GENIC Template with Project Overview

Request for genIC Approval

CDC/ATSDR Formative Research and Tool Development

0920-1154

CIO: NIOSH

PROJECT TITLE: Evaluation of an Immersive VRMine Rescue Contest Simulation Exercise

PURPOSE AND USE OF COLLECTION: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD) seeks approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect feedback from mine rescue teams on the fidelity, usability, and acceptability of an immersive VRMine simulation for mine rescue team contest exercises. This portable training modality has been developed as a substitute for, or supplement to existing mandated mine rescue team contests (30 CFR § 49.18). Information will be gathered via survey administration involving interpersonal contact between the NIOSH investigators and the subjects. The purpose of this formative research activity is to generate the knowledge required to inform decisions surrounding whether and how this technology might be further developed and refined to benefit this community. This activity will be beneficial in ensuring that VRMine is an acceptable and feasible tool for use in meeting the needs of this population.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Up to five U.S. mine rescue teams (n=35) will convene for the International Miner Rescue Competition (IMRC) in Beckley, WV in April 2021. Teams, which are typically made up of a team captain, map man, gas man, stretcher bearer (2^nd gas man), tail captain, briefing officer, and team trainer, will participate in a 30-minute VR simulation activity as part of their orientation to the competition. Upon completion off the activity, individual volunteer team members and trainers will be asked to participate in the information collection.

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. Information gathered will not be used to substantially inform influential policy decisions.

5. The study is not intended to produce results that can be generalized beyond its scope.

Name: Cassandra L. Hoebbel

To assist review, please answer the following questions:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [ X] No

2. If Yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Applicable, has a System or Records Notice been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Yes [ X ] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	Form Name	No. of Respondents	Participation Time (minutes)	Burden in Hours
Individual	VRMine Rescue Competition Exercise Evaluation Survey: Exploration Team Members	25	30	12.5
Individual	VRMine Rescue Competition Exercise Evaluation Survey: Briefing Officers	5	30	2.5
Individual	VRMine Rescue Competition Exercise Evaluation Interview: Team Trainers	5	30	2.5
Total				17.5

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $16,919.76

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [X] Yes [ ] No (will have access to at the time of recruitment)

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan). If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

The universe of potential respondents will be all mine rescue teams who convene for the IMRC in Beckley, WV. Convenience sampling will be used to capture as much data as possible from all available team members who volunteer to participate.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ X ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [ X ] Yes [ ] No

Please make sure all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

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