Justification for Nonsubstantive Change PIF 2019-02-13

Justification for Change

3137-0092 Generic Clearance for IMLS Grant Forms: Program Information Sheet

IMLS is requesting a change to a previously approved clearance in order to change the grant Program Information Sheet into a Grants.gov fillable form. The current OMB approval expiration date of 08/31/21 remains the same.

Request abstract:

In this clearance submission (3137-0092) and justification, IMLS is requesting a non-substance change to a previously approved clearance for the forms used in the applications to its grant programs.

Program Information Sheet:

In preparation for IMLS to adopt the grant information management system from the National Endowment for the Humanities, IMLS is taking several of its current forms and making them Grants.gov compatible. This will allow data completed by the applicants to be immediately transferred from Grants.gov and ingested into the NEH eGMS system, beginning with the FY20 grant cycle.

In the last three year clearance approval, the Program Information Sheet was approved for use in FY19. IMLS also submitted the first two eGMS/Grants.gov forms where the Program Information Sheet was broken into sections. These forms were approved as a step towards implementation. The requested information, unique to IMLS grant programs, was balanced with the SF-424, removing duplication, for a shorter IMLS specific form about institutional types and information. Most of that information is used to determine applicant organizational eligibility.

With this request, IMLS is finishing the reconstruction of the Program Information Sheet into two separate program forms—one for library applicants and one for museum applicants. There are many benefits to this new approach. Applicants will only see the form that applies to the program they are interested in. This will reduce confusion, errors and time that the applicants spend figuring out which questions to answer.

The respondent burden should be less once the forms are implemented through Grants.gov in FY2020. IMLS will test the forms to determine the actual reduction in burden once the NEH portion of the system for IMLS goes live in October 2019.