Attach 8 ( Privacy Memo )

DATE:

December 4, 2014

TO:

Nora Yang, Ph.D.,
Chief, Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND)
National Center for Advancing Translational Services (NCATS)

FROM:

NIH Privacy Act Officer

SUBJECT:

Applicability of the Privacy Act: Application for Collaboration with the Therapeutic
Development Branch (TDB), Division of Preclinical Innovation (DPI), National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

I have reviewed the NCATS submission to OMB which proposes to determine the suitability of
Principal Investigators/Research Scientists for collaboration with TDB staff and programs to advance
the science of drug discovery.
I have determined that the Privacy Act will apply to this data collection which involves the
collection of personally identifiable information (PII) in the form of client and applicant name,
company affiliation, scientific role, e-mail address, phone number, biological/disease expertise,
intellectual property (patents issued/pending), bio-sketches, and the actual proposal. This
information is needed to contact successful applicants.
The proposals will be collected and stored in an electronic application, review and extramural
award management system developed under contract by Altum, Inc. The system, called
proposalCENTRAL is a database and e-grantmaking website designed for the benefit of clients
(e.g., grantors, grant applicants, and proposal reviewers) to partner drug development scientists
with collaborators on therapeutics for rare and neglected diseases. The proposals will be tracked
by ID #. Clients will have access to data relevant to the proposals submitted by the client as well
as access to applicant profiles relevant to the proposals submitted to the client. Selected
applications and award data and files will be sent to designated sponsors (e.g., small businesses,
entities and partners from the government, non-profit and private grant-making organizations).
The data collection is covered by enclosed NIH Privacy Act Systems of Record 09-25-0036,
“Extramural Awards and Chartered Advisory Committees (IMPAC 2), Contract Information
(DCIS), and Cooperative Agreement Information, HHS/NIH.”
If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 496-2832.

Karen Plá
Enclosure
Copy w/o enclosure: Mikia Currie, Project Clearance Branch, OD