81 FR 22965 - Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 75 (April 19, 2016)

Page Range		22965-22966
FR Document		2016-08933

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Advisory Board will hold an open meeting on Thursday May 19, 2016, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 75 (Tuesday, April 19, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22965-22966]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08933]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

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[[Page 22966]]

SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
announces that the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Advisory 
Board will hold an open meeting on Thursday May 19, 2016, from 8:30 
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

DATES: The meeting will be held Thursday, May 19, 2016, from 8:30 a.m. 
to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Charleston Marriott Hotel, 
170 Lockwood Blvd. Charleston, SC 29403. Please note admittance 
instructions in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Zara Brunner, Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau 
Drive, Mail Stop 4800, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-4800, telephone 
number (301) 975-2001, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MEP Advisory Board (Board) is authorized 
under Section 3003(d) of the America COMPETES Act (Pub. L. 110-69); 
codified at 15 U.S.C. 278k(e), as amended, in accordance with the 
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 
App. The Board is composed of 10 members, appointed by the Director of 
NIST. Hollings MEP is a unique program, consisting of centers across 
the United States and Puerto Rico with partnerships at the state, 
federal, and local levels. The Board provides a forum for input and 
guidance from Hollings MEP program stakeholders in the formulation and 
implementation of tools and services focused on supporting and growing 
the U.S. manufacturing industry, provides advice on MEP programs, 
plans, and policies, assesses the soundness of MEP plans and 
strategies, and assesses current performance against MEP program plans. 
Background information on the Board is available at http://www.nist.gov/mep/about/advisory-board.cfm.
    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, 5 
U.S.C. App., notice is hereby given that the MEP Advisory Board will 
hold an open meeting on Thursday, May 19, 2016, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 
p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This meeting will focus on several topics. 
The Board will receive an update on NIST MEP programmatic operations, 
as well as provide guidance and advice to MEP senior management for the 
drafting of the 2017-2022 Strategic Plan. The Board will also provide 
input on developing protocols to connect user facilities, research, and 
technologies at NIST and other federal laboratories with small and mid-
size manufacturers, and make recommendations on the establishment of an 
MEP Learning Organization, an effort to strengthen connections by 
sharing best practices and building Working Groups and Communities of 
Practice for furtherance of the MEP Program's mission. The final agenda 
will be posted on the MEP Advisory Board Web site at http://www.nist.gov/mep/about/advisory-board.cfm. This is meeting is being 
held in conjunction with the MEP Update Meeting that will be held May 
17-18, 2016 also at the Charleston Marriott.
    Admittance Instructions: Anyone wishing to attend the MEP Advisory 
Board meeting should submit their name, email address and phone number 
to Monica Claussen ([email protected] or 301-975-4852) no later 
than Monday, May 9, 2016, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
    Individuals and representatives of organizations who would like to 
offer comments and suggestions related to the MEP Advisory Board's 
business are invited to request a place on the agenda. Approximately 15 
minutes will be reserved for public comments at the end of the meeting. 
Speaking times will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. 
The amount of time per speaker will be determined by the number of 
requests received but is likely to be no more than three to five 
minutes each. The exact time for public comments will be included in 
the final agenda that will be posted on the MEP Advisory Board Web site 
as http://www.nist.gov/mep/about/advisory-board.cfm. Questions from the 
public will not be considered during this period. Speakers who wish to 
expand upon their oral statements, those who had wished to speak but 
could not be accommodated on the agenda, and those who were unable to 
attend in person are invited to submit written statements to the MEP 
Advisory Board, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail 
Stop 4800, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-4800, or via fax at (301) 963-
6556, or electronically by email to [email protected].

Phillip Singerman,
Associate Director for Innovations and Industry Services.
[FR Doc. 2016-08933 Filed 4-18-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-13-P

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 75 / Tuesday, April 19, 2016 / Notices 22965

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: R. contact one of our phone centers to NASS uses the information only for
Renee Picanso, Associate Administrator, notify NASS of their farming status or statistical purposes and publishes only
National Agricultural Statistics Service, to complete a questionnaire will also be tabulated total data. These data are used
U.S. Department of Agriculture, (202) removed from any subsequent mailings. by Congress when developing or
720–2707. Copies of this information In the summer of 2015, NASS changing farm programs. Many national
collection and related instructions can conducted cognitive interviews of and state programs are designed or
be obtained without charge from David proposed changes to the 2017 Census of allocated based on census data, i.e., soil
Hancock, NASS—OMB Clearance Agriculture using the Generic Testing conservation projects, funds for
Officer, at (202) 690–2388 or at docket (0535–0248). In December 2015 cooperative extension programs, and
ombofficer@nass.usda.gov. NASS began testing the 2017 Census of research funding. Private industry uses
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Agriculture and will continue testing the data to provide more effective
Title: The 2017 Census of Agriculture. through September 2017, using the production and distribution systems for
OMB Control Number: 0535–0226. Census Content Testing docket (0535– the agricultural community.
Expiration Date of Previous Approval: 0243). Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
October 31, 2014. Two census of agriculture burden for this collection of information
Type of Request: Intent to Seek questionnaire versions will be used for will average about 50 minutes per
Reinstatement of an Information the 50 states. One version will be census long form, 45 minutes per census
Collection. shorter and will be sent to farm short form, 15 minutes per screening
operations known to not have certain form, and 2 minutes per refusal from all
Abstract: The census of agriculture is
commodities or farming practices. A sources.
the primary source of statistics
longer form will be used for the Respondents: Farm and ranch
concerning the nation’s agricultural
remaining farming operations. NASS is operators.
industry. It provides the only basis of
working to increase the speed and ease Estimated Number of Respondents:
consistent, comparable data for each
at which any respondent may fill out 3,950,000.
county, county equivalent, and state in
the form by incorporating improved Estimated Total Annual Burden on
the United States and its outlying
screening questions in the internet Respondents: 2,900,000 hours.
insular areas. The census is conducted
version of the questionnaire that Comments: Comments are invited on:
every 5 years, the last one being for the
automatically skips questions that do (a) Whether the proposed collection of
reference year of 2012. The 2017 Census not apply to a particular respondent. information is necessary for the proper
of Agriculture will again cover all This reduces overall respondent burden, performance of the functions of the
agricultural operations in the 50 states, particularly for small operations and agency, including whether the
Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin operations specializing in only a few information will have practical utility;
Islands, the Commonwealth of Northern commodities. A screening survey, (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
Mariana Islands (CNMI), and American conducted prior to the census, will of the burden of the proposed collection
Samoa which meet the census definition enable NASS to eliminate non-farm of information including the validity of
for a farm. For the 50 states, Guam, and operations from the census mail list and the methodology and assumptions used;
CNMI, a farm is any place that produced determine respondent eligibility for (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility,
and sold, or normally would produce receiving the appropriate census mail and clarity of the information to be
and sell, $1,000 or more of agricultural package. collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
products during the census reference The census of agriculture is required burden of the collection of information
year. For Puerto Rico and the U.S. by law under the ‘‘Census of Agriculture on those who are to respond, including
Virgin Islands it is any place with $500 Act of 1997,’’ Public Law 105–113, 7 through the use of appropriate
in production and sales. American U.S.C. 2204(g). Response to the automated, electronic, mechanical,
Samoa is not limited by a threshold for screening form, the census of agriculture technological or other forms of
production or sales and includes items and the census special study surveys are information technology collection
grown for home consumption. mandatory. The census special study methods.
Data collection for the censuses of surveys will be included under different All responses to this notice will
agriculture for the 50 states and Puerto OMB approvals. Individually become a matter of public record and be
Rico will be conducted primarily by identifiable data collected under this summarized in the request for OMB
mail-out/mail-back procedures (US authority are governed by Section 1770 approval.
Postal Service), internet, and with of the Food Security Act of 1985 as
phone and field enumeration for Signed at Washington, DC, April 6, 2016.
amended, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires
targeted non-respondents. Data USDA to afford strict confidentiality to R. Renee Picanso,
collection for Guam, the U.S. Virgin non-aggregated data provided by Associate Administrator.
Islands, CNMI, and American Samoa respondents. This Notice is submitted in [FR Doc. 2016–08950 Filed 4–18–16; 8:45 am]
will be conducted using direct accordance with the Paperwork BILLING CODE 3410–20–P
enumeration methods only. For the 50 Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–
states, respondents will be contacted up 13 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) and Office
to 5 times by mail (postcard of Management and Budget regulations DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
announcement, 3 mailings of the at 5 CFR part 1320. NASS also complies
questionnaire and internet access with OMB Implementation Guidance, National Institute of Standards and
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

instruction, and a postcard reminder) ‘‘Implementation Guidance for Title V Technology
and additional telephone or personal of the E-Government Act, Confidential
interview follow-up for mail and Information Protection and Statistical Manufacturing Extension Partnership
internet non-respondents. Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA),’’ Advisory Board
Questionnaires returned by the Post Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 115, June AGENCY: National Institute of Standards
Office as non-deliverable will be 15, 2007, p. 33362. The law guarantees and Technology, Commerce.
removed from the target population and farm operators that their individual
ACTION: Notice of open meeting.
subsequent mailings. Respondents who information will be kept confidential.

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Document Created: 2016-04-19 00:16:18
Document Modified: 2016-04-19 00:16:18

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of open meeting.
Dates		The meeting will be held Thursday, May 19, 2016, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Contact		Zara Brunner, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 4800, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-4800, telephone number (301) 975-2001, email: [email protected]
FR Citation		81 FR 22965

81 FR 22965 - Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCENational Institute of Standards and Technology

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 75 (April 19, 2016)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology