SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION SUBMISSION, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
OMB APPROVAL NO. 3145-0080)
Justification for Collection of Data
1. CIRCUMSTANCES MAKING COLLECTION OF INFORMATION NECESSARY
The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 at 42 U.S.C. § 1862(a)(1) allows the National Science Foundation to issue “other arrangements” to “…support scientific, engineering, and educational activities and to appraise the impact of research upon industrial development and upon the general welfare.” Issuing other arrangements necessarily includes preparing and issuing requests for other arrangement proposals.
2. HOW, BY WHOM, AND PURPOSE FOR WHICH INFORMATION IS TO BE USED
Requests for Other Arrangement Proposals (RFOAPs) are used to competitively solicit proposals in response to NSF science and engineering needs. Impact will be on those individuals or organizations who elect to submit proposals in response to an RFOAP. Information gathered will be evaluated in light of NSF other arrangement requirements to determine who will be awarded an “other arrangement.”
The NSF Act of 1950, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 1870, Sec. II, states that NSF has the authority to:
“(c) enter into contracts or other arrangements, or modifications thereof, for the carrying on, by organizations or individuals in the United States and foreign countries, including other government agencies of the United States and of foreign countries, of such scientific or engineering activities as the Foundation deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act, and, at the request of the Secretary of Defense, specific scientific or engineering activities in connection with matter relating to international cooperation or national security, and, when deemed appropriate by the Foundation, such contracts or other arrangements or modifications thereof, may be entered into without legal consideration, without performance or other bonds and without regard to section 5 of title 41, U.S.C.”
Where NSF chooses to issue an “other arrangement,” NSF must receive and evaluate proposals to support NSF’s program requirements.
3. USE OF AUTOMATION
NSF has electronic submission systems for its research and engineering activities and those systems would be used for issuing other arrangements. There are no known legal obstacles to reducing the reporting burden.
4. EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY DUPLICATION
All RFOAPs are centrally controlled by one unit at NSF (Division of Acquisition and Cooperative Support) located on one floor. RFOAPs are generated in response from requirements by program areas. This virtually eliminates duplication.
5. SMALL BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS
NSF Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization will be consulted during the Market Intelligence and planning phases when drafting the RFOAP to ensure the proper inclusion of small business concerns. NSF assures that it will minimize the burden to small business concerns as well as for all other proposers to RFPs.
6. CONSEQUENCES OF LESS FREQUENT COLLECTION
Responses must be made in accordance with specific requirements of the RFOAP. Therefore, there is no similar information existing.
7. COLLECTION INCONSISTENT WITH GUIDELINES IN 5 CFR 1320.6
Collections are consistent with the guidelines.
8. FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE
The agency's notice for public comment was published in the Federal Register November 30, 2017 (82 FR 56847). We received no comments from the public.
9. GIFTS OR REMUNERATION
Not applicable.
10. CONFIDENTIALITY PROVIDED TO RESPONDENTS
NSF’s internal other arrangements guide requires that NSF complies with the Procurement Integrity Act, Freedom of Information Act, and Privacy Act. All RFOAP information will be protected in a similar fashion to procurement source selection information.
11. ESTIMATE OF BURDEN
It has been estimated that an average of approximately 558 hours per respondent are expended by the public for each proposal submitted. We also estimate 75 respondents, for a burden total of 41,850.
ANNUALIZED COST TO RESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
12. CAPITAL/STARTUP COSTS
Not applicable.
13. ANNUALIZED COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Since the function of the agency is to support science and engineering research, an estimated cost to the Federal government has not been established.
14. CHANGES IN BURDEN
Not applicable.
15. PUBLICATION OF COLLECTION
Not applicable.
16. SEEKING APPROVAL TO NOT DISPLAY OMB EXPIRATION DATE
Not applicable.
17. EXCEPTION(S) TO THE CERTIFICATION STATEMENT (19) ON OMB 83-I
No exceptions.
STATISTICAL METHODS
Not applicable.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION SUBMISSION, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS |
| Author | SPLIMPTO |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2023-08-19 |