Proposed Collection; Comment Request; National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program for Individuals From Disadvantaged Backgrounds

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 142 (Monday, July 26, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40382-40383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19038]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Proposed Collection; Comment Request; National Institutes of 
Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program for Individuals From 
Disadvantaged Backgrounds

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects, the Office of the 
Director (OD), the 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.

Proposed Collection

    Title: The National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship 
Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds (UGSP). Type of 
Information Collection Request: Extension of OMB No. 0925-0438, 
expiration date of November 30, 1999. Need and Use of Information 
Collection: The UGSP is authorized by Sec. 487D of the Public Health 
Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 288-2), as amended by the NIH 
Revitalization Act of 1993 (Pub. L. 103-43). This program intends to 
provide scholarships, in an amount not to exceed $20,000 per academic 
year, toward expenses associated with full-time attendance at an 
accredited undergraduate institution, including tuition and reasonable 
educational and living expenses. For each year of scholarship support 
from the NIH, the recipient agrees to two service obligations or pay-
back requirements: (1) ten consecutive weeks of pay-back as a full-time 
NIH employee during the months of June-August during the academic year 
(in-school service obligation) and (2) one year (12 months) of pay-back 
as a full-time NIH employee after graduation from the undergraduate 
institution (post-graduation service obligation. The post-graduation 
service obligation or pay-back requirement may be deferred, at the 
request of the scholarship recipient and with the approval of the 
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, during continuous 
period of graduate or medical/dental/veterinarian school training. The 
UGSP is designed to provide an incentive to undergraduate students from 
disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue studies which will prepare them for 
careers in biomedical research at the NIH. The information proposed for 
collection will be used to determine an applicant's eligibility for 
participation in the UGSP. Frequency of Response: Initial application 
and annual renewal application. Affected Public: Applicants (High 
School or undergraduate level students), Undergraduate Institutions. 
Type of Respondents: The UGSP application consists of two parts: Part I 
(Information About the Applicant) is completed by the applicant; and 
Part II (Verification) is completed by the Undergraduate Institution. 
The annual reporting burden estimates are as follows:

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                                                                                     Numbr of     Average burden
                       Type of respondent                            Number of     responses per   per  response
                                                                    respondents     respondent         (Hrs)
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Applicant.......................................................             500               1             3.0
Undergraduate Institution.......................................             500               1             0.5
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    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.

Request for Comments

    Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies should address one or more of the following points: (1) 
Evaluate 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) Evaluate 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) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (4) 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
instruments, contact: Marc S. Horowitz, J.D., Director, Office of Loan 
Repayment and Scholarship, Office of Intramural Research, OD, NIH, 7550 
Wisconsin Avenue, Room 604, Bethesda, MD 20814-9121, or call non-toll-
free number (301) 402-5666 or E-mail your request, including your 
address to: MHorowitz@nih.gov.

Comments Due Date

    Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of 
having their full effect if received on or before September 24, 1999.


[[Page 40383]]


    Dated: July 16, 1999.
Ruth L. Kirschstein,
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 99-19038 Filed 7-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M