# Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; CHIPS Statement of Interest Information Collection
**AGENCY:**
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Notice of Information Collection; request for comment.
**SUMMARY:**
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
**DATES:**
To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed information collection must be received on or before June 12, 2023.
**ADDRESSES:**
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by email to Maureen O'Reilly, Management Analyst, National Institute of Standards and Technology, at *[email protected].* Please reference OMB Control Number 0693-0091 in the subject line of your comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Requests for additional information or specific questions related to collection activities should be directed to Cierra Bean, Business Operations Analyst, CHIPS Program Office, *[email protected]* , (202) 815-2677.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**I. Abstract**
The CHIPS Incentives Program is authorized by Title XCIX—Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Pub. L. 116-283, referred to as the CHIPS Act or Act), as amended by the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Division A of Pub. L. 117-167). The CHIPS Incentives Program is administered by the CHIPS Program Office (CPO) within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the United States Department of Commerce (Department). Applicants must submit a statement of interest (SOI) via a form available at *https://applications.chips.gov/* at least 30 days before submission of a pre-application. The statement of interest enables the Department to gauge interest in the program and plan for pre-application or application review.
Information to be collected includes:
• Name of applicant organization and contact information
• Estimated date of submission of a pre-application
• Basic project information, which will be elicited through multiple-choice questions and specific fields in the statement of interest form, including nature of project and potential scope
**II. Method of Collection**
Applications must be submitted electronically at *https://applications.chips.gov/.*
The SOI will consist of a series of questions presented to registered users via a web form. Question types will include basic contact information, picklists, cost estimates, and brief project narratives. This method was chosen to reduce applicant burden by eliminating redundant entries to the greatest extent possible and consolidating entries into one online form.
**III. Data**
*OMB Control Number:* 0693-0091.
*Form Number(s):* None.
*Type of Review:* Regular submission.
*Affected Public:* Business or other for-profit organizations.
*Estimated Number of Respondents:* 350.
*Estimated Time per Response:* 30 minutes.
*Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:* 175 hours.
*Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public:* $8,317.75.
*Respondent's Obligation:* Mandatory to obtain or retain benefits.
*Legal Authority:* CHIPS Act of 2022 (Division A of Pub. L. 117-167) (the Act).
**IV. Request for Comments**
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.