[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 103 (Friday, May 27, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32161-32163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11421]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2015-0765; FRL-9852-01-ORD]


Request for Public Nominations of Experts To Review the New 
Chemicals Collaborative Research Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking 
nominations for technical experts to serve as Special Government 
Employees (SGEs) to participate in the review of the New Chemicals 
Collaborative Research Program with the Board of Scientific Counselors 
(BOSC), a federal advisory committee to the Office of Research and 
Development (ORD). Submission of

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nominations will be made via the BOSC website at: https://www.epa.gov/bosc.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by June 30, 2022, per 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public needing 
additional information regarding this Notice and Request for 
Nominations may contact Mr. Tom Tracy, Office of Science Policy, Office 
of Research and Development, Mail Code B343-01, 109 T.W. Alexander 
Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; via phone/voice mail at: (919) 
541-4334; or via email at: [email protected]. General information 
concerning the BOSC can be found at the following website: https://www.epa.gov/bosc.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The BOSC is a chartered Federal Advisory Committee established by 
the EPA to provide independent scientific and technical peer review, 
advice, consultation, and recommendations about ORD. As a Federal 
Advisory Committee, the BOSC conducts business in accordance with the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. app. 2) and related 
regulations.
    The BOSC is comprised of an Executive Committee and two supporting 
subcommittee(s): Social and Community Science, and Climate Change. 
Please visit https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-research-and-development-ord to learn more about ORD's research programs.
    Members of the BOSC constitute a distinguished body of non-EPA 
scientists, engineers, and economists who are experts in their 
respective fields. We are seeking SGEs to serve as special experts to 
assist the BOSC in the review of the New Chemicals Collaborative 
Research Program in the Fall of 2022.
    The BOSC will be evaluating the Office of Research and Development 
(ORD)'s draft Strategic Research Action Plans Fiscal Years 2023-2026 in 
Fall 2022. The Fall 2022 meeting will provide a more in-depth 
evaluation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) New Chemicals 
Collaborative Research Program (See Output CSS.8.4: Innovative science 
to support new chemicals evaluation in the draft StRAP for Chemical 
Safety and Sustainability) and associated research plan (https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2022-0218-0004). An additional 
draft document will be provided that summarizes technical details of 
the research plan. ORD in partnership with the Office of Chemical 
Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) are proposing to develop and 
implement a multi-year collaborative research program focused on 
approaches for performing risk assessments on new chemical substances 
under TSCA. The results of the effort are expected to bring innovative 
science to new chemical reviews, modernize the approaches used, and 
increase the transparency of the information underpinning the human 
health and ecological risk assessment process. Key areas proposed in 
the TSCA New Chemicals Collaborative Research Program include:
     Updating OCSPP's category and read-across approach which 
uses data from structurally similar chemicals to determine potential 
risks from new chemicals when data for those chemicals are lacking. 
This research effort will increase the efficiency of new chemical 
reviews by identifying appropriate analogues for read across and 
promoting the use of the best available data to protect human health 
and the environment. The existing category approach in use dates to 
2010 and is available here: https://www.epa.gov/reviewing-new-chemicals-under-toxic-substances-control-act-tsca/chemical-categories-used-review-new.
     Digitizing and consolidating information on chemicals to 
include data and studies that currently only exist in hard copy or in 
disparate TSCA databases. The information will be combined with 
publicly available sources to expand the amount of information 
available, enhancing chemical reviews and enabling efficient sharing of 
chemical information across EPA. Safeguards for TSCA confidential 
business information will be maintained as appropriate in this process. 
Data curation in public databases will proceed and where possible these 
databases will be made interchangeable with International Uniform 
Chemical Information Database (IUCLID) formats.
     Updating and augmenting the models used for predicting a 
chemical's physical-chemical properties and environmental fate/
transport, hazard, exposure (including functional use predictions), and 
toxicokinetics to provide a suite of models to be used for new 
chemicals assessments. The goal of this effort is to update the models 
to reflect the best available science, increase transparency, and 
establish a process for updating these models as science evolves. The 
predictive models currently in use by OCSPP for new chemical evaluation 
are available here: https://www.epa.gov/tsca-screening-tools.
     Exploring ways to integrate and apply new approach methods 
(NAMs) in new chemicals assessments, thereby reducing the use of animal 
testing. As this effort evolves, the goal is to develop a suite of 
accepted, fit-for-purpose NAMs that could be used by external 
stakeholders for data submissions under TSCA as well as informing and 
expanding new chemical categories.
     Developing a decision support tool that integrates the 
various information streams specifically used for new chemical risk 
assessments. The decision support tool will more efficiently integrate 
all the data streams (e.g., chemistry, fate, exposures, hazards) into a 
final risk assessment and transparently document the decisions and 
assumptions made. Simply put, this will facilitate the tracking of the 
new chemicals program decisions and provide consistency within and 
across chemistries.
    EPA will consider nominees from industry, business, public and 
private research institutes or organizations, academia, government 
(federal, state, local, and tribal) and non-government organizations, 
and other relevant interest areas. EPA values and welcomes diversity. 
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply regardless of gender, 
race, disability, or ethnicity.

Expertise Sought

    The EPA invites nominations of individuals to serve as SGEs with 
expertise or extensive experience in the following scientific 
disciplines and topic areas as they relate to human health and the 
environment:

 Using data to develop predictive models and use of predictive 
models in data poor environment
[cir] Read across and analogue selection
[cir] Chemical structures and cheminformatics
[cir] Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR)
 Development, implementation, and validation of new approach 
methods (NAMs). Relevant expertise may include:
[cir] Veterinary pathology or comparative physiology for perspective on 
relevance of laboratory animals for predicting human outcomes
[cir] Reference data curation to support validation
 Computational modeling, bioinformatics, and/or statistics
 Toxicokinetics, Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic models 
(PBPK), and in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE)
 Systems biology
 Human health and ecological risk assessment

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    Exposure modeling and/or assessment, including near-field and far-
field sources
 Knowledge of TSCA
 Environmental fate of chemicals

Selection Criteria

    Nominations will be evaluated on the basis of several criteria 
including: (a) Demonstrated scientific and/or technical credentials and 
disciplinary expertise, knowledge, and experience in relevant fields; 
(b) availability to serve and willingness to commit time to the 
committee (approximately one to three meetings per year both by 
teleconferences and possibly face-to-face meetings); (c) absence of 
financial conflicts of interest; (d) absence of an appearance of a lack 
of impartiality; (e) demonstrated ability to work constructively and 
effectively on committees; and (f) background and experiences that 
would contribute to the diversity of viewpoints including workforce 
sector, geographical location, social, cultural, and educational 
backgrounds, and professional affiliations.

Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations

    Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified 
persons to be considered for appointment. Nominations should be 
submitted via the BOSC website at: https://www.epa.gov/bosc. 
Nominations should be submitted no later than June 30, 2022. To receive 
full consideration, nominations should include all the information 
requested. EPA's nomination form requests: Contact information about 
the person making the nomination; contact information about the 
nominee; the disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the 
nominee; the nominee's curriculum vita and/or resume; and additional 
information that would be useful for considering the nomination such as 
background and qualifications (e.g., current position, educational 
background, expertise, research areas), experience relevant to the 
areas mentioned above, service on other advisory committees and 
professional societies, and availability to participate as an SGE. 
Persons having questions about the nomination procedures, or who are 
unable to submit nominations through the BOSC website, should contact 
Mr. Tom Tracy, as indicated above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section of this notice.

Mary Ross,
Director, Office of Science Advisor, Policy and Engagement.
[FR Doc. 2022-11421 Filed 5-26-22; 8:45 am]
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