[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 103 (Thursday, May 29, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32036-32037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-13431]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7504-7]


Solicitation of Public Comment Into the Development of a Joint 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and American Chemistry 
Council (ACC) Request for Applications on ``Environmental Statistics 
Research: Novel Analyses of Human Exposure Related Data;'' Announcement 
of Memorandum of Understanding Between EPA and ACC on the Procedure for 
the Joint Solicitation of Research Proposals

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research 
and Development (ORD) and the American Chemistry Council's (ACC) Long-
Range Research Initiative (LRI) are interested in issuing joint 
solicitations for research proposals. A Memorandum of Understanding has 
been developed that sets forth a public process for bringing together 
government and industry to engage the best scientists in the research 
community to assist in improving the quantity and quality of data for 
use in human health and ecological risk assessment. Discussions have 
led ORD and ACC to agree to pursue, as a first area of collaboration, a 
joint request for applications (RFA) in the area of ``Environmental 
Statistics Research: Novel Analyses of Human Exposure Related Data.'' 
The purpose of this notice is to solicit specific input into the 
development of a joint RFA on novel approaches for analysis of human 
exposure data, and announce a Memorandum of Understanding on the 
procedures for the public process of issuing joint RFAs.

DATES: Public comment on the draft RFA must be received on or before 
June 30, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Public comment may be submitted via overnight mail, in 
person or electronically.
    1. By overnight mail, in person, or by courier. You may submit 
written comments to: Elaine Z. Francis, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Room 51141, Washington, DC 20004
    2. Electronically. You may submit written comments electronically 
by e-mail to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine Z. Francis, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Room 51141, 
Washington, DC 20004; Telephone: 202-564-6789; Fax: 202-565-2444; E-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    On May 7, 2002, a Federal Register notice was published (67 FR 
30680) on the availability of a draft document on procedures for the 
joint solicitation of research proposals by the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development and the American 
Chemistry Council's Long-Range Initiative, the announcement of a public 
meeting to discuss the draft document, and solicitation of written 
public comments. The notice also solicited initial input toward the 
development of an RFA on novel analyses of human exposure related data, 
both at the public meeting and through the written comment period. The 
public meeting was held on May 23, 2002, and the public comment period 
closed on June 12, 2002.
    The public process for the joint solicitation of RFAs was finalized 
into a Memorandum of Understanding between ORD and ACC. Consistent with 
the finalized procedures, this notice solicits public comment on the 
draft RFA. The draft RFA on novel analyses of human exposure related 
data and the MOU may be obtained electronically through: (1) The EPA 
Web site: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/partners/acc, (2)

[[Page 32037]]

the ACC Web site: http://www.americanchemistry.com, (3) the LRI Web 
site: http://www.uslri.org, and (4) the below listed point of contact. 
Written comments on the draft RFA will be accepted until June 30, 2003.

    Dated: May 15, 2003.
Jack Puzak,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Research.
[FR Doc. 03-13431 Filed 5-28-03; 8:45 am]
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