[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 5 (Monday, January 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 823-824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00120]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of 
Alternative Methods Communities of Practice Webinar on Machine Learning 
in Toxicology: Fundamentals of Application and Interpretation; Notice 
of Public Webinar; Registration Information

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of 
Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) announces a public webinar ``Machine 
Learning in Toxicology: Fundamentals of Application and 
Interpretation.'' The webinar is organized on behalf of ICCVAM by the 
National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of 
Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM). Interested persons may 
participate via WebEx. Time will be allotted for questions from the 
audience.

DATES: Webinar: January 23, 2018, 1:00 p.m. to approximately 2:30 p.m. 
Eastern Standard Time (EST). Registration for the Webinar: December 18, 
2017, until 2:30 p.m. on January 23, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Webinar web page: http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/commprac-2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Warren Casey, Director, NICEATM; 
telephone: (984) 287-3118; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: ICCVAM promotes the development 
and validation of toxicity testing methods that protect human health 
and the environment while replacing, reducing, or refining animal use. 
ICCVAM also provides guidance to test method developers and facilitates 
collaborations that promote the development of new test methods. To 
address these goals, ICCVAM will hold a Communities of Practice webinar 
on ``Machine Learning in Toxicology: Fundamentals of Application and 
Interpretation.''
    The ICCVAM webinar will explore the fundamentals of machine 
learning approaches, including how they work, how they are interpreted, 
and precautions that should be taken when evaluating their output. It 
will feature presentations by two experts in use of machine learning in 
toxicity texting applications that will address issues specific to use 
of machine learning approaches in a regulatory context. Case studies 
will be presented to highlight where such techniques have been 
successfully applied both nationally and internationally. The 
preliminary agenda and additional information about presentations will 
be posted at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/commprac-2018 as available.
    Webinar and Registration: This webinar is open to the public with 
time scheduled for questions by participants following each 
presentation. Registration for the webinar is required and is open 
through 2:30 p.m. on January 23, 2018. Registration is available at 
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/commprac-2018. Interested individuals are 
encouraged to visit this web page to stay abreast of the most current 
webinar information. Registrants will receive instructions on how to 
access and participate in the webinar in an email sent shortly before 
the webinar.
    Individuals with disabilities who need accommodation to participate 
in this event should contact Elizabeth Maull at phone: (984) 287-3157 
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.
    Background Information on ICCVAM and NICEATM: ICCVAM is an 
interagency committee composed of representatives from 16 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 more accurately assess the safety 
and hazards of chemicals and products and replace, reduce, or refine 
(enhance animal well-being and lessen or avoid 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 National Institute 
of Environmental Health Sciences 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

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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 test methods and strategies for 
validation studies and technical evaluations. Additional information 
about NICEATM can be found at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/niceatm.

    Dated: December 20, 2017.
John R. Bucher,
Associate Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2018-00120 Filed 1-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P