Mini SSA

Mini Supporting Statement A

Introduction to Cancer Research Careers (ICRC) Application (NCI)

Sub-study under,

“Generic Clearance for Application Information for

Fellowship, Internships, Training Programs, and Specialty Positions

(National Cancer Institute)”

OMB No. 0925-0761

Expiration Date: 07/31/2025

July 13, 2022

Name: Angela R. Jones

Address: 9609 Medical Center, Room 2W-236

Bethesda, MD 20892

Telephone: 240-276-5631

Email: jonesangel@mail.nih.gov

Attachments

Attachment 1 – Application

Attachment 2 – Reference Letter

Attachment 3 – Automated Emails

Attachment 4 – PIA

Attachment 5 - Privacy Act Memo

Mini Supporting Statement A

A.1 Circumstance Making the Collection of Information Necessary 

The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Introduction to Cancer Research Careers (ICRC) fellowship program supports NCI's goal of training cancer researchers for the 21st century. Fellows who come to the NCI through the ICRC program have various educational levels (undergraduates, postbaccalaureate, graduate students) and varying fellowship periods (3 months to 5 years). Training at the NCI focuses on the development of science, professional, and career skills. Applying to the ICRC program through the ICRC website (https://icrc.nci.nih.gov/) is required for candidates to be considered for the program.

This information collection request is to implement the electronic ICRC Application. The ICRC fellowship program fulfills the requirements of the NCI training authority as established under Section 413 (b) (3) of the Public Health Service Act, 42 USC 285a-2 (b) (3), as amended pertaining to the NCI, which states that the Director, NCI, in carrying out the National Cancer Program . . . shall . . . "support appropriate programs of education and training (including continuing education and laboratory and clinical research training).” Training early-career scientists is a critical part of the NCI mission. NCI’s research enterprise is dependent upon the research efforts of these fellows. Fellows gain comprehensive experience designing and executing research studies, analyzing data, writing study results, and sometimes publishing in peer-reviewed journals.

A.2 Purpose and Use of the Information Collection

The purpose of the ICRC Application (Attachment 1) is to assure that candidates for the ICRC program meet basic eligibility requirements; to assess their potential as future scientists; to determine where mutual research interests exist, and to make decisions regarding which applicants will be proposed and approved for fellowship awards. The information is for internal use to make decisions about prospective fellows and students that could benefit from the ICRC program.

Participation in the ICRC program includes U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents from populations underrepresented in science and/or financially disadvantaged backgrounds. The full-time fellowship program may consist of college students, post-baccalaureates who have completed either college or master level degrees, or graduate students.

This request is to implement the electronic version of the ICRC Application (Attachment 1) involving approximately 120 applicants. Prospective ICRC fellows must apply directly to NCI. The ICRC Application is web-based and accessible through the NCI website: https://icrc.nci.nih.gov/.

Once the application is submitted, the system generates an email request to two references who are asked to submit a letter of recommendation on behalf of the applicant. The email links the references to an online textbox where they can type their reference letter (Attachment 2). Two reference letters are required for each applicant.

A.3 Use of Information Technology and Burden Reduction

Applicants voluntarily submit their information, and submission of an ICRC Application is required annually to be considered for the program. The online application was developed to save time and resources and lessen the burden on the applicants, references, and government employees accessing the applications.

The application is web-based. The applicant will receive an automated email confirming receipt of submission (Attachment 3). In addition, the online application system triggers 12 additional automatic emails for a variety of reasons that include: in the process (a submission that has been started but not completed), missing items on a submission, letters of reference, ineligibility, selected, not selected, or alternates for the program, visit accepted, internship offered, offer accepted emails (Attachment 3).

The applicant’s information is stored on information systems protected at all entry points by firewalls and intrusion detection devices. Information collected is only made available once an NCI account holder has requested access to the system. The ICRC Program manager will then grant access to these NCI staff (typically scientific staff members or anyone who will be interviewing candidates) who have requested access. Applications for current trainees will be kept in the system for close to one year from when they apply to when the new cycle opens.

The NCI Privacy Act Coordinator was consulted, and a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is required. (Attachment 4).

A.4 Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information

This information will not be collected anywhere else and is unique to the candidate’s application. The ICRC application is unique in that application collection begins in early September and closes in Mid-November. NIH’s application system (NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education Application (OD), OMB # 0925-0299, Expiration Date, 5/31/2024. The collection forms are either open year-round or have specific time periods for collections. This period would not work for the ICRC program.

A.5 Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities

There is no impact on small businesses or other small entities.

A.6 Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently

Applicants can apply once per year, between September and mid-November. Once they apply, they cannot modify the application. However, applicants can upload required documents once submitted up until the application deadline. ICRC staff can modify an application after it has been submitted. The ICRC Application opens annually for applicants on September 1 and closes in mid-November. This submission is anticipated to cover the 2022, 2023, and 2024 application cycles.

A.7 Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.5

There are no special circumstances relating to the Guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.5.

A.8 Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice and Efforts to Consult Outside Agency

N/A

A.9 Explanation of Any Payment of Gift to Respondents

Neither payments nor gifts will be provided to respondents.

A.10 Assurance of Confidentiality Provided to Respondents

Only applicants will have the ability to initiate their applications using a password-protected login of their choice. ICRC program managers will have the ability to review all submitted applications. A group of NCI staff (mainly NCI Principal Investigators) will review all eligible applications and select the top 18 applicants who will be the ICRC participants. After the 18 candidates have been selected, any NCI staff member can request access to review applications. ICRC program managers manage this access, and NCI staff who request access to review application

All information will be kept private to the extent allowable by law. The NIH Privacy Act Officer has reviewed this submission and concluded the information collected is covered by the NIH Privacy Act System of Records Notice (SORN), #09-25-0014, “Clinical Research; Student Records, HHS/PHS/NIH/OD/OID/OE” published on 9/26/2002 (67 FR 60742) (Attachment 5).

A.11 Justification for Sensitive Questions

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is collected on the ICRC Application. These include full name, date of birth, phone number, email, citizenship status, home address, emergency contact name and number, school name, and contact information for two references.

In addition, the ICRC Application asks applicants to indicate how they believe their participation in the program could further diversify the biomedical research consistent with the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Notice of Interest and Diversity. Applicants will have the opportunity to specify whether they are from an underrepresented population or if they are financially disadvantaged. They are asked to include this information in their diversity statement using terms of their choosing. If they qualify based on financial disadvantage, they must submit recent tax forms showing that their income is below guidelines issued annually by the Department of Health and Human Services and published in the Federal Register under the title, Low-Income Levels'' Used for Various Health Professions and Nursing Programs Authorized in Titles III, VII, and VIII of the Public Health Service Act.

A.12-1 Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours and Costs

Respondents apply for the Introduction to Cancer Research Careers (ICRC) fellowship program through the website (https://icrc.nci.nih.gov/). Automated system emails are sent to applicants at various times throughout the application cycle, right before the candidates begin their fellowship (Attachment 3).

There are two instruments: the application and the reference letter. It is anticipated that 120 applicants will spend approximately one hour completing and submitting the application. For the reference letter, each applicant has two references, so it is estimated that there will be 240 respondents. This is a total of 360 respondents (the same 120 for Attachments 1 and 2), and then an additional 240). The estimated burden for this information collection is 246 hours (Table A.12-1), which amounts to 738 hours over a three-year information collection period.

Table A.12-1. Estimated Annualized Burden Hours

Form Name	Type of Respondent	Number of Respondents	Number of Responses Per Respondent	Average Time Per Response (in hours)	Total Annual Burden Hours
Application	Individuals	120	1	1	120
Reference Letter	Individuals	240	1	30/60	120
Totals			360		240

A.12-2 Annual Cost to Respondents

The annualized cost to the respondents is estimated to be $7,193.64 (Table A.12-2) or approximately $21,580.92 over a three-year information collection period.

Table A.12-2. Annualized Cost to the Respondents

Type of Respondent	Total Annual Burden Hours	Hourly Wage Rate*	Respondent Cost
Individual - Applicant	120	$24.34*	$2,920.80
Individual - Reference Letter	120	$34.39**	$4,126.80
Total	240		$7,193.64

*The mean hourly wage rate for the ICRC applicants is cited from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, All Occupations, Occupation Code 00-0000. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm.

**The mean hourly wage rate for Postsecondary Teachers is cited from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupation code 25-1081. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251081.htm Wages for teachers that do not generally work year-round, full time, are reported as annual salaries depending on how they are typically paid. The mean yearly Wage for college and university professors is $71,530. To determine the Hourly Wage Rate in the table above, the annual Mean Wage was leveled over 40 hours per week, times 52 weeks per year (2,080). This amounts to $71,530 divided by 2,080, which equals $34.39.

A.13 Estimate of Other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents or Record Keepers

There are no capital, operating, or maintenance costs to report.

A.14 Annualized Cost to the Federal Government

The annualized cost to the Federal Government for the proposed data collection effort is estimated to be $114,110.82 (Table A.14-1). The ICRC federal personnel are responsible for reviewing and distributing the applications. The contractor’s tasks include the design and management of the ICRC Application.

Table 14-1 Annualized Cost to the Federal Government

Staff	Grade/Step	Salary**	% of Effort	Fringe (if applicable)	Total Cost to Gov’t
Federal Oversight
Program Manager	14/4	$138,856	50%		$69,428
Branch Chief	15/5	$168,282	1%		$1,682.82
Contractor Cost					$43,000.00
Travel					$0
Other Cost					$0
Total					$114,110.82

**The salary in the table above is cited from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/22Tables/html/DCB.aspx

A.15 Explanation for Program Changes or Adjustments

N/A

A.16 Plans for Tabulation and Publication and Project Time Schedule

There are no plans for tabulation since this is an application. The ICRC Application opens annually for applicants on September 1 and closes in mid-November. This submission is anticipated to cover 2023, 2024, and 2025 application cycles.

A.17 Reason(s) Display of OMB Expiration Date is Inappropriate

There is no request for exemption from displaying the expiration date for OMB approval

A.18 Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

This collection will comply with the requirements in 5 CFR 1320.9.

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