sub-study for 2022 BRAIN initiative meeting

Request for Approval under the “Conference, Meeting, Workshop, and Poster Session Registration Generic Clearance (OD)”

(OMB#: 0925-0740 Exp Date: 07/2022)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: 2022 Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative Meeting Registration

PURPOSE: The purpose of this information collection is to collect general registrant information (e.g., name, institution, and contact information), project details/abstracts, and proposals for symposia from the BRAIN Initiative Meeting attendees who will attend the 2022 BRAIN Initiative Meeting on June 21-22, 2022. Submitted symposia proposals and abstracts will be reviewed by internal NIH committees responsible for planning the meeting activities and will be used to identify speakers/panelists.  In order for the meeting to be as inclusive and diverse as possible, meeting registrants will have an option to provide information about their background, in addition to submitting posters.  In addition, the project information and information about the meeting registrants’ knowledge about the BRAIN Initiative's Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP) will inform plans for meeting sessions, networking opportunities, and associate dialogue surrounding NIH diversity, equity, and inclusion goals during the event. 

Because this meeting may be a hybrid meeting where some attendees may participate in person, we plan to collect information about in-person attendees’ vaccination status as well.  Current HHS public health regulations require any in-person attendees for events larger than 50-persons to provide information about vaccination status.  Whether or not collection of this information will be needed and the method of collection may change as public health guidelines evolve.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Respondents are meeting registrants including National Institutes of Health (NIH)-, National Science Foundation (NSF)-, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)-, and Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA)- funded investigators and associated scientific staff (e.g., postdocs) from academic and private institutions around the country who will attend the NIH sponsored 2022 BRAIN Initiative Meeting on June 21-22, 2022 in Bethesda, MD. Respondents also include federal staff (NIH, NSF, DARPA, IARPA, FDA), BRAIN Initiative-related investigators who do not receive federal funding (e.g., Allen Institute, HHMI/Janelia, Human Brain Project, etc.), the media, members of congress, patient/advocacy groups, and members of the public.

The online registration form is similar for all meeting attendees and will automatically display additional questions regarding funded projects only if appropriate. All meeting attendees have the option of completing a symposium proposal, while researchers and trainees have the ability to also submit abstracts. It is conceivable that an attendee would need to register, submit a symposium proposal, and submit an abstract, so this scenario was used to estimate the time required for these forms.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ x] Abstract [ ] Application

[x ] Registration Form [ ] Other:

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.

Name: Sophia Jeon, Ph.D. Health Science Policy Analyst, NINDS OSPP

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:

Personally Identifiable Information:

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

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

Gifts or Payments:

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

Amount: ___________

Explanation for incentive: (include number of visits, etc.)

ESTIMATED BURDEN HOURS and COSTS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent	Time per Response (in hours)	Total Burden Hours
Private Sector	3500	1	45/60	2625
Totals	3500	3500		2625

COST TO RESPONDENT

Category of Respondent	Total Burden Hours	Wage Rate*	Total Burden Cost
Private sector:	2625	$43.22	$113,453
Totals			$113,453

*Hourly wage rates for 19-1029 Biological Scientists is $43.22 (based on http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes191029.htm).

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $14,187.

Staff	Grade/Step	Salary*	% of Effort	Fringe (if applicable)	Total Cost to Gov’t
Federal Oversight:
Health Science Policy Analyst	14/6	$147,272	3%		$4,418
Health Policy Administrative Officer	13/2	$110,384	5%		$5,519
Contractor Cost (optional):
Contractor 1		$67,500	2%		$1,350
Contractor 2		$58,000	5%		$2,900
Travel (optional)
Other Cost (optional)
Total					$14,187

*https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2022/DCB.pdf

The selection of 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

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.

BRAIN Initiative meetings occur annually and include, first and foremost, participants who are federal grantees of the US BRAIN Initiative. Abstracts are requested of all federally funded projects. Projects currently funded by NIH can be found on the NIH BRAIN Initiative website (www.braininitiative.nih.gov). Other participating federal agencies provide a list of their current grantees or performers. We also have a complete list of participants who attended the BRAIN Initiative meeting held in December 2015 (490 participants), in December 2016 (760 participants), in April 2018 (950 participants), in April 2019 (1260), June 2020 virtual (4000), and June 2021 virtual (3500). Note that the 2015 meeting was not widely advertised and only had select open sessions.

We will not sample the entire investigator and trainee population but will collect from either Investigators or Trainees 1 abstract per one unique BRAIN Initiative related project (FY14-FY21). Additional scientists supporting federally-funded BRAIN projects may register without submitting an abstract, but this decision is made at the discretion of the research group. Other BRAIN-related investigators or trainees who do not receive federal funding are identified by non-federal groups (e.g., Allen Institute, European Human Brain Project) that publicly and significantly contribute to the Initiative or collaborate with it, and have indicated interest in attending the meeting.

Federal staff are comprised of federal employees and/or contractors who support their agency’s contribution to the BRAIN Initiative and are self-identified at each agency. Members of the media are identified by communications offices from Institutes/Centers participating in the NIH BRAIN Initiative. Additionally, announcements are posted to science media outlets/listservs (e.g., AAAS Eureka Alerts). Members of Congress (and/or their designated staffer) will include current elected officials, with input from the legislative offices of ICs participating in the NIH BRAIN Initiative.

For patient/advocacy groups, lists of groups likely interested and/or invested in the Initiative will be referenced. These lists are held by the communications offices of ICs participating in the NIH BRAIN Initiative, and recommendations from other federal agencies will be requested. For additional members of the general public, information about the meeting will be posted and updated on the NIH BRAIN Initiative website with a request to contact [email protected] with registration inquiries.

Administration of the Instrument

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

[x] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Survey form

[ ] Chart Abstraction

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers, facilitators, or research coordinators be used? [ ] Yes [x] No

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