SUPPORTING STATEMENT A
Fellowship Management System
OMB No. 0920-0765
Project Contact: Elinor Greene
Office of the Director
Scientific Education and Professional Development Program Office
Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, NE, MS – E-92
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 404-498-6156
Fax: 404-498-6650
Submission Date: December 1, 2010
FELLOWSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A. JUSTIFICATION
1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary
This Information Collection Request (ICR), OMB No. 0920-0765 with expiration date of February 28, 2011, is for a revision with changes of a currently approved information collection. The current information collection is comprised of data collected electronically through the Fellowship Management System (FMS) for CDC fellowships located in the Scientific Education and Professional Development Program Office (SEPDPO), Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services (OSELS). These data collection instruments are the FMS Application and the FMS Directory. The application and directory for the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) fellowship (Attachments 3 and 4) are provided as examples of the FMS information and data collection. FMS allows applicants to apply to fellowships online and allows alumni to update their personal information after graduation from the fellowship. FMS tracks fellowship applicants and alumni in one integrated database.
SEPDPO creates and executes training and service programs that develop competent public health professionals to ensure a sustainable public health workforce. SEPDPO plans, manages, and directs the following professional fellowship training programs: Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), Preventive Medicine Residency and Fellowship (PMR/F), Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP), Prevention Effectiveness Fellowship Program (PEFP), Public Health Prevention Service (PHPS), Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), Presidential Management Fellows (PMF), The CDC Experience Fellowship in Applied Epidemiology for Medical Students, CDC-Hubert Global Health Fellowship, and the CDC-Epidemiology Elective for Medical and Veterinary Students.
The FMS information collection instruments [Attachments 3 and 4] collect data from professionals in public health, epidemiology, medicine, economics, information science, veterinary medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public policy, the law, and related professions, and medical, veterinary, and graduate students who apply to SEPDPO fellowship programs and fellowship alumni. The previous information collection request, approved February 20, 2008, included applications for implementation of FMS for seven fellowships. Additionally, the previous ICR requested permission to develop a directory for two fellowships (EIS and PMR/F).
Since implementation of the electronic FMS system for those fellowship applications and directories, this electronic system has proven successful for managing and improving the accuracy of information collection for applicants and alumni. This success supports expansion of the electronic system to include additional fellowships. Additionally, this proposed revision will allow SEPDPO to manage the application and directory functions for the CDC Public Health Apprentice Program (PHAP) and for a new workforce training program proposed for FY2011, the CDC Prevention Corps (CPC). Specifically, this ICR for revision includes the following additions:
Two fellowship applications — CDC-Hubert Global Health fellowship and a combined application for the CDC Public Health Apprentice Program (PHAP) and CDC Prevention Corps (CPC), a new workforce training program proposed for FY2011
Ten fellowship directories — PHIFP, PEFP, PHPS, The CDC Experience fellowship in Applied Epidemiology for Medical Students , CDC-Epidemiology Elective for Medical and Veterinary Students, CDC-Hubert Global Health, ELP, PMF, PHAP, and CPC
Each year, SEPDPO fellowships receive approximately 922 application packages for review and selection of approximately 230 fellows. Approximately 230 fellows graduate from these programs each year. Over the years, nearly 4,600 alumni have completed the SEPDPO fellowships. PHAP receives approximately 200 application packages for review, selects approximately 50 fellows each year, and has 80 alumni. SEPDPO and PHAP combined receive approximately 1122 application packages each year. The addition of the two fellowship program applications and the ten fellowship program directories require changes to the burden tables.
This ICR for revision includes changes to instructions, as well as changes to some questions asked of fellowship applicants and alumni, for clarity and to obtain all necessary information. For example, fellowships that accept non-US citizens have a need to request information related to visa issuance dates. Other revisions to questions take into account differences in eligibility requirements. For example, while some fellowship programs are open to a broad range of professionals, two fellowships (EIS and PMR/F) accept physicians and veterinarians only if licensed to practice in U.S. licensing jurisdictions. The applications for those two fellowships include the question, “Do you have a current, full, and unrestricted medical license or veterinary medical license to practice in a U.S. licensing jurisdiction?” Minor changes in questions to improve clarity for applicants and alumni may be necessary after approval of this ICR.
This expansion of the FMS database will further eliminate the need for duplicate data collection and will decrease burden on respondents. The previous approved data collection included voluntary application to seven fellowships in FMS, while this revision increases the number to ten fellowships. Additionally, the previous approved data collection allowed voluntary updating of alumni directories for only two fellowships, whereas this revision will allow alumni of twelve fellowships to update their information, a majority of whom will remain employed by the federal government. The increase in burden resulting from expanding the number of fellowships and directories in FMS is presented in the burden tables. The changes to the information collection are included in Attachments 3 and 4.
With the proposed revisions to the information collection, FMS will provide an efficient and integrated electronic system that will promote the use of secure data and information system standards to improve the timeliness, accuracy, completeness, and consistency of the data collection.
This collection of information and data from health professionals is authorized by the Public Health Services Act, Title III. General Powers and Duties of Public Health Services. Section 301 (241)a. Research and Investigations Generally.
Privacy Impact Assessment
An overview of the data collection system, listing of the items of information collected, and indication of associated websites are provided below.
Overview of the Data Collection System
FMS allows applicants to apply to CDC fellowships online and tracks fellowship alumni in one integrated database. Applicants choosing to apply to one or more CDC fellowships enter their information once and alumni who choose to participate in the alumni directory have the option of updating their information once every three years, or when their information changes. Information about alumni who provide consent is included in standard downloadable reports, including the alumni directory and a listing of current fellows. Alumni can use the directory to facilitate networking, per their request. Data from FMS are used for processing application data, selecting qualified candidates, maintaining a current alumni database, documenting the impact of the fellowships, and generating reports.
Items of Information to be Collected
Information in identifiable form (IIF) collected from applicants includes name, mailing address, phone numbers, email address, education records, and employment status. Collected information that is not IIF includes fellowship entry year, citizenship and visa information, professional license, work experience, volunteer activities, research grants, presentations, publications, interests, skills, and abilities.
Identification of Website(s) and Website Content Directed at Children Under 13 Years of Age
The information collection involves a Web-based data collection interface for individuals to apply to fellowships and for alumni to update their information. The website does not have any content directed at children less than 13 years of age. Cookies are used to obtain new session identification when an applicant or an alumnus navigates to the login screen. The website contains a privacy policy and rules of conduct.
2. Purpose and Use of Information Collection
The fellowship staff use the information requested of applicants for the selection process and to determine candidates’ qualifications and their potential for success in the fellowships and their ensuing careers. Information updates requested of alumni allow CDC to maintain a current, centralized electronic database that includes email and other contact information, professional responsibilities, medical certifications, qualifications, and scientific skills in the event that it becomes necessary to contact alumni or current fellows possessing mission-critical skills to meet a national public health emergency or an urgent public health need. Scientific skills and qualifications of current fellows and alumni reside in one database, eliminating duplicate information. When an urgent public health need for specific skills or qualifications occurs, a search of the database will generate the required information. Alumni data are also used to document the impact of the fellowships on the career paths of participants, and thus, on the science and practice of public health. Lastly, alumni can also use the directory for maintaining professional networks for finding jobs, staffing jobs, collaborating, and interacting with other fellow alumni.
Alumni have two options for the level of information they wish to be visible to other alumni of their fellowship. They have the option of displaying only their name and fellowship year or all of their information. The default is to display only their name and fellowship year, information which is already in the public domain.
Data from FMS is necessary for processing applications, selecting qualified candidates, maintaining a current alumni database, documenting the impact of the fellowships on alumni careers, and generating reports. The electronic system provides for more timely receipt and processing of fellowship program applications. FMS provides technology to validate completeness of applications; therefore, time associated with screening applications for completeness is saved as compared to the amount of time associated with processing when a paper system is used.
Timeliness of data collected through the alumni tracking process is not as critical as that for the application component; however, FMS provides a direct mechanism for alumni to rapidly access the system to update their own professional information at their convenience. If the electronic system were not available, a paper-based system for collecting the information would be required. Also, if FMS was not used, a robust system for facilitating and maintaining professional networks, finding jobs, staffing jobs, and collaborating and interacting with fellow alumni would not be available for alumni.
The FMS supports information collection of applications and alumni information for CDC-funded programs that help ensure a prepared, diverse, sustainable workforce through experiential fellowships and high-quality training programs.
Privacy Impact Assessment Information
SEPDPO uses the information collected through the password- and firewall-protected FMS to efficiently process application data, improve the selection of qualified candidates, maintain a current alumni database, and generate reports using available data elements in the FMS database. FMS data are inaccessible to the general public. The information collection through the FMS allows CDC to more effectively process applications and enhances more efficient management of the fellowship training programs. Data elements collected and sample screen shots for the EIS fellowship are provided as examples in Attachments 3 and 4. Additionally, the small number of data elements collected for the other fellowship programs that are different from those collected for the EIS fellowship are provided in Appendix B of Attachments 3 and 4.
The CDC fellowship staff uses the information requested of applicants to process applications, select qualified candidates, maintain a current alumni database, document the impact of the fellowships on alumni careers, and generate reports. The data elements accessible and available for sharing among fellows and alumni of a given fellowship include the applicant’s name, mailing address, phone numbers, e-mail address, education records, and employment status. The accessible information allows alumni to use the directory for facilitating networking, finding jobs, and filling positions.
The proposed data collection will have little to no effect on the applicants’ privacy. No sensitive information is collected. The categories of information collected in identifiable form is minimal and includes the applicant’s name, mailing address, phone numbers, e-mail address, education records, and employment status, information critical for assessing eligibility of applicants and communicating with applicants.
3. Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction
One hundred percent (100%) of the information and data collection from the fellowship applicants (application) and alumni (directory) is obtained electronically, via FMS. This data collection method allows for electronic submission of responses, eliminates cumbersome paper processing, reduces errors, and allows for a smoother application process and more efficient collection of information from applicants and alumni. Applicants choosing to apply to one or more CDC fellowships enter their information once and alumni who choose to participate in the alumni directory have the option of providing updates to their information once every three years, or when their information changes. FMS has not been modified since the previous approved version and includes only the minimum data elements necessary to satisfy the requirements for application submission and processing.
This information and data collection system assures compliance with the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), Public Law 105-277, title XVII, 1998, lowers the burden to the respondent, as compared to paper applications, allows individuals to submit information to CDC electronically, and provides capabilities for CDC to maintain records electronically.
4. Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information
The required information is not readily available from any other source. These data are collected for completion of the applications and for updating the directories of the fellowships as described previously in this ICR. These data are requested only via FMS and no other CDC component requests this information. There are no duplications of this data.
5. Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities
No small businesses have been, are, or will be involved in this data collection. Data are collected from medical and veterinary students, as well as from individual physicians, dentists, veterinarians, nurses, epidemiologists, educators, pharmacists, attorneys, economists, statisticians, graduates of MPH programs, and others. These represent a large part of the target audience of fellowship candidates and alumni who enter information via FMS. The information requested is required for those who choose to apply to a fellowship and is voluntary for the alumni directory. The questions have been held to the minimum required for the intended use of the data.
6. Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently
The timeliness of data collected during the application process is critical for an applicant to become a fellowship candidate. Each fellowship has an annual process that includes a start date, when applications will first be accepted, and a cut-off date, when applications will no longer be accepted for a given fellowship year. If fellowship program staff does not receive applications during the stated application period, a new class of fellows will not be able to start. Application data will be collected through FMS once per applicant. Applicants will have the opportunity to update their information in the event that they apply to other fellowships or to the same fellowship again in subsequent years.
Timeliness of data collected through the alumni tracking process is not as critical. It is estimated that alumni will update their data the first time upon graduation and every three years thereafter.
There are no legal obstacles to reduce the burden.
7. Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines of CFR 1320.5
This request fully complies with the regulation 5 CFR 1320.5.
8. Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice and Efforts to Consult Outside the Agency
The agency’s notice of proposed revision to an existing data collection was printed in the Federal Register on September 30, 2010, Volume 75, Number 189, pages 60460-60461 (See Appendix 4, Attachment 2). A non-substantive comment was received in response to the notice. No changes were made to the proposed project based on this response, as the public comment did not relate to the utility and scope as proposed.
CDC enlisted the management and consulting firm, BearingPoint, Inc., in 2007 to develop specifications, to code, and to manage the FMS project. In the spring of 2009, BearingPoint was purchased by Deloitte Consulting, LLC, a management and technology-consulting firm. The staff providing services for the FMS have remained the same throughout. Deloitte’s headquarters are located at 1633 Broadway New York, NY 10019 and Atlanta office is at 191 Peachtree Street, Northeast Atlanta, GA 30303. David Friedman, Director, Federal Government Services, Deloitte Consulting, LLP is the Deloitte point of contact and can be reached at [email protected] or 678-517-3953. Within CDC, fellowship directors, education specialists and evaluators, fellowship alumni working at CDC, and SEPDPO’s IT department were consulted regarding business information requirements and the design and use of the FMS.
9. Explanation of any Payments or Gifts to Respondents
There are no payments or gifts provided to respondents.
10. Assurance of Confidentiality Provided to Respondents
FMS continues to include only the minimum data elements necessary to satisfy the requirements for application submission and processing. The categories of information in identifiable form (IIF) collected from applicants include name, mailing address, phone numbers, email address, education records, and employment status. Collected information that are not IIF include fellowship entry year, citizenship and visa information, professional license, work experience, volunteer activities, research grants, presentations, publications, interests, skills, and abilities. Personal identifiable information is stored on the CDC Microsoft SQL Server database and is available only through the FMS application to SEPDPO administrative personnel and IT staff.
IRB is not required for this information collection system. This data collection is not considered research based on the description and justification and based on the definition of research as defined by the federal policy for the protection of human subjects (45 CFR 46) (Attachment 5, Research Determination Memorandum).
Privacy Impact Assessment Information
This submission has been reviewed by staff in the CDC Information Collection Request Office who determined that the Privacy Act does apply. The applicable System of Records Notice is 09-20-0112, "Fellowship Program and Guest Researcher Records" HHS/CDC/AHRC.B. Data are password protected and reside on a server managed by CDC’s Information Technology Services Office (ITSO) under strict physical security. ITSO Data Center personnel have access to the physical server. Registrant data will not be sold, rented, or shared with third parties for their promotional use. All data are maintained behind a strict firewall with security protection.
All modules in FMS are front-end web pages with a backend database, automating existing manual processes accessed by applicants for fellowship program slots. The applications are submitted through the Internet. All modules of FMS run on IIS web servers supported by ITSO. FMS modules are developed with Active Server Pages (ASP). FMS modules will use a firewall permit in order for the application to access stored procedures and data on a Microsoft SQL Server running in a Designated Server Site (DSS).Data are stored on a secure Microsoft SQL Server database located behind the CDC firewall. Access to information on the CDC Microsoft SQL Server database is available only through the proposed FMS application to SEPDPO administrative personnel and IT staff. Security provisions for data storage meet all requirements established by CDC’s Information Council Executive Committee (CICEC). The Privacy Act statement will be included on all screens stating, “Furnishing the information requested is voluntary.”
Individuals who wish to apply to a fellowship do not require consent to apply. Upon logging in to apply, applicants are informed, immediately that their information will not be shared and will be used only by the fellowship to which they are applying during the initial review and selection process. Each time alumni log on to their fellowship directory, they are asked, immediately if they wish to share their information with other alumni who have access to the directory (See statement in Appendix 4, Attachment 4, Instructions and Electronic Consent). If a respondent consents, his or her information will be visible to other alumni who also participate in the fellowship directory. If a respondent does not consent, only his or her name and fellowship year, which already are in the public domain, will be visible to other alumni who participate in the fellowship directory.
Participation in the alumni directory is voluntary and fellows will be encouraged to participate in their fellowship’s directory immediately upon graduation. All data are merged from the fellowship application into the alumni directory for each alumnus. There is no need to re-enter data, only to check for current accuracy and update if necessary. Fellowship alumni associations, newsletters, and e-mails will remind and encourage alumni to participate in their fellowship directories. Announcements and reminders will include a link to the alumni directories to facilitate participation. The data collected for the application and directory are needed to process application data, select qualified candidates, maintain a current alumni database, document the impact of the fellowships on alumni careers, and generate reports. Personally identifiable information will be stored and retrieved by appropriate CDC fellowship staff but will not be published.
11. Justification for Sensitive Questions
No questions of a sensitive nature are asked of respondents.
12. Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours and Costs
A. Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
An applicant will take an average of 40 minutes to complete the application, once; however, some applicants not accepted into a fellowship may complete the application once in repeated years. The fellowships receive approximately 1120 application packages each year, of these, approximately 920 applications are received by SEPDPO fellowships and 200 are received by PHAP. For an alumnus, one response is requested approximately every three years, requiring approximately 10-15 minutes to update existing data in the directory. Approximately 230 fellows become alumni each year and the fellowships have approximately 1360 alumni total. It is hoped that fellowship alumni will update their information in the directory every three years, for a maximum total annual respondent burden of 862 hours.
The total number of respondents for the fellowship applications has increased each year from 685 to 1,122 since the initial OMB approval of the FMS ICR. This increase is a result of the growing number of applicants requesting acceptance into the fellowship programs, the addition of two new fellowship applications, and the expansion to include 12 fellowship directories in FMS. Total burden hours are calculated by multiplying the number of respondents by the number of responses per respondent by the average number of hours required for each response. Alumni who remain employed by the federal government are not included in the burden tables.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours*
Type of respondents |
Number of respondents |
Frequency of Response |
Average annualized burden per response (in hours) |
Average total response burden in hours |
Fellowship applicants |
1122 |
1 |
40/60 |
748 |
Fellowship alumni* |
454 |
1 |
15/60 |
114 |
Total |
1576 |
|
|
862 |
* Some alumni are deceased or cannot be located. Response burden assumes response from an individual responding alumnus, on average, every 3 years (which is likely an overestimate of frequency).
Note: Both fellowship applicants and alumni respond to the same instrument in FMS.
The estimates of time are based on reports by current fellows who submitted applications through FMS, and EIS alumni who updated their directories as full-time employees of the CDC. The average time to input application information by an applicant is 40 minutes and the average time for an alumnus to update information is 15 minutes.
Average time to input application by applicant |
40 minutes |
Average time to update information in alumni directory |
15 minutes |
B. Estimates of Annualized Cost to Respondents
The estimates of annualized cost burden for applicants were developed first by calculating the number of applicants who apply to each fellowship and the salaries of those applicants when they apply, next by determining the percentage of applicants for each fellowship relative to the total number of applicants to all fellowships, and then by taking a weighted average of applicant salaries across the fellowships. The estimates of annualized cost burden for alumni was developed by first determining the average salary of alumni for each fellowship and then taking a weighted average of alumni salaries across the fellowships. The only cost to the respondent is the time involved to enter the data. The following table presents the total burden hours requested for this clearance:
The following sources were used to determine the average salaries of fellowship applicants and alumni:
Graduate Student Intern Salaries in USA, http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=GRADUATE+STUDENT+INTERN&l1=US
Salary Table GS, 2010: http://www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/index.asp
US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm
Estimated Annualized Burden Costs*
Type of respondents |
Number of respondents |
Frequency of Response |
Average time per Response (in hours) |
Average Hourly Wage Rate |
Total Respondent Cost |
Fellowship applicants |
1122 |
1 |
40/60 |
21.93 |
$16,403.64 |
Fellowship alumni* |
454 |
1 |
15/60 |
58.03 |
$6,586.41 |
Total |
1576 |
|
|
|
$22,990.05 |
* Some alumni are deceased or cannot be located. Response burden assumes response from an individual responding alumnus, on average, every 3 years (which is likely an overestimate of frequency).
13. Estimate of Other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents or Record Keepers
There are no other capital or maintenance costs to respondents.
14. Annualized Cost to the Government
The estimated cost to develop and maintain the system over three years is $2,220,000. The annualized cost to the government is $740,000. Annualized cost to develop new systems is $240,000 and annualized operations and maintenance cost is $500,000.
Item |
Cost Categories |
Annualized Cost to Federal Government |
Development Cost |
Project Management* |
$70,000.00 |
|
Business Analyst* |
$38,000.00 |
|
Programming & QA* |
$59,000.00 |
|
ITSO Infrastructure* |
$7,000.00 |
|
C&A* ** + CPIC* *** |
$50,000.00 |
|
CDC FTE Costs |
$16,000.00 |
Total Development Cost |
|
$240,000.00 |
Operations & Maintenance Cost |
Project Management* |
$109,000.00 |
|
Business Analyst* |
$109,000.00 |
|
Programming & QA* |
$109,000.00 |
|
ITSO Infrastructure* |
$43,000.00 |
|
C&A* + CPIC* |
$109,000.00 |
|
CDC FTE Costs |
$21,000.00 |
Total O&M Cost |
|
$500,000.00 |
Total Annualized Cost |
|
$740,000.00 |
*Contractor Costs
** Certification and Accreditation (C&A)
*** Capital Planning Investment and Control (CPIC)
15. Explanation for Program Changes or Adjustments
This is a request for revisions (renewal with changes) to an existing data collection. Changes result from the growing number of fellowship applicants, the addition of two new fellowship applications, and the expansion to include 12 fellowship directories in FMS.
16. Plans for Tabulation and Publication and Project Time Schedule
This is a request for a three-year clearance. Internal ad hoc queries and reports will be generated using available data elements of FMS to provide statistics for SEPDPO leadership and fellowship managers. No information is published. Data elements can be seen in Attachment 3 and Attachment 4.
Timeline of Key Events following Receipt of OMB Clearance to Revision Request
Key Events |
Timeline |
|||
Receive OMB clearance |
|
|||
Start collecting application information for all fellowships |
Beginning 1 week after receipt of OMB clearance |
|||
Fellowship |
Start Collection of Application Data |
End Collection of Application Data |
Check applications for Completeness |
|
EIS |
Aug 1 |
Sep 15 |
8/1-9/15 |
|
PMR/F |
May 1 |
Oct 15 |
5/1-10/15 |
|
PHPS |
Oct 1 |
Feb 15 |
10/1-2/15 |
|
PEFP |
Oct 1 |
Feb 1 |
10/1-2/1 |
|
PHIFP |
Jul 1 |
Dec 15 |
7/1-12/15 |
|
The CDC Experience |
Sep 1 |
Dec 15 |
9/1-12/15 |
|
Epidemiology Elective, Fall Rotations |
Jan 1 |
Mar 30 |
1/1-3/30 |
|
Epidemiology Elective, Spring Rotations |
Mar 1 |
May 30 |
3/1-5/30 |
|
CDC-Hubert Global Health Fellowship |
Jan 1 |
Feb 28 |
1/1-2/28 |
|
PHAP/CPC |
Oct 1 |
Mar 15 |
10/1-3/5 |
|
Start collecting alumni information from all fellowships |
1 week after receipt of OMB clearance |
|||
Check alumni data for completeness |
1 week after receipt of OMB clearance and every 3 months after |
|||
End data collection (Note: There is expectation that ICR for extension or revision of FMS will be generated prior to expiration so data collection can continue) |
3 years after receipt of OMB clearance |
|||
17. Reasons Display of OMB Expiration Date is Inappropriate
CDC is not requesting an exemption from displaying the expiration date.
18. Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
There are no exceptions to certification.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT |
| Author | sxp1 |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-02-01 |