fast track for Support Assessment of RCMI Program

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB#: 0925-0648 Exp., date: 06/30/2024)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Support Assessment of the NIMHD Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this information collection is to gather input and feedback from RCMI program stakeholders on different aspects of program implementation. Capturing stakeholder experiences and challenges with implementing RCMI program activities, as well as observations about outcomes and progress achieved, will contribute to informing future programmatic improvements. To ensure optimal coverage in terms of number of responses needed, diversity of perspectives, and depth of insight shared by respondents, a combination of individual interviews and focus groups will be used to maximize the number of participants, and to minimize the burden on the target population and the cost associated with conducting only individual interviews. We will be conducting 12 focus group sessions with 8 participants each for a total of 96 focus group participants. We will also be conducting 34 individual interviews. There will be 130 participants total when combining both interviews and focus groups.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

Participants in the individual interviews will include Principal Investigators (PIs), Core Directors, faculty investigators, postdoctoral scholars, and administrative staff members at RCMI Centers. Participants in focus groups will include Early-stage Investigators (ESIs), Community Advisory Board (CAB) members and other community partners supporting RCMI Centers, and members of RCMI Scientific Steering Committees (SSCs).

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[X ] Focus Group [ ] 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.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name: Mike Banyas

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

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 [x] No

Gifts or Payments:

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

ESTIMATED BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent	Time per Response (in hours)	Total Burden Hours
Individuals (focus groups)	96	1	90/60	144
Individuals (Interviews)	34	1	1	34
Totals		130		178

COST TO RESPONDENT

Category of Respondent	Total Burden Hours	Hourly Wage Rate*	Total Burden Cost
Individuals (Focus Groups)	144	$27.07a	$3,898.08
Individuals (Interviews)	34	$38.15b	$1,297.1
Totals	178		$5,195.18

* Averaged mean hourly wage rate for respondents based on BLS National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for All Occupations (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000)^a; Biological Scientists (occupation code 19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#29-0000)^b

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $148,565.8

Staff	Grade/Step	Salary*	% of Effort	Fringe (if applicable)	Total Cost to Gov’t
Federal Oversight
Health Scientist Administrator	14/1	$122,530	5%		$6,126.50
Contractor Cost					$142,500
Travel
Other Cost
Total					$148,626.50

*the Salary in table above is cited from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2020/DCB.pdf

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? [ ] Yes [X ] 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?

A hybrid approach for identifying participants will be used, in which RCMI Project Principal Investigators (PIs) will be selected from a list of awardees (FY 2012-2020) provided by NIMHD. For all other participants, RCMI PIs will be asked to identify 1-3 individuals as potential participants in the individual and focus group interviews. Snowball sampling will be used afterwards to select additional interview participants from each stakeholder group. Interviews and focus groups with potential participants will be scheduled via email after the formal invitation is extended by NIMHD.

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

[ ] Other, explain (Microsoft Teams or Zoom will be used to collect interview data)

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

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

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