Document
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to renew this collection. In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are providing ...
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection:
National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Reviewer Request Form
OMB Control Number:
3145-0273.
Type of Request:
Revision to and extension of approval of an information collection.
Proposed Project
For more than 70 years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has supported the full spectrum of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research and education—from foundational, curiosity-driven discovery to use-inspired and solutions-oriented research that addresses national and economic challenges. Across this continuum, scientific discovery, innovation, and technology translation are deeply interconnected.
The NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) was established to strengthen the agency's capacity to accelerate the translation of research outputs to the market. TIP advances use-inspired and translational research through investments that support technology development, workforce development, and regional innovation as outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act.
Some examples of TIP investments include: Accelerating Research Translation (ART), (
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/art-accelerating-research-translation) Innovation Corps (I-Corps) (
https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/i-corps/about-teams), Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) (
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/regional-innovation-engines), Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE) (
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/pathways-enable-open-source-ecosystems), and America's Seed Fund (SBIR/STTR) (
https://seedfund.nsf.gov/).
Due to the breadth and specialized nature of these programs, the Directorate requires the ability to recruit reviewers with wide-ranging expertise, experience, and perspectives. Appropriate reviewers for TIP programs may come from varied sectors and professional backgrounds, including academia, industry, startups, venture development, technology transfer organizations, workforce development entities, regional innovation partnerships, nonprofit organizations, and open-source communities.
Accordingly, NSF requests renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the
TIP Directorate Reviewer Request Form.
The information collection enables TIP programs to gather information necessary to identify and recruit reviewers whose expertise, experience, and professional backgrounds align with the objectives, subject matter, and evaluation needs of specific funding opportunities and merit review activities.
The information collection consists of two components. The first component aligns with the NSF-wide Reviewer Request Form (NSF 428A) and collects standard reviewer information, educational background, demographic information, and professional experience. The second component contains customizable program-specific questions that allow TIP programs to request additional information relevant to the goals and needs of individual programs or solicitations.
Program-specific information may include, but is not limited to:
- Areas of technical or domain expertise;
- Sector experience (e.g.,
academia, industry, nonprofit, venture, or government);
- Experience in technology translation, commercialization, entrepreneurship, workforce development, or regional innovation ecosystem development;
- Professional affiliations, websites, or LinkedIn profiles;
- Prior reviewer, mentoring, or startup advisory experience; and
- Potential conflicts of interest.
The flexibility afforded by the customizable portion of the
TIP Reviewer Request Form
is necessary because reviewer qualifications appropriate for one TIP program may not adequately reflect the expertise required for another. The requested information will support TIP Program Directors in identifying reviewers with the appropriate expertise and perspectives necessary to conduct fair, rigorous, and context-appropriate merit review processes across the Directorate's diverse portfolio and funding activities.
Following standard OMB requirements, NSF will require OMB approval in advance and provide OMB with a copy of the form containing these questions and/or data fields. Data collected will be used strictly for reviewer recruiting purposes. The data collection burden to the individuals will be limited to no more than 10 minutes of the respondents' time in each instance.
Respondents:
The respondents generally have the education and/or experience level commensurate to a university assistant professor.
Estimated Number of Annual Respondents:
4,000.
Burden on the Public:
It is estimated to take 10 minutes per respondent per form, for a total of 667 hours per year.
Dated: May 19, 2026.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.