[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 204 (Monday, October 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61442-61443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21130]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


National Toxicology Program (NTP); Liaison and Scientific Review 
Office (LSRO); NTP High Throughput Screening Assays Workshop

AGENCY: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 
National Institutes of Health (NIH).

ACTION: Workshop Announcement and Request for Public Comment.

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SUMMARY: The NTP has developed and refined a vision for toxicology in 
the 21st century (``NTP Vision'') and a roadmap for implementing its 
vision (``NTP Roadmap'') to strategically place the program at the 
forefront of providing scientific data and its interpretation for use 
in public health decision-making (see NTP Web site http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov select ``NTP Vision and Roadmap''). As part of the 
NTP Roadmap, the NTP will convene a series of workshops, including the 
High Throughput Screening Assays Workshop, to discuss test methods and 
approaches that will enhance the program's ability to efficiently 
evaluate the large number of substances in our environment for which 
there is little or no information about their potential hazard for 
human health. This workshop is scheduled for December 14-15, 2005, at 
the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
Arlington, VA and will focus on providing information about high 
throughput screening techniques and the potential utility of this 
technology for toxicology and the NTP. This meeting is open to the 
public and attendance is limited only by the space available. 
Individuals may register to attend the workshop on a first-come, first-
served basis per the procedures outlined below. A copy of the agenda 
and any additional information about the workshop, including background 
materials and participants, will be posted on the NTP Web site when 
available (see NTP Web site http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov select ``Meetings 
and Workshops'').

DATES: The workshop will be held on December 14-15, 2005. The workshop 
will begin each day at 8:30 a.m. and end at approximately 5 p.m. on 
December 14

[[Page 61443]]

and approximately 3 p.m. on December 15.
    Comments: Written comments should be received by December 5, 2005, 
to allow time for adequate review before the workshop (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT below). The deadline for registration to present 
oral comments at the meeting is December 8, 2005.
    Registration: Individuals who plan to attend are encouraged to 
register online at the NTP Web site http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ select 
``Meetings and Workshops'' as soon as possible because seating is 
limited. Persons needing special assistance, such as sign language 
interpretation or other reasonable accommodation in order to attend, 
should contact 919-541-2475 voice, 919-541-4644 TTY (text telephone), 
through the Federal TTY Relay System at 800-877-8339, or by e-mail to 
[email protected]. Requests should be made at least 7 days in 
advance of the event.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Public comments and any other 
correspondence should be submitted to Dr. Barbara Shane (NTP Liaison 
and Scientific Review Office, NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, MD A3-01, Research 
Triangle Park, NC 27709; telephone: 919-541-4253, fax: 919-541-0295; or 
e-mail: [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The High Throughput Screening Assays Workshop will include plenary 
sessions as well as four simultaneous breakout group sessions for in-
depth discussion. Each breakout group will address one of the following 
topics: (1) The selection of targets and assays for high throughput 
screening; (2) the conduct of studies including chemical selection, 
study design, and analytical methods; (3) data storage, analysis, and 
interpretation; and (4) the application of data from high throughput 
screening assays in regulatory decision-making. Following the workshop, 
the NTP will prepare a workshop report and present its proposed 
strategy to the NTP Board of Scientific Counselors for its 
consideration and input.

Request for Comments

    Public input at this meeting is invited and time is set aside for 
the presentation of public comments during the plenary session on 
December 14. Each organization is allowed one speaker during the public 
comment period. At least 7 minutes will be allotted to each speaker, 
and if time permits, may be extended to 10 minutes. Registration for 
oral comments will also be available on-site, although time allowed for 
presentation by on-site registrants may be less than that for pre-
registered speakers and will be determined by the number of persons who 
register at the meeting.
    Written statements can supplement and may expand the oral 
presentation. If registering on-site and reading from written text, 
please bring 40 copies of the statement for distribution and to 
supplement the record. Written comments received in response to this 
notice will be posted on the NTP Web site (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov 
select ``Meetings and Workshops''). Persons submitting written comments 
should include their name, affiliation, mailing address, phone, fax, e-
mail, and sponsoring organization (if any) with the document.

    Dated: October 13, 2005.
Samuel H. Wilson,
Deputy Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
[FR Doc. 05-21130 Filed 10-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P