or engagement strategies to encourage public feedback.
• The document refers to a 30-day comment period without providing a specific end date; this could lead to ambiguity regarding the final date for submissions.
• Details on how exactly the DUE Project Data Form enhances NSF's processes or what specific benefits it provides are limited, making it challenging to evaluate its utility.
• The description of 'burden on the public' lacks detail on how the 20-minute estimate per response was calculated, which might affect the accuracy of the burden estimation.
• No explicit mention of measures to prevent submission bias or conflicts of interest when selecting appropriate reviewers for the proposals.
• The document could benefit from providing examples or descriptions of past successes or measurable outcomes stemming from prior iterations of this information collection.