NSF receives more than 40,000
proposals annually for new or renewal support for research in
math/science/engineering education projects and makes approximately
10,500 new awards. The Foundation exercises its authority primarily
by making merit-based grants and cooperative agreements and
providing other forms of assistance to individual researchers and
groups, in partnership with over 2800 colleges, universities and
other institutions public and private, state, local and federal
throughout the United States.
The Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) of 2006 (P.L. 109-282)
requires agencies to make award and sub-award information available
to be searched by the public in a single searchable website
developed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The impetus
for this Act was the lack of a single source of accurate, complete
and timely information on federal government spending. The
requirements and residual technical and policy impacts of FFATA
were unanticipated at the time the prior information clearance
package was cleared by OMB. In order to meet the legislative
mandate and Congressional intent of FFATA, NSF needs a reliable
source of data and the ability to validate the accuracy of that
data. The change that is being proposed by NSF, therefore, is
essential to ensuring compliance with FFATA requirements. If NSF
cannot collect and validate the accuracy of award data, NSF will
miss the deadline imposed by Congress to make award data publicly
available by January 1, 2008. NSF is committed to providing
citizens accurate, complete, and timely information regarding the
expenditure of taxpayer funds. The policy change for which NSF is
seeking approval will enable the Foundation to accomplish this
goal. If NSF must follow the normal OIRA clearance review process,
the result will be incomplete and inaccurate award data on OMBs
single searchable website.
US Code:
42
USC 1861 Name of Law: The National Science Foundation
The Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) of 2006 (P.L.
109-282)requires agencies to make award and sub-award information
available to be searched by the public in a single searchable
website developed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
This requirement is adding burden to the overall collection.
$0
No
No
Uncollected
Uncollected
Uncollected
Uncollected
Suzanne Plimpton
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.