The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), under the Department of Commerce, recently initiated a critical step in its oversight of higher education programs by submitting a revised information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance. Published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2026, this action follows a previous 60-day comment period ending December 8, 2025, and now opens a final 30-day window for public input. This procedural requirement, mandated by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, underscores NOAA's commitment to evaluating and enhancing its programs designed to cultivate the next generation of scientists and policymakers in oceanic and atmospheric fields.
Understanding NOAA's Educational Mandate
NOAA's educational initiatives are rooted in specific legislative directives aimed at advancing scientific understanding and workforce development. The America COMPETES Act, Public Law 110-69, Section 4002, authorizes the Administrator of NOAA to establish and manage a Graduate Sciences Program and two undergraduate scholarship programs. These programs are designed to deepen public understanding of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and atmospheric science and stewardship, with a particular focus on engaging underrepresented groups in related science and policy careers. This legislative mandate highlights a federal commitment to broadening participation in critical scientific domains.
Complementing this, Section 214 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, Public Law 108-447, authorizes the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program. This program specifically supports undergraduate studies in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education, directly aligning with NOAA's overarching mission and programmatic objectives. Together, these legislative foundations empower NOAA to build robust educational pipelines from undergraduate to graduate levels.
The Scope of Data Collection
The information collection under review encompasses a broad array of data points necessary for the administration and evaluation of these vital programs. NOAA's Office of Education collects and assesses student data for several key purposes: selecting successful candidates for scholarships, fellowships, and internships, generating internal reports, and producing articles that highlight program achievements. The data also helps measure the impact of these programs against national education databases and NOAA's own workforce management data.
The Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP) is a cornerstone of this effort. EPP aims to educate, train, and graduate students in NOAA mission-aligned disciplines to create a pool of qualified candidates for future NOAA employment. The program is particularly focused on broadening participation from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions.
While some EPP components like the Graduate Sciences Program (GSP) and Environmental Entrepreneurship Program (EEP) are no longer actively supporting students, alumni from these initiatives are still invited to provide updates on their educational and career trajectories. This ongoing alumni tracking ensures a comprehensive understanding of the long-term impact of NOAA's investments.
The current information collection, identified by OMB Control Number 0648-0568, involves 3,379 respondents and an estimated total annual burden of 13,043 hours. This burden is distributed across various activities, including application submissions, reference forms, alumni updates, student tracker forms, and various surveys for students and mentors.
Strategic Programmatic Adjustments
NOAA's request to OMB includes several notable revisions to its information collection processes. While the changes to applications and surveys are deemed minimal and are not expected to alter the response burden, they represent a refinement of data capture strategy. Key updates include modifications to Undergraduate Scholarship Programs Applications, Student Surveys, and Mentor Surveys. Additionally, new forms for Undergraduate Scholarship Programs Travel Requests and Onboarding and Scholar Information have been added. Conversely, NOAA is removing the Student Opportunities Optional Demographic Data Collection, the Hollings Preparation Program Application and Surveys, and Undergraduate Scholarship Program Applicant Surveys. These adjustments reflect an ongoing effort to streamline data collection, focusing on the most pertinent information for program assessment and improvement.
Broader Implications for Workforce Development
The careful collection and analysis of this information directly informs NOAA's strategic recruitment efforts. By tracking student progress, post-graduate pursuits, and employment outcomes, NOAA can identify degree and mission-aligned discipline pipeline areas. This data-driven approach guides the agency's efforts to recruit for its mission-aligned educational and training programs and to build its future workforce, particularly by addressing underrepresentation in critical scientific fields.
The voluntary or required nature of respondent obligations, depending on the specific instrument, balances the need for comprehensive data with individuals' participation choices. Ultimately, the collected feedback from students and mentors is crucial for continuously improving the programs, ensuring high-quality experiences for supported students, and verifying that the programs effectively meet their stated goals of developing a skilled and diverse scientific workforce.
Public Scrutiny and Engagement
This Federal Register notice serves as a final call for public comments, providing stakeholders an additional 30 days to review the proposed information collection. Interested parties, including individuals, households, businesses, non-profit institutions, and governmental entities, can access the request and submit feedback via www.reginfo.gov. This public engagement mechanism is a cornerstone of the Paperwork Reduction Act, ensuring transparency and accountability in federal information collection practices. The process allows for continued assessment of the impact of these requirements and aims to minimize the public's reporting burden, while still enabling NOAA to effectively manage and evaluate its crucial education and workforce development initiatives.
