• Mission of the OSTP
• Executive Office of the President (EOP) Entities Subject to FOIA
• EOP Entities exempt rom the provision of FOIA
• Making a FOIA Request
• Definitions of FOIA/PA Requests
• Exemption 3 Statues
• Commonly Requested FOIA Records
• IMPAC Credit Card Holder
• 1998 OSTP FOIA Report

Mission of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

 The Office of Science and Technology Policy's mission is set out in the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-282).  It calls for OSTP to:

 Serve as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans, and programs of the Federal Government.
The Act authorizes OSTP to:
 
• Advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the President on the impacts of science and technology on domestic and international affairs;
• Lead an interagency effort to develop and implement sound science and technology policies and budgets;
• Work with the private sector to ensure Federal investments in science and technology contribute to economic prosperity, environmental quality, and national security;
• Build strong partnerships among Federal, State, and local governments, other countries, and the scientific community;
• Evaluate the scale, quality, and effectiveness of the Federal effort in science and technology.
OSTP' s Senate-confirmed Director also serves as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology.  In this role, he co-chairs the President' s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and supports the President' s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).

A Senate-confirmed Associate Director leads each of OSTP' s four divisions covering the areas of Environment, National Security and International Affairs, Science, and Technology.

    Council on Environmental Quality
     Office of Administration
     Office of Management and Budget
     Office of National Drug Control Policy
     Office of Science and Technology Policy
     United States Trade Representative

    White House Office
     Office of the Vice President
     Council of Economic Advisers
     National Security Council
     Office of Policy Development
     President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board

To make a FOIA Request, please send your request to Ms. Ferguson using the address below.

Old Executive Office Building
Attn: FOIA Officer (Barbara Ann Ferguson)
Old Executive Office Building, Room 431
Washington, DC  20502
Phone:  (202) 456-6001
Fax:  (202) 456-6022

or

email you request to ostpfoia@ostp.eop.gov

The words FOIA REQUEST should be clearly marked on both the letter and the envelope or email subject line.  Because of security measures at the Old and New Executive Office Buildings, requests made in person should be delivered to Room G-1, at the above address.

Upon receipt of initial FOIA request, OSTP has 20 working days to respond.  Describe the specific records requested in enough detail so that they can be located with a reasonable amount of effort.  Requests for answers posed as questions are not covered under the FOIA. The request must be for records.  Records must exist at the time the request is submitted. If the request requires an extension, OSTP will provide written notice explaining the reason for the delay and when a determination will be made.  All proper FOIA requests will be responded to.  If OSTP does not have records pertaining to the request, a non-responsive letter will be mailed within twenty (20) working days.

Please state your willingness and ability to pay applicable fees or provide a justification to support a fee waiver.

1.  Initial Request.  A request to a Federal agency for access to records under the Freedom of Information Act.

2.  Appeal.  A request to a Federal agency asking that it review at a higher administrative level a full denial or partial denial of access to records under the Freedom of Information Act, or any other FOIA determination such as a matter pertaining to fees.

3.  Processed Request or Appeal.  Request or appeal for which an agency has taken a final action on the request or the appeal in all respects.

4.  Expedited Processing.  An agency will process a FOIA request on an expedited basis when a request has shown an exceptional need or urgency for the records which warrants prioritization of his or her request over other requests that were made earlier.

5.  Simple Request.  A FOIA request that an agency, using multi-track processing, places in its fastest (non-expedited) track based on the volume and/or simplicity of records requested.

6.  Complex Request.  A FOIA request that an agency, using multi-track processing, places in a slower track based on the volume and/or complexity of records requested.

7.  Grant.  An agency decision to disclose all records in full in response to a FOIA request.

8.  Partial Grant.  An agency decision to disclose a record in part in response to a FOIA request, deleting information determined to be exempt under one or more of the FOIA's exemptions; or a decision to disclose some records in their entireties, but to withhold others in whole or in part.

9.  Denial.  An agency decision not to release any part of a record or records in response to a FOIA request because all the information in the requested records is determined by the agency to be exempt under one or more of the FOIA's exemptions, or for some procedural reason (such as because no record is located in response to a FOIA request).

10. Time Limits.  The time period in the Freedom of Information Act for an agency to respond to a FOIA request (ordinarily 20 working days from proper receipt of a "perfected" FOIA request).

11. "Perfected" Request.  A FOIA request for records which adequately describes the records sought, which has been received the FOIA office of the agency or agency component in possession of the records, and for which there is no remaining question about the payment of applicable fees.

12. Exemption 3 Statute.  A separate Federal statute prohibiting the disclosure of a certain type of information and authorizing its withholding under FOIA subsection (b)(3).

13. Median Number.   The middle, not average, number.  For example, of 3, 7, and 14, the median number is 7.

14. Average Number.  The number obtained by dividing the sum of a group of numbers by the quantity of numbers in the group.  For example, of 3, 7 and 14, the average number is 8.

The Office of Science and Technology Policy did not rely on Exemption 3 statutes during fiscal year 1998.

The IMPAC Credit Card Holders Listing:

Deborah McGovern
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Old Executive Office Building, Rm. 431
Washington, DC  20502
(202) 456-6002

Cecilia Lafoe
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Old Executive Office Building, Rm. 431
Washington, DC  20502
(202) 456-6007
 

1998 OSTP FOIA Report

I.  Initial FOIA/PA Access Requests

    A.  Number of initial requests

        1.    Number of requests pending as of end of preceding fiscal year:  0
        2.    Number of requests received during current fiscal year:  25
        3.    Number of requests processed during current fiscal year:  25
        4.    Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year:  0

    B.  Disposition of initial requests

        a.    Number of total grants: 13
        b.    Number of partial grants:  4
        c.    Number of denials:  8

    C.    Number of times each FOIA exemption was used (counting each exemption once per request)

            (1) Exemption 1:  1
            (2) Exemption 2:  0
            (3) Exemption 3:  0
            (4) Exemption 4:  3
            (5) Exemption 5:  3
            (6) Exemption 6:  0
            (7) Exemption 7(A):  0
            (8) Exemption 7(B):  0
            (9) Exemption 7(C):  0
            (10) Exemption 7(D):  0
            (11) Exemption 7(E):  0
            (12) Exemption 7(F):  0
            (13) Exemption 8:  0
            (14) Exemption 9:  0

    D. Other reasons for nondisclosure (total)

        1.    no records:  8
        2.    referrals:  4
        3.    request withdrawn:  0
        4.    fee-related reason:  0
        5.    records not reasonably described:  0
        6.    not a proper FOIA request for some other reason:  0
        7.   not an agency record:  0
        8.   duplicate request:  0
        9.    other (specify):  0

II.  Appeals of Initial Denials of FOIA/PA Requests

    A.    Number of Appeals

        1.    Number of appeals received during fiscal year:  1
        2.    Number of appeals processed during fiscal year:  1

    B.    Disposition of Appeals

        1.    Number completely upheld:  0
        2.    Number partially reversed:  1
        3.    Number completely reversed:  0

    C.    Number of times each FOIA exemption used (counting each exemption once per appeal)

            (1) Exemption 1:  1
            (2) Exemption 2:  0
            (3) Exemption 3:  0
            (4) Exemption 4:  1
            (5) Exemption 5:  0
            (6) Exemption 6:  0
            (7) Exemption 7(A):  0
            (8) Exemption 7(B):  0
            (9) Exemption 7(C):  0
            (10) Exemption 7(D):  0
            (11) Exemption 7(E):  0
            (12) Exemption 7(F):  0
            (13) Exemption 8:  0
            (14) Exemption 9:  0

    D.    Other reasons for nondisclosure (total):

        1.    no records:  0
        2.    referrals:  0
        3.    request withdrawn:  0
        4.    fee-related reason:  0
        5.    records not reasonably described:  0
        6.     not a proper FOIA request for some other reason:  0
        7.    not an agency record:  0
        8.    duplicate request: 0
        9.     other (specify):  None.

III.  Compliance With Time Limits/Status of Pending Requests

    A.    Median processing time for requests processed during the year

        1.    Simple requests

            a.    Number of requests processed:  16
            b.    Median number of days to process:  2

        2.    Complex requests

            a.    Number of requests processed:  10
            b.    Median number of days to process:  14

        3.    Requests accorded expedited processing

            a.    Number of requests processed:  0
            b.    Median number of days to process:  NA

    B.    Status of Pending Requests

        1.    Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year:  0
        2.    Median number of days that such requests were pending as of that date:  NA

IV.    Comparisons With Previous Year

    A.    Average requests received for fiscal year 1997 and 1998:  30

    B.    There were no requests pending as of FY97.

V.    Costs/FOIA Staffing

    A..    Staffing Levels

        1.    Number of full-time FOIA personnel:  0
        2.    Number of personnel with part-time or occasional FOIA duties (in total work-years):  <1
        3.    Total number of personnel (in work-years):  <1

    B.    Total costs (including staff and all resources)

        1.    FOIA processing (including appeals):  $9,680
        2.    Litigation-related activities estimated:  0
        3.    Total costs:  $9,680

VI.    Fees

    No fees were collected by the Office of Science and Technology Policy for processing requests.