[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48232-48233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-22436]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Request for Nominations of Potential Reviewers To Serve on the 
Disease, Disability, and Injury Prevention and Control Special Emphasis 
Panel

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is 
seeking nominations for possible membership on the Disease, Disability, 
and Injury Prevention and Control Special Emphasis Panel (SEP) in the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), World 
Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). The Disease, Disability, and 
Injury Prevention and Control Special Emphasis Panel provides advice 
and guidance to the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS); the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
and the Administrator, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 
(ATSDR) regarding the concept review, scientific and technical merit of 
grant and cooperative agreement assistance applications, and contract 
proposals relating to the causes, prevention, and control of diseases, 
disabilities, injuries, and impairments of public health significance; 
exposure to hazardous substances in the environment; health promotion 
and education; and other related activities that promote health and 
well-being. Members and Chairs shall be selected by the Secretary, HHS, 
or other official to whom the authority has been delegated, on an ``as 
needed'' basis in response to specific applications being reviewed with 
expertise to provide advice. Members will be selected from authorities 
in the various fields of prevention and control of diseases, 
disabilities, and injuries. Members of other chartered HHS advisory 
committees may serve on the panel if their expertise is required. 
Consideration is given to professional training and background, points 
of view represented, and upcoming applications to be reviewed by the 
committee.

DATES: Nominations for membership on the WTCHP SEPs must be received no 
later than December 15, 2017. Packages received after this time will 
not be considered for the current membership cycle; but will be kept on 
file for future cycles. The membership cycles are listed under the 
Advisory Council Review on the Funding Opportunity Announcement, which 
is available at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-16-098.html.

ADDRESSES: All nominations should be mailed to Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE., Mailstop E-74, Atlanta, 
Georgia 30329, emailed to [email protected], or faxed to (404) 471-
2616.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mia Wallace, Management Analyst, CDC/
NIOSH/WTCHP, 1600 Clifton Road NE., Mailstop E-74, Atlanta, Georgia 
30329, Telephone: (404) 498-2253; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services policy stipulates that committee membership be balanced in 
terms of points of view represented and the committee's function. 
Appointments shall be made without discrimination on the basis of age, 
race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV 
status, disability, and cultural, religious, or socioeconomic status. 
Nominees must be U.S. citizens appointed to serve on a CDC SEP and can 
be full-time employees of the U.S. Government. Current participation on 
CDC federal workgroups or prior experience serving on another federal 
advisory committee does not disqualify a reviewer. However, HHS policy 
is to avoid excessive individual service on advisory committees and 
multiple committee memberships. Reviewers appointed to the SEP, CDC are 
not considered Special Government Employees, and will not be required 
to file financial disclosure reports.
    Nominees interested in serving as a member on a WTCHP Peer Review 
Panel should submit the following items:
     Current curriculum vitae, including complete contact 
information (name, affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, and 
email address);
     A statement summarizing the nominee's Areas of Expertise 
(include unique experiences, skills and knowledge the individual will 
bring to the WTCHP), Ethnic/Racial Minority Status, and Citizenship; 
and
     A statement confirming that the nominee is not a 
registered federal lobbyist.

[[Page 48233]]

    Background: The WTCHP is administered by NIOSH. The James Zadroga 
9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, Public Law 111-347 (hereafter 
referred to as ``the Zadroga Act'') was signed by President Obama on 
January 2, 2011, and was re-authorized on December 18, 2015. The 
Zadroga Act continues monitoring and treatment activities and requires 
the establishment (under Subtitle C) of a research program on health 
conditions resulting from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 
For additional information on the program please refer to: http://www.cdc.gov/wtc.
    The Zadroga Act lists the following broad research areas:
     Physical and mental health conditions that may be related 
to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks;
     Diagnosing WTC-related health conditions for which there 
has been diagnostic uncertainty; and
     Treating WTC-related health conditions for which there has 
been treatment uncertainty.
    Research mentioned in the Zadroga Act includes epidemiologic and 
other research studies on WTC-related health conditions or emerging 
conditions among (1) enrolled WTC responders and certified-eligible WTC 
survivors under treatment; (2) sampled populations outside the NYC 
disaster area, in Manhattan (as far north as 14th Street) and in 
Brooklyn; and (3) control populations, to identify potential for long-
term adverse health effects in less exposed populations.
    Major areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the 
following:
    Linking 9/11 exposure to health conditions:
     Cancers, multisystem or autoimmune, cardiovascular and 
neurologic disease (including age at diagnosis);
     Characterizing patterns of illness (age, gender, 
comorbidities, etc.); and
     Characterizing alterations in health and development for 
those exposed to 9/11 as children.
    Characterizing established WTC-related diseases and comorbidities:
     Identifying phenotypes, biomarkers, epigenetics; and
     Care models that address complex co-morbidities and other 
modifiable factors.
     Health services research and value-based care that 
addresses disaster-related injury and illness for chronic disease.
    (Note: Health services research examines how people get access to 
health care, how much care costs, and what happens to patients as a 
result of this care. The main goals of health services research are to 
identify the most effective ways to organize, manage, finance, and 
deliver high quality care; reduce medical errors; and improve patient 
safety (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2002).
    Characterizing the work-ability and occupational outcomes for those 
impacted by 9/11.
    Lessons learned in recovery:
     Identifying and operationalizing key elements of 
psychological resilience for disaster responders; and
     Establishing comparison groups for disaster-related 
research for key health indicators for first responders.
    (Note: Concepts of psychological resilience vary across disciplines 
with investigations addressing various outcomes ranging from reported 
levels of stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and general indicators 
of well-being. Also proposed are interpersonal, intrapersonal and 
environmental factors that suggest a more stable and enduring 
personality trait impacting self-regulation.)
    Relevant diseases or conditions include, but are not limited to, 
the following:

 Respiratory diseases
 Cancer (including detection/diagnosis of pre-malignant 
changes)
 Cardiovascular Disease
 Psychological resilience and well-being
 Persistent psychiatric conditions such as posttraumatic 
stress, anxiety and depressive disorders
 Cognitive changes
 Aging--the impacts of aging on those impacted by 9/11 illness 
and injury
 Neurological Diseases
 Aerodigestive health
 Multisystem or auto-immune diseases
 Gastro-esophageal disorders
 Gastrointestinal health
 Chronic musculoskeletal conditions resulting from acute 
traumatic injury and overuse disorders

    The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been 
delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices pertaining to 
announcements of meetings and other committee management activities for 
both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for 
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Elaine L. Baker,
Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2017-22436 Filed 10-16-17; 8:45 am]
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