NASA will collect information to determine which applicants meet required selection criteria and to what extent. Ten secondary educators from institutions nationwide will be selected to participate in the AREE project based on their experience and educational background.
NASA is requesting emergency approval for the collection of data, using elementary and secondary teacher application forms to support the operation of the new NASA Airborne Research Experience for Educators. This experiential project is part of the Education Flight Projects program at Dryden and will enhance teacher training to instruct the future aeronautical workforce in the United States. The emergency nature of this request is due to delays in the availability of funding to begin the program. Funding was made available recently for the program which is to begin activities in July 2009 due to schedule availability of the DC 8 aircraft. Applications for participants have to be obtained prior to the end of the traditional school year before educators have completed their 2008-2009 school years. We request that NASA be granted an emergency approval so that the Summer 2009 application process can proceed. If this emergency request is not granted the AREE program canÂt be conducted because the aircraft and the educators will not be available for AREE activities beyond the existing schedule for the Summer 2009.
We were not able to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) previous to this time because the funding was not assured for the program. This program was competitively selected by the Teaching From Space (TFS) program and selection decisions and funding awards were only recently completed.
There are only 10 educator participants in this new experiential program. It is unknown how many applicants will apply, however the commitment required of the educators and the modest stipend involve suggest that an applicant pool of 25 would presage an excellent response. The application will require no more than one hour to complete per applicant for a total of approximately 25 burden hours. This is a new Information Collection Request (ICR). The Agency Federal Register Notice will be published the week of May 18, 2009.
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.