[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9880-9881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03194]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2015-0765; FRL-10670-01-ORD]


Request for Public Nominations of Experts To Serve on a Review 
Panel

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) on a review panel under the authority of the Board of 
Scientific Counselors (BOSC), a federal advisory committee to the 
Office of Research and Development (ORD). Selected experts will review 
ORD's draft documents detailing scientific studies supporting the 
development of transcriptomic-based toxicity values and their 
implementation as a new EPA Transcriptomic Assessment Product (ETAP). 
The ETAP is a proposed ORD assessment product that utilizes a 
standardized short-term in vivo study design and data analysis 
procedures to develop transcriptomic-based toxicity values for data 
poor chemicals. The review will take place between April and July 2023. 
Submission of nominations should be made via the BOSC website at: 
https://www.epa.gov/bosc.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by March 3, 2023, 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

[[Page 9881]]

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. The chartered BOSC provides scientific advice to the 
EPA Administrator on a variety of EPA science and research topics. All 
the work of BOSC standing committees and ad-hoc panels is conducted 
under the auspices of the chartered BOSC. The chartered BOSC members 
review all BOSC standing committee and ad-hoc panel draft reports and 
determine whether each meets the BOSC's criteria and high-quality 
standards required to deliver them to the EPA Administrator.
    The BOSC will evaluate the Office of Research and Development 
(ORD)'s draft scientific studies supporting the development of 
transcriptomic-based toxicity values and their use as a new EPA 
Transcriptomic Assessment Product (ETAP). Draft documents will be 
provided in the BOSC docket prior to the meeting for an in-depth 
evaluation of:
     Literature review and scientific studies supporting the 
development of transcriptomic points-of-departure from short-term in 
vivo studies;
     Derivation of transcriptomic toxicity values for chronic 
toxicity; and
     Incorporation of transcriptomic toxicity values into a new 
standardized assessment product that is intended for data poor 
chemicals.
     Example application of the ETAP to a data poor per- and 
polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS).
    The review of the draft documents detailing underlying scientific 
studies and implementation of ETAP by the BOSC is being performed in 
close coordination with a separate BOSC review of a value-of-
information (VOI) analysis comparing the ETAP with traditional human 
health assessment practices. The VOI analysis is intended to evaluate 
the public health and economic trade-offs associated with the 
timeliness, uncertainty, and costs of the different toxicity evaluation 
and assessment approaches.

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:

 Human health chemical risk assessment
 Toxicology
 Biostatistics
 Transcriptomics, including dose response modeling of 
transcriptomic data
 Systematic evidence mapping

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 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 on the Executive Committee or Subcommittee, 
e.g., 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 to the advisory committee. 
Nominations should be submitted via the BOSC website at: https://www.epa.gov/bosc. Nominations should be submitted no later than March 
3, 2023. 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 one or more of ORD's research programs, 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. 2023-03194 Filed 2-14-23; 8:45 am]
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