[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 19 (Friday, January 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5185-5186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1871]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS); 
Request for Information (NOT-ES-11-006): Interagency Breast Cancer and 
Environmental Research Coordinating Committee

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

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: The Interagency Breast Cancer and Environmental Research 
Coordinating Committee is a congressionally mandated body established 
by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), in 
collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This Committee 
is comprised of 19 voting members, including representatives of Federal 
agencies; non-federal scientists, physicians, and other health 
professionals from clinical, basic, and public health sciences; and 
advocates for individuals with breast cancer.
    The IBCERCC is charged with reviewing all research efforts within 
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning the 
environmental and genomic factors related to the etiology of breast 
cancer, and developing a comprehensive summary of advances and 
recommendations regarding research gaps and needs for the Secretary of 
HHS.
    This Request for Information (RFI) is directed toward addressing 
questions relevant to the Committee's mandate. The RFI was announced in 
the NIH Guide on January 13, 2011, and is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-ES-11-006.html.

DATES: A response is requested by February 16, 2011. Responses received 
after February 16, 2011 will be considered to the extent possible.
    Responses: Please send responses to the IBCERCC 
([email protected]) by February 16, 2011. The following are 
acceptable ways to submit your responses:
    1. Copy and paste the questions into the body of an e-mail message 
and send your responses to [email protected]; or
    2. Mail or fax your responses in a letter to the attention of the 
contact person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer B. Collins, Division of 
Extramural Research and Training, NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, MD K3-12, RTP, 
NC 27709; Telephone: 919-541-0117, FAX: 919-541-2860, E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Committee's primary mission is to facilitate the efficient and 
effective exchange of information on breast cancer research activities 
among the member agencies, and to advise the NIH and other Federal 
agencies in the solicitation of proposals for collaborative, 
multidisciplinary research, including proposals to further evaluate 
environmental and genomic factors that may be related to the etiology 
of breast cancer. The Committee serves as a forum and assists in 
increasing public understanding of the member agencies' activities, 
programs, policies, and research, and in bringing important matters of 
interest forward for discussion.
    Definition of Environment: For the purpose of this RFI, 
``environment'' is broadly defined as any factors that are non-genetic 
in nature. This can include environmental chemicals, radiation, 
biological agents, pharmaceuticals, nutritional factors, and 
psychosocial and behavioral stressors.
    Definition of Systems Biology: For the purpose of this RFI, 
``systems biology'' refers to a holistic approach to the study of 
breast cancer etiology with the objective of simultaneously monitoring 
all biological processes and environmental exposures operating as an 
integrated system.

Information Requested

    Input is invited on the items listed below and will be used as a 
resource by the IBCERCC members during the development of the 
comprehensive summary of advances and recommendations regarding 
research gaps and needs for the Secretary of HHS. Comment on each item 
is optional.
    (1) How susceptibility to the effects of environmental exposures in 
sub-groups of the population (resulting from factors such as genetic or 
epigenetic variability, or timing of exposure during development or 
other stages) impacts breast cancer risk.
    (2) Differences in the type and extent of environmental exposures 
which help explain the differential distribution of breast cancer 
subtypes in the U.S. population.
    (3) How windows of susceptibility during the life-course can be 
integrated into a complex systems biology approach to better understand 
the role of the environment and breast cancer.
    (4) How additional insight into normal mammary gland development 
through research using cell lines and animal models can enhance our 
understanding of environmental exposures and mammary carcinogenesis.
    (5) The technologies and analytic capacity needed to accurately 
measure environmental exposures (including biological dose) and to 
develop markers of early damage relevant to breast cancer risk.
    (6) The translation of research findings to the public about the 
environment and breast cancer risk considering the timing, and the 
strength of evidence, and the roles of community and advocacy groups.
    (7) Engagement of advocacy organizations to ensure that 
environmental exposures of greatest interest and concern are studied 
and the role of media, data access, and publication access in this 
process.
    (8) Approaches and effective models for coordination and 
collaboration among research agencies of the Federal Government to 
identify emerging opportunities in and programs to study environmental 
causes of breast cancer, such as in peer review, collaborative program 
development, and models for supporting cross-agency opportunities.
    This Request for Information (RFI) is for information and planning 
purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or as an 
obligation on the part of the Federal Government, the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Environmental Health 
Sciences (NIEHS) and or the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NIH 
does not intend to award a grant or contract to pay for the preparation 
of any information submitted or for the NIH's use of such information. 
Respondents will not be notified of the NIH evaluation of the 
information received. No basis for claims against the NIH shall arise 
as a result of a response to this request for information or the NIH's 
use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in 
developing specifications for any subsequent announcement. Responses

[[Page 5186]]

will be held confidential. Proprietary information should not be sent.

    Dated: January 19, 2011.
Linda S. Birnbaum,
Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and 
National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-1871 Filed 1-27-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P