[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15471-15472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7581]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service


National Toxicology Program (NTP); The NTP Annual Plan for Fiscal 
Year 2002; Notice of Availability

Summary

    The NTP announces the availability of the NTP Annual Plan for 
Fiscal Year 2002. This report outlines the NTP research program for 
studying the toxicity of physical and chemical agents and for 
developing methods for toxicological evaluations. The report also 
provides information about efforts to develop and validate alternative 
and improved methods and identifies NTP resource allocations.

[[Page 15472]]

Background

    The NTP was established within the Public Health Service of the 
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in November 1978. The 
NTP is an interagency program whose mission is to evaluate agents of 
public health concern by developing and applying the tools of modern 
toxicology and molecular biology. In carrying out its mission, the NTP 
has several goals to:
    [sbull] Broaden the spectrum of toxicological information obtained 
on selected chemicals;
    [sbull] Develop and validate more sensitive and specific test 
methods;
    [sbull] Develop improved strategies for generating scientific data 
that strengthen the scientific foundation for risk assessments; and
    [sbull] Communicate NTP plans and results to government agencies, 
the medical and scientific communities, and the public.
    A balanced program was created that includes chronic exposure 
studies, short-term exposure studies, the collection and application of 
mechanistic information, model development, alternative methods, and 
human studies. Scientific activities are divided into several major 
program areas: carcinogenesis, risk assessment research, alternative 
test systems, and toxicology. Toxicology covers activities in 
immunotoxicology, neurobehavioral toxicology, reproductive and 
developmental toxicology, respiratory toxicology and phototoxicology. 
Program and project leaders along with contact information are provided 
in the plan.
    The NTP is headquartered at the National Institute of Environmental 
Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NIEHS/NIH). The 
NTP consists of the relevant toxicology activities of the NIEHS/NIH, 
the National Center for Toxicological Research of the Food and Drug 
Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The Director of 
the NIEHS is also the NTP Director.

Availability of the NTP Annual Plan

    The NTP Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2002 is available 
electronically on the NTP Web site (http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov). 
Hard copies are available from the NTP Central Data Management (NIEHS, 
P.O. Box 12233, MD EC-03, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; telephone 
919-541-3419; fax 919-541-3687; [email protected]).

    Dated: March 20, 2003.
Samuel Wilson,
Deputy Director, NIEHS.
[FR Doc. 03-7581 Filed 3-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P