The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a notice regarding an electronic system for applying for NIH Certificates of Confidentiality (CoC), which protect the privacy of human research subjects by restricting the release of identifying information. Public comments on this data collection project can be submitted within 60 days of publication. This system is designed to enhance the efficiency of processing CoC requests and has been operational since 2015, with approximately 915 requests received each year. The NIH seeks approval to continue using this system for three more years, with a total estimated annual burden of 1,373 hours for respondents.
Simple Explanation
The NIH is asking people to comment on a special online form that helps keep people’s personal details safe during research. They want to know what people think because they plan to keep using it for three more years.