[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 53 (Friday, March 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14865-14866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-06076]


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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 by webcast. Time will be set aside for public statements 
and questions on the topics discussed. Registration is requested for 
both public attendance and oral statements, and required for remote 
access. Information about the meeting and registration are available at 
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvamforum-2016.

DATES: Meeting: May 25, 2016, 9:00 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. 
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

    Registration for Onsite Meeting: Deadline is May 13, 2016.
    Registration for Webcast: Deadline is May 25, 2016.
    Submission of Oral Public Statements: Deadline is May 13, 2016.

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-2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Warren 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 third of these forums will be held on May 25, 2016, at the 
National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. The meeting will 
include presentations by NICEATM and ICCVAM members on current 
activities related to the development and validation of alternative 
test methods and approaches. 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 will also include periods dedicated to discussion of 
specific topics relevant to the ICCVAM mission, and time for 
participants to make public oral statements on topics relevant to the 
ICCVAM mission and current ICCVAM activities.
    Preliminary Agenda and Other Meeting Information: The preliminary 
agenda, list of discussion topics, ICCVAM roster and other background 
materials, and public statements submitted prior to the meeting should 
be posted by May 18, 2016, at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvamforum-2016. 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-2016 by May 13, 2016, to facilitate planning for 
appropriate meeting space. Those planning to view the webcast must 
register at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvamforum-2016 by May 25, 
2016. 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. Guidelines for public statements are at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/about_ntp/guidelines_public_comments_508.pdf.
    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 13, 2016, 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. Public statements will be distributed to NICEATM and 
ICCVAM members before the meeting.
    Registration for oral public statements will be available onsite, 
although onsite registration and time allotted for these

[[Page 14866]]

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 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: March 14, 2016.
John R. Bucher,
Associate Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-06076 Filed 3-17-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P