fast track for BRAIN PEDP Reviewer feedback

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

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Peer Reviewer Feedback Survey Soliciting Feedback on the BRAIN Initiative Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP)

PURPOSE: The proposed information collection is a survey of individuals who have participated as reviewers of Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) from the NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative that include the Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP) application requirement. The purpose of this survey is to collect feedback and to determine the extent to which reviewers understand this new requirement, to elucidate how consideration of the PEDP integrates with their assessment of the scientific and technical merit of applications, to gauge satisfaction with the process of reviewing applications containing PEDPs, and gain insight into the perceived impact of the PEDP. The survey results will be part of assessing implementation of the PEDP requirement and will be used to inform improvements to this process for future BRAIN Initiative FOAs.

To encourage the broadest participation in transformative neuroscience research across the BRAIN Initiative portfolio, most FOAs will now include a requirement that applicants provide a PEDP. Applications submitted to BRAIN Initiative FOAs that require PEDPs are expected to integrate approaches that advance inclusivity and amplify the project’s significance, investigator(s), innovation, approach, and/or environment throughout the application as well as in an additional one-page holistic summary. PEDPs are part of the scored grant review criteria, so they will be considered very carefully when funding decisions are made. To improve the implementation of this application requirement, it is important to garner input from all stakeholders, of which, scientific peer reviewers represent a major constituent.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Survey respondents will consist of researchers and other experts who serve as peer reviewers specifically on BRAIN Initiative FOAs that contain the PEDP requirement.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

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

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

[ ] 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: Ryan Richardson, Ph.D, Health Scientist, NINDS Office of the BRAIN Director

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

3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) 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

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents *	No. of Responses Per Respondent	Time per Response (in hours)	Total Burden (Hours)
Peer reviewers of BRAIN Initiative applications containing Plans for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDPs)	200	1	10/60	33
Totals		200		33

COST TO RESPONDENT

Category of Respondent	Hours	Wage Rate*	Total Burden (Cost)
Individual: Peer reviewers of BRAIN Initiative applications containing Plans for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDPs)	33	$43.33	$1,429.89
Totals			$1,429.89

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

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $2,136

Staff	Grade/Step	Salary*	% of Effort	Fringe (if applicable)	Total Cost to Gov’t
Federal Oversight:
NINDS/OBD Staff 1	13/1	106,823	1%		$1,068
NINDS/OBD Staff 2	13/1	106,823	1%		$1,068
Contractor Cost (optional):
Travel (optional)
Other Cost (optional)
Total					$2,136

*Salary is based on current scale https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2022/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? [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?

As part of the standard and pre-existing process for Scientific Review at the NIH, we will have complete lists of peer reviewers specific to BRAIN Initiative FOAs that contain the PEDP requirement following solicitation and confirmation of these Individuals by Scientific Review Officers that support the BRAIN Initiative. We do not plan to sample this group but will instead make the survey available to all of these Individuals.

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

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

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