[Federal Register: October 8, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 196)]
[Notices]               
[Page 58945]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08oc08-47]                         


[[Page 58945]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

 
Proposed Agency Information Collection

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Data Collection and Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and 
other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-103 (44 U.S.C. 3506 
(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before December 8, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: T. Fitzsimmons, SC-22.2/Germantown Building, U.S. Department 
of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585-1290.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Fitzsimmons, Office of 
Science, Office Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and 
Engineering Division, SC-22.2 Tim.Fitzsimmons@science.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Abstract: The information collected on aspects of the research 
environment will provide a number of insights on the determinants of 
scientific research advances and innovation. These can be used to 
improve the future impact of science programs. It will also help to 
build a science about science and innovation policy, as part of the 
National Science Foundation (NSF) program by that name. In addition to 
DOE funding, the NSF has funded the Center for Innovation at the 
University of Maryland to test hypotheses about the determinants of 
innovation in 72 research projects selected from five national 
laboratories of the Department of Energy and the National Oceanographic 
and Atmospheric Administration. The projects will be selected by the 
middle managers in these national laboratories to reflect four kinds of 
innovation profiles: small scope incremental innovation, small-scope 
radical innovation, large scope incremental innovation, large scope 
radical innovation. Extent and type of innovation is defined by project 
mangers and peers. The projects will be located in departments and 
centers that reflect five different scientific and engineering 
disciplines: chemistry, biology, material sciences, alternative energy, 
and geophysical science. A survey to measure the determinants of 
innovation that has been carefully developed over several years will be 
given to all members of small scope projects and at least 25 members of 
large scope projects plus a 50 percent random sample of non-members of 
these projects in the departments and centers of the national 
laboratory where the projects are located.
    Middle managers will be interviewed about the characteristics of 
their discipline to determine if the tests of the hypotheses are robust 
and independent of disciplinary effects. They will also be asked to 
report any policies for encouraging the construction of complex 
research teams and cross-fertilization, two main themes in the survey. 
This information will be used to determine if these policies increase 
communication and technical exchange within and across research teams. 
Top managers will also be interviewed about strategies to build diverse 
work teams and encourage the exchange of information. Finally, it is 
anticipated that project leaders will be interviewed several years 
later to measure the amount of innovation obtained in their projects to 
validate the assessments of the middle managers.
    2. Method of Data Collection: The Center for Innovation will 
collect this information by interviews with the managers and 
electronically with customized Research Environment Survey web sites at 
each of the research organizations to facilitate the data collection.
    This information collection request contains: (1) OMB Number New; 
(2) Information Collection Request Title: Developing the Science of 
Science and Innovation Policy: Profiles of Innovativeness and Effective 
Research Communication; (3) Type of Review: New; (4) Affected Public: 
Federal civil servants, the managers and researchers in the research 
organizations; (5) Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,800 researchers 
and 132 project leaders and managers; (6) Estimated Time per response: 
One half hour for the 1,800 researchers and one hour for the 132 
project leaders and managers; (7) Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 
900 hours for researchers and 132 hours for project leaders and the 
managers in FY 2008 and FY 2009; (8) Estimated Total Annual Cost: 
$54,510 total in FY2008 and FY2009, based on a mean hourly wage of 
$52.82 for engineering managers from the 2006 National Compensation 
Survey of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is likely that this figure 
does not include national laboratory overheard; and (9) Respondents' 
Obligation: Voluntary.
    Request for comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the data collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection. They also will become a matter of public record.

    Statutory Authority: Sec. 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 3, 2008.
Raymond L. Orbach,
Under Secretary for Science.
 [FR Doc. E8-23895 Filed 10-7-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P