[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 35687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12129]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 2006 
Strategic Plan

AGENCY: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 
National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS).

ACTION: Request for comments and nominations.

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SUMMARY: The NIEHS is updating its 2000 strategic plan entitled NIEHS 
Strategic Plan 2000--A Five-Year Program: New Opportunities in 
Environmental Health Research. To anticipate, meet, and set priorities 
for environmental health research, training, resources, and 
technologies, NIEHS requests input from scientists, members of the 
public, and all interested parties. The goal of this strategic planning 
process is to identify barriers to progress for future research and to 
define future needs and directions for environmental health. In 
addition, the NIEHS seeks the nomination of individuals qualified to 
participate in a workshop to discuss the plan in more detail. The 
existing NIEHS strategic plan can be viewed at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/plan2000/home.htm.

DATES: Submit responses to the NIEHS Office of Science Policy and 
Planning, (see below), on or before August 5, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The Office of Science Policy and Planning, NIEHS/NIH, PO Box 
12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, telephone (919) 541-3484, FAX 
(919) 541-1994, e-mail [email protected]. Comments may be 
submitted electronically at the NIEHS Strategic Planning Web site: 
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/plan2006/home.htm. They can also be 
submitted by e-mail, mail or fax to the above address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The mission of the NIEHS is to reduce the burden of 
environmentally-associated disease and dysfunction by defining three 
elements: (1) How environmental exposures affect our health, (2) how 
individuals differ in their susceptibility to these exposures, and (3) 
how these susceptibilities change over time.
    The NIEHS achieves its mission through multidisciplinary biomedical 
research programs and prevention and intervention efforts. The NIEHS 
also focuses on communication strategies that encompass training, 
education, technology transfer, and community outreach. Research is 
required to disseminate evidence-based environmental health policies 
that prevent diseases.

Request for Comments

    To ensure the continued relevance of its Strategic Plan, the NIEHS 
seeks input to the following questions relative to the issues described 
above:
    (A) What are the disease processes and public health concerns that 
are relevant to environmental health sciences?
    (B) How can environmental health sciences be used to understand how 
biological systems work, why some individuals are more susceptible to 
disease, or why individuals with the same disease may have very 
different clinical outcomes?
    (C) What are the major opportunities and challenges in global 
environmental health?
    (D) What are the environmental exposures that need further 
consideration?
    (E) What are the critical needs for training the next generation of 
scientists in environmental health?
    (F) What technology and infrastructural changes are needed to 
fundamentally advance environmental health science?
    Individuals submitting public comments are asked to include 
relevant contact information [name, affiliation (if any), address, 
telephone, fax, e-mail, and sponsoring organization, if applicable].

Request for Nomination of Planning Group Members

    The NIEHS solicits nominations for individuals to participate in a 
workshop to discuss the plan in more detail. Nominations should include 
the name, degree(s), position title, department, institution name and 
address, phone and fax numbers, e-mail address, and specific area of 
expertise. Information of nominated individuals should be sent by 
August 5, 2005 to the NIEHS office of Science Policy and Planning 
(contact information provided above).

    Dated: June 8, 2005.
David A. Schwartz,
Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
[FR Doc. 05-12129 Filed 6-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4167-01-P