[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 197 (Thursday, October 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60159-60160]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16858]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Genes and Environment Initiative (GEI)--Exposure Biology Program; 
GEI--Exposure Biology RFA Application Information Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: An Application Information Meeting, hosted by the National 
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the National Cancer 
Institute (NCI), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), 
and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), will be held on 
October 20, 2006, on the NIEHS campus in Research Triangle Park, North 
Carolina. The meeting will include an overview of the Exposure Biology 
Program, presentations on the five funding opportunities, an overview 
of the cooperative agreement mechanism and Grants Management and Review 
issues, and a question and answer session addressing RFA-related 
questions.

DATES: October 20, 2006.

ADDRESSES: The GEI-Exposure Biology Program RFA Application Information 
meeting will be held at the National Institute of Environmental Health 
Sciences, 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North 
Carolina [Rall Building (Building 101), Rodbell B]. Information on the 
meeting will be posted on the GEI-Exposure Biology Web site at http://www.gei.nih.gov/exposurebiology/index.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne Thompson, NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, 
MD B2-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; telephone: 919-316-4517, or 
e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Preliminary Agenda

    GEI-Exposure Biology RFA Application Information Meeting, October 
20, 2006, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Rall 
Building (Bldg. 101), Rodbell B, 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research 
Triangle Park, NC 27709.

1-1:20 p.m. Exposure Biology Program Overview--Brenda Weis (NIEHS).
1:20-1:50 p.m. Biological Response Indicators of Environmental Stress 
RFAs (U01 and U54)--Sally Tinkle (NIEHS).

[[Page 60160]]

1:50-2:10 p.m. Environmental Sensors for Personal Exposure Assessment 
RFA (U01)--David Balshaw (NIEHS).
2:10-2:30 p.m. Improved Measures of Diet and Physical Activity RFA 
(U01)--Amy Subar/Cay Loria (NCI/NHLBI).
2:30-2:50 p.m. Field-Deployable Tools for Quantifying Exposures to 
Psychosocial Stress and to Addictive Substances for Studies of Health 
and Disease RFA (U01)--Kay Wanke/Kevin Conway (NIDA).
2:50-3:10 p.m. Overview of the ``U'' Mechanism and the Review and 
Grants Management Process--Gwen Collman (NIEHS).
3:10-3:25 p.m. General Open Discussion and Questions--Everyone.
3:25-3:35 p.m. Break to One-on-One Sessions.
3:35-4 p.m. One-on-One Session--General Q&A.
4-5:30 p.m. One-on-One Session--Individual Q&A.

Attendance, Registration, and Remote Access

    The meeting is being held on October 20, 2006, from 1-5:30 p.m. 
Individuals who plan on attending either in person or by videocast 
should register on the GEI-Exposure Biology Web site at http://fmp-8.cit.nih.gov/gei/register.html. A map of the NIEHS campus, including 
visitor parking, is available at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/contact.htm. Please note that a photo ID is required to access the 
NIEHS campus. Individuals with disabilities, who need Sign Language 
Interpreters and/or reasonable accommodation to participate in this 
event, should contact 919-541-2475 voice, 919-541-4644 TTY, through the 
Federal TTY Relay System at 800-877-8339, or by e-mail: 
[email protected]. Requests should be made at least 5 days in 
advance of the event.

Availability of Meeting Materials

    Meeting details will be posted on the GEI-Exposure Biology Web site 
at http://www.gei.nih.gov/exposurebiology/meetings/appinfo06/. 
Following the meeting, a recorded videocast of the meeting will be made 
available on the Web site.

Background Information on the Exposure Biology Program

    The Genes and Environment Initiative (GEI) is a four-year, NIH-wide 
program, which aims to accelerate understanding of genetic and 
environmental contributions to health and disease. The GEI is comprised 
of two components--the Genetics Program being led by NHGRI and the 
Exposure Biology Program being led by NIEHS. The Exposure Biology 
Program will focus on the development of innovative technologies to 
measure environmental exposures, diet, physical activity, psychosocial 
stress, and addictive substances that contribute to the development of 
disease. The program will support: (1) Development of environmental 
sensors for measurement of chemicals, dietary intake, physical 
activity, and psychosocial stressors and addictive substances; (2) 
development of markers of biological response via common pathogenic 
mechanisms such as oxidative stress, epigenetic modifications, and DNA 
damage; (3) integration of biological responses with the development of 
biosensors; and (4) application of novel assays and biomarkers to GWA 
studies of gene-environment interaction. This will be accomplished 
through the use of five cooperative agreements (RFAs) led by three NIH 
Institutes (NIEHS, NIDA, and NCI/NHLBI). Further information on the 
GEI-Exposure Biology Program can be found on the GEI-Exposure Biology 
Web site at: http://www.gei.nih.gov/exposurebiology/index.asp.

    Dated: October 4, 2006.
David A. Schwartz,
Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National 
Institutes of Health.
 [FR Doc. E6-16858 Filed 10-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P