Supporting Statement_National TeachersSummer Institute_Dec_2014

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

United States Patent and Trademark Office

National Teachers’ Summer Institute

OMB CONTROL NO. 0651-0077

December 2014

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Necessity of Information Collection

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) requests review of an information collection request associated with the National Summer Teacher Institute on, Innovation, STEM, and Intellectual Property (NSTI) offered in support of USPTO’s ongoing education and outreach programming as outlined in the 2014-2018 USPTO Strategic Plan, Department of Commerce Innovation initiatives, and in support of agency commitments made as part of the WH Maker Fair Initiative.Initiative . The National Summer Teacher’s Institute was launched in the summer of 2014. The first Institute took place in Santa Clara,California at Mission College. This four-day professional development training  for 40 middle and high school teachers from around the country included presenters from various federal agencies, industry, academia, and the non-profit sector. Scientists, researchers, and inventors were included among the presenters and teachers had the opportunity to visit a NASA research facility.. The NSTI focus was on helping teachers incorporate making, inventing, and intellectual property creation and protection into STEM lesson plans and classroom instruction.  Teachers were provided with a variety of tools designed to challenge young innovators and entrepreneurs to make, improve, and repurpose inventions described in expired patents. The Science of Innovation collection , a project created through a joint project between the USPTO and NSF and produced by NBC Learn, was introduced as an additional resource for teachers to use in classroom to link STEM to Innovation. .The Institute is part of the USPTO’s ongoing efforts to foster innovation, competitiveness and economic growth domestically and abroad by providing relevant intellectual property, innovation and invention resources to school administrators, teachers, students and parents

The USPTO 2014-2018 Strategic Plan Goal III, 1.D. requires that the USPTO “Provide domestic education outreach at all levels, including through distance learning, knowledge enhancements and capacity building. In addition USPTO Management Goal 3 calls for enhancement of internal and external relations, including stakeholder partnernships and collaborations and support for Government-wide efforts to promote STEM education initiatives. The NSTI is one example of how USPTO is fulfilling the Plan. In order to obtain a broad range of participants for the NSTI, the USPTO must collect data related to courses taught, teaching experience, and school district demographics.

Table 1: Statute and Rule Citations

Requirement	Statute	Rule
Teacher’s Summer Institute Application (NSTI 1)	35 USC 2(a)(2) and (b)(11)	N/A
Teacher’s Summer Institute Participant Survey (NSTI 2)	35 USC 2(a)(2) and (b)(11)	N/A
Teacher’s Summer Institute Webinar Survey (NSTI 3)	35 USC 2(a)(2) and (b)(11)	N/A

2. Needs and Uses

This program receives information from applicants requesting to participate in the National Summer Teachers Institute program and certifying that they are educators with at least 3 years’ experience and who 1) have taught in STEM or innovation related fields during the preceding academic year; 2) plan to teach in a STEM or innovation related field this upcoming academic year; and 3) commit to incorporate the learnings from the Teacher Summer Institute into their curriculum, where applicable, and cooperate with sharing lessons/outcomes with teachers and PTO.

The surveys, in this collection, will primarily be conducted electronically using either a survey tool or e-mail. In-person surveys may potentially be conducted. All applications for the institute must be submitted electronically through the USPTO website.

The information collected, maintained and used in this collection is based on OMB and USPTO guidelines. This includes the basic information quality standards established in the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), in OMB Circular A-130, and in the OMB and USPTO information quality guidelines.

Table 2: Needs and Uses

Form and Function	Form #	Needs and Uses
National Teachers’ Summer Institute Application	NSTI 1	Use allows teachers to apply to the Teacher Summer Institute. Allows USPTO to select a range of participants in the Institute.
Teacher’s Summer Institute Participant Survey (NSTI 2)	NSTI 2	Use provides a feedback tool for those involved in the institute. Allows USPTO feedback to understand program participants and prepare programs enhancements.
Teacher’s Summer Institute Webinar Survey (NSTI 3)	NSTI3	Use provides a feedback tool for those involved in program webinars. Allows USPTO to understand webinar participants and their particular needs and interests.

2. Use of Information Technology

Applications will be submitted electronically through the www.uspto.gov/education website.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

This information is collected to determine whether the applicant is eligible for pilot program. It does not duplicate information or collection of data found elsewhere.

5. Minimizing the Burden to Small Entities

No significant impact is placed on small entities.

6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection

This information is collected only as required to process an application for participation in the program. This information is not collected elsewhere. Therefore, this collection of information could not be conducted less frequently. If this information were not collected, the USPTO would not be able to host this event.

7. Special Circumstances in the Conduct of Information Collection

There are no special circumstances associated with this collection of information.

8. Consultation Outside the Agency

The USPTO worked closely with both the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Science Teachers Association in developing materials used in connection with the the program and they can be consulted, as needed, in providing feedback on the program and any information collection activities.  The USPTO also solicits general public comments regarding its information collections.  No public comments were submitted in regards to this collection.

8. Payment or Gifts to Respondents

This information collection does not involve a payment or an award to select respondents. For teachers selected to participate in the Teacher Summer Institute, the USPTO will extend invitational travel for individuals selected who live outside of a 50 mile radius of the Institute venue.

8. Assurance of Confidentiality.

The USPTO will comply with the Privacy Act of 1974.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

None of the information collected is considered to be of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimate of Hour and Cost Burden to Respondents

Table 3 calculates the anticipated burden hours and costs of this information collection to the public to be an estimated $8052.92 based on the following factors:

• Respondent Calculation Factors

The USPTO estimates that it will receive 500 applications per year.

• Burden Hour Calculation Factors

The USPTO estimates that it takes the public approximately between 5 – 30 minutes to complete the items in this collection, depending on the nature of the information. This includes the time to gather the necessary information, prepare the application and submit it and any supplemental supporting materials, to the USPTO.

• Cost Burden Calculation Factors

Respondent costs are estimated at one rate:

• $27.61 per hour: the median rate for secondary school teachers, (source: BLS website).

Table 3: Burden Hour/Burden Cost to Respondents

Item	Time (a)	Responses (yr) (b)	Burden (hrs/yr) (c) (a) x (b)	Rate ($/hr) (d)	Total Cost ($/hr) (e) (c) x (d)
Teacher’s Summer Institute Application (NSTI 1)	30 minutes	500	250	$27.61	$6902.50
Teacher’s Summer Institute Participant Survey (NSTI 2)	10 minutes	100	16.67	$27.61	$460.17
Teacher’s Summer Institute Webinar Participant Survey (NSTI 3)	5 minutes	300	25	$27.61	$690.25
Total		900	291.67		$8052.92

13. Total Annualized Cost Burden

As all applications are accepted electronically there are no postage costs associated with this information collection. No processing costs or other costs are imposed on repsondents. The total cost burden of this collection is therefore $0 dollars.

14. Annual Cost to the Federal Government

The USPTO’s total estimated cost for processing the information in this collection is estimated at $ 5,001 per year. The estimated cost for processing the applications is as follows:

It is estimated that a GS-9, step 3, will take 3 minutes (0.05 hours) to review the applications for completeness. The hourly rate for a GS-9, step 3, is currently $26.65 according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s 2014 wage chart, including locality pay for the Washington, DC area. When 30% is added to account for a fully loaded hourly rate (benefits and overhead), the rate per hour for a GS-9, step 3 is $34.64 ($26.65+ $7.99).

It is estimated that a GS-14 step 1, will take 5 minutes (0.08 hours) to apply selection critertia to the application. The hourly rate for a GS-14, step 1, is currently $50.92 according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s 2014 wage chart, including locality pay for the Washington, DC area. When 30% is added to account for a fully loaded hourly rate (benefits and overhead), the rate per hour for a GS-14, step 1 is $66.19 ($50.92 + $15.28).

Table 4: Burden Hour/Burden Cost to the Federal Government

Item	Hours (a)	Responses (yr) (b)	Burden (hrs/yr) (c) (a) x (b)	Rate ($/hr) (d)	Total Cost ($/hr) (e) (c) x (d)
Teacher Summer Institute Application GS 9, step 3 Attorney, GS 14, step 1	0.05 0.08	500 50	25 4	$34.64 $66.19	$866.00 $264.76
Total		550	29	- - - -	$1,130.76

15. Reason for Change in Burden

This is collection was approved by OMB under emergency review on June 19, 2014. OMB approved the collection for six months to accommodate a full renewal cycle with public comment periods. The collection was orgininally approved for 500 responses and 250 burden hours.

Hourly Burden

This renewal request maintains that same number of responses and burden for the main application. In addition to the application, however, two surveys are being added to the collection. This results in a total of 900 possible respondents, with 292 burden hours.

The overall number of respondents for this collection increases by 400 respondents and adds an additional 42 hours of burden. The associated hourly costs also rise by $1,150.42; from an $6902.50 approved in 2014 to the $8052.92 presently a part of the collection.

Cost Burden

The previous approval included a cost burden of $6,903. This was improperly declared as a cost burden when it instead reflected the hourly cost burden associated with the hourly burden; a number that is different from the direct cost burden approvals. This collection doesn’t have any costs ($0.00) associated with it. Therefore this collection has a cost burden reduction of $6,903.

16. Project Schedule

There is no plan to publish this information for statistical use.

17. Display of Expiration Date of OMB Approval

The form in this information collection will display the OMB Control Number and the OMB expiration date.

18. Exception to the Certificate Statement

This collection of information does not include any exceptions to the certificate statement.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection of information does not employ statistical methods.

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