[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20001-20003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08528]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of 
Alternative Methods; Notice of Public Meeting; Request for Public Input

SUMMARY: The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of 
Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) will hold a public forum to share 
information and facilitate direct communication of ideas and 
suggestions from stakeholders. Interested persons may attend in person 
or remotely. Time will be set aside for public statements and questions 
on the topics discussed.

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Registration is requested for both public attendance and oral 
statements, and required for remote access. Information about the 
meeting and registration is available at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvamforum-2015.

DATES: Meeting: May 27, 2015, 9:00 a.m. to approximately 12:00 p.m. 
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
    Registration for Onsite Meeting: Deadline is May 15, 2015.
    Registration for Webcast: Deadline is May 27, 2015
    Submission of Oral Public Statements: Deadline is May 15, 2015.

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting Location: William H. Natcher Conference Center, National 
Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
    Meeting Web page: The preliminary agenda, registration, and other 
meeting materials are at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvamforum-2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Warren S. Casey, Director, 
National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of 
Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM); email: 
[email protected]; telephone: (919) 316-4729.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: ICCVAM promotes the development and validation of 
chemical safety testing methods that protect human health and the 
environment while replacing, reducing, or refining animal use.
    ICCVAM's goals include promotion of national and international 
partnerships between governmental and nongovernmental groups, including 
academia, industry, advocacy groups, and other key stakeholders. To 
foster these partnerships ICCVAM initiated annual public forums in 2014 
to share information and facilitate direct communication of ideas and 
suggestions from stakeholders (79 FR 25136).
    The second of these forums will be held on May 27, 2015, at the 
National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. The meeting will 
begin with presentations by NICEATM and ICCVAM members on current 
activities related to the development and validation of alternative 
test methods and approaches for assessing acute systemic toxicity, 
endocrine activity, vaccine safety, and skin sensitization potential, 
as well as updates on ICCVAM processes. Following each presentation, 
there will be an opportunity for participants to ask questions of the 
ICCVAM members. Instructions for submitting questions will be provided 
to remote participants prior to the webcast. The agenda also includes 
time for participants to make public oral statements to inform ICCVAM 
on topics relevant to its mission and current activities.
    Preliminary Agenda and Other Meeting Information: The preliminary 
agenda, ICCVAM roster and other background materials, and public 
statements submitted prior to the meeting will be posted at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvamforum-2015 to allow remote participation. 
Public statements will be distributed to NICEATM and ICCVAM members. 
Interested individuals are encouraged to visit this Web page to stay 
abreast of the most current meeting information.
    Meeting and Registration: This meeting is open to the public with 
time scheduled for oral public statements and for questions following 
ICCVAM's and NICEATM's presentations. The public may attend the meeting 
at NIH, where attendance is limited only by the space available, or 
view remotely by webcast. Those planning to attend the meeting in 
person are encouraged to register at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvamforum-2015 by May 15, 2015, to facilitate planning for 
appropriate meeting space. Those planning to view the webcast must 
register at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvamforum-2015 by May 27, 
2015. The URL for the webcast will be provided in the email confirming 
registration.
    Visitor and security information for visitors to NIH is available 
at http://www.nih.gov/about/visitor/index.htm. Individuals with 
disabilities who need accommodation to participate in this event should 
contact Dr. Elizabeth Maull at phone: (919) 316-4668 or email: 
[email protected]. TTY users should contact the Federal TTY Relay 
Service at 800-877-8339. Requests should be made at least five business 
days in advance of the event.
    Request for Oral Public Statements: Time will be allotted during 
the meeting for oral public statements with associated slides relevant 
to ICCVAM's mission and current activities. The number and length of 
presentations may be limited based on available time. Submitters will 
be identified by their name and affiliation and/or sponsoring 
organization, if applicable. Persons submitting public statements and/
or associated slides should include their name, affiliation (if any), 
mailing address, telephone, email, and sponsoring organization (if any) 
with the document.
    Persons wishing to present oral statements are encouraged to 
indicate the topic(s) on which they plan to speak on the registration 
form. They should also provide a copy of their statement to Dr. 
Elizabeth Maull at email: [email protected] by May 15, 2015, to allow 
time for review by NICEATM and ICCVAM and posting to the meeting page 
prior to the forum. Written statements may supplement and expand the 
oral presentation.
    Registration for oral public statements will be available onsite, 
although onsite registration and time allotted for these statements may 
be limited based on the number of individuals who register to make 
statements and available time. If registering onsite and reading from 
written text, please bring 20 copies of the statement for distribution 
and to supplement the record.
    In addition to in-person oral statements at the meeting, public 
statements may be presented by teleconference line. Directions for 
accessing the meeting by teleconference line will be provided to 
registered participants prior to the meeting date.
    Responses to this notice are voluntary. No proprietary, classified, 
confidential, or sensitive information should be included in statements 
submitted in response to this notice or presented during the meeting. 
This request for input is for planning purposes only and is not a 
solicitation for applications or an obligation on the part of the U.S. 
Government to provide support for any ideas identified in response to 
the request. Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for the 
preparation of any information submitted or for its use of that 
information.
    Background Information on ICCVAM and NICEATM: ICCVAM is an 
interagency committee composed of representatives from 15 federal 
regulatory and research agencies that require, use, generate, or 
disseminate toxicological and safety testing information. ICCVAM 
conducts technical evaluations of new, revised, and alternative safety 
testing methods and integrated testing strategies with regulatory 
applicability and promotes the scientific validation and regulatory 
acceptance of testing methods that both more accurately assess the 
safety and hazards of chemicals and products and replace, reduce, or 
refine (enhance animal well-being and minimize or prevent pain and 
distress) animal use. The ICCVAM Authorization Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 
285l-3) establishes ICCVAM as a permanent interagency committee of the 
NIEHS and provides the authority for ICCVAM involvement in activities 
relevant to the development of alternative test methods. ICCVAM acts to 
ensure that new and revised test methods are validated to meet the 
needs of Federal agencies, increase the efficiency and effectiveness of 
federal

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agency test method review, and optimize utilization of scientific 
expertise outside the federal Government. Additional information about 
ICCVAM can be found at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvam.
    NICEATM administers ICCVAM, provides scientific and operational 
support for ICCVAM-related activities, and conducts and publishes 
analyses and evaluations of data from new, revised, and alternative 
testing approaches. NICEATM and ICCVAM work collaboratively to evaluate 
new and improved testing approaches applicable to the needs of U.S. 
federal agencies. NICEATM and ICCVAM welcome the public nomination of 
new, revised, and alternative testing approaches for validation studies 
and technical evaluations. Additional information about NICEATM can be 
found at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/niceatm.

    Dated: April 6, 2015.
John R. Bucher,
Associate Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2015-08528 Filed 4-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P