Public Consultation on Personnel Reliability Issues, 10952 [E9-5526]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
10952
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 48 / Friday, March 13, 2009 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Public Consultation on Personnel
Reliability Issues
AGENCY:
National Institutes of Health,
HHS.
ACTION: Notice of public consultation
meeting on personnel reliability of
individuals with access to Select
Agents.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
SUMMARY: The National Science
Advisory Board for Biosecurity
(NSABB), an advisory committee of the
Federal Government, is hosting a public
consultation to engage the scientific
community and general public in a
discussion of personnel reliability, with
a focus on optimal characteristics of
individuals with access to Select
Agents. This public consultation is an
opportunity for members of the
scientific community and general public
to provide input on these important
issues.
DATE AND TIME: The one day public
consultation will be held on April 3,
2009 from 8 a.m.—5:15 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be
held at the Bethesda Marriott, 5151
Pooks Hill Rd., Bethesda, MD.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Ronna Hill, NIH Office of Biotechnology
Activities, by e-mail at
hillro@od.nih.gov or by telephone at
301–435–2137. Faxes may be sent to the
NIH Office of Biotechnology Activities
at 301–496–9839.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Given heightened concerns about
insider threats at organizations that
work with highly pathogenic agents, the
Federal government has charged the
National Science Advisory Board for
Biosecurity (NSABB) with
recommending a personnel reliability
program for individuals with access to
Select Agents. A portion of their
recommendations will address the
measures that institutions should
undertake to assess whether individuals
are trustworthy and reliable to work
with these agents.
The Board appreciates the potential
impact that any future requirements for
personnel reliability programs would
have on institutions and investigators,
and thus is hosting a public
consultation meeting to engage the
scientific community, research
organizations, and other stakeholders,
including the general public, in a
discussion of the personnel reliability
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:55 Mar 12, 2009
Jkt 217001
attributes being considered by the
NSABB.
The meeting will be structured
around several discussion panels. The
first panel will be background
presentations on extant personnel
reliability programs and aspects of the
current Select Agent Programs that
address personnel reliability. Two
subsequent panels will explore
personnel reliability characteristics
under consideration by the NSABB and
approaches for assessing them. The
personnel characteristics include
scientific and professional integrity,
compliance with biosafety and
biosecurity standards, emotional
stability, sound judgment, and freedom
from vulnerability to coercion. Each
panel will include ample time for indepth plenary discussion of the issues
surrounding each topic. Specific
discussion questions will be posted
ahead of time on the NSABB Web site
at: https://www.biosecurityboard.gov.
The Board is interested in hearing
perspectives from such individuals as
investigators who work with Select
Agents, senior research officials at
institutions registered for Select Agent
work, security think tank analysts,
responsible officials under the Select
Agent program, and individuals who
promote the responsible conduct of
research and have studied issues of
research integrity. Others are equally
welcomed and encouraged to
participate.
The meeting is open to the public and
free of charge. Due to limited space, preregistration is encouraged. To register,
please connect to https://
www.biosecurityboard.gov. Notice of
this meeting will also be published in
the Federal Register. Any groups or
individuals who cannot attend the
meeting are encouraged to submit in
advance of the meeting written
comments to: nsabb@od.nih.gov Please
note that this meeting will not be Web
cast. More information about the
NSABB is available at https://
www.biosecurityboard.gov.
Dated: March 9, 2009.
Amy P. Patterson,
Director, Office of Biotechnology Activities,
National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E9–5526 Filed 3–12–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
PO 00000
Frm 00076
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management
Agency
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
[Docket ID: FEMA–2009–0001]
AGENCY: Federal Emergency
Management Agency, DHS.
ACTION: Notice; 60-day notice and
request for comments; revision of a
currently approved information
collection; OMB No. 1660–0001; FEMA
Form 646–0–1 (new number assignment
replacing FEMA Form 85–3), National
Defense Executive Reserve Personal
Qualifications Statement.
SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency
Management Agency, as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent burden, invites the
general public and other Federal
agencies to take this opportunity to
comment on a proposed extension,
without change, of a currently approved
information collection. In accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, this Notice seeks comments
concerning the application process by
which FEMA uses to fill positions
within the National Defense Executive
Reserve Program.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before May 12, 2009.
ADDRESSES: To avoid duplicate
submissions to the docket, please use
only one of the following means to
submit comments:
(1) Online. Submit comments at
https://www.regulations.gov under
docket ID FEMA–2009–0001. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
(2) Mail. Submit written comments to
Office of Chief Counsel, Regulation and
Policy Team, DHS/FEMA, 500 C Street,
SW., Room 835, WASH, DC 20472–
3100.
(3) Facsimile. Submit comments to
(703) 483–2999.
(4) E-mail. Submit comments to
FEMA-POLICY@dhs.gov. Include docket
ID FEMA–2009–0001 in the subject line.
All submissions received must
include the agency name and docket ID.
Regardless of the method used for
submitting comments or material, all
submissions will be posted, without
change, to the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov,
and will include any personal
information you provide. Therefore,
submitting this information makes it
public. You may wish to read the
Privacy Act notice that is available on
E:\FR\FM\13MRN1.SGM
13MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 48 (Friday, March 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 10952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5526]
[[Page 10952]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Public Consultation on Personnel Reliability Issues
AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.
ACTION: Notice of public consultation meeting on personnel reliability
of individuals with access to Select Agents.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB),
an advisory committee of the Federal Government, is hosting a public
consultation to engage the scientific community and general public in a
discussion of personnel reliability, with a focus on optimal
characteristics of individuals with access to Select Agents. This
public consultation is an opportunity for members of the scientific
community and general public to provide input on these important
issues.
Date and Time: The one day public consultation will be held on April 3,
2009 from 8 a.m.--5:15 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Bethesda Marriott,
5151 Pooks Hill Rd., Bethesda, MD.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Ronna Hill, NIH Office of
Biotechnology Activities, by e-mail at hillro@od.nih.gov or by
telephone at 301-435-2137. Faxes may be sent to the NIH Office of
Biotechnology Activities at 301-496-9839.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Given heightened concerns about insider threats at organizations
that work with highly pathogenic agents, the Federal government has
charged the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB)
with recommending a personnel reliability program for individuals with
access to Select Agents. A portion of their recommendations will
address the measures that institutions should undertake to assess
whether individuals are trustworthy and reliable to work with these
agents.
The Board appreciates the potential impact that any future
requirements for personnel reliability programs would have on
institutions and investigators, and thus is hosting a public
consultation meeting to engage the scientific community, research
organizations, and other stakeholders, including the general public, in
a discussion of the personnel reliability attributes being considered
by the NSABB.
The meeting will be structured around several discussion panels.
The first panel will be background presentations on extant personnel
reliability programs and aspects of the current Select Agent Programs
that address personnel reliability. Two subsequent panels will explore
personnel reliability characteristics under consideration by the NSABB
and approaches for assessing them. The personnel characteristics
include scientific and professional integrity, compliance with
biosafety and biosecurity standards, emotional stability, sound
judgment, and freedom from vulnerability to coercion. Each panel will
include ample time for in-depth plenary discussion of the issues
surrounding each topic. Specific discussion questions will be posted
ahead of time on the NSABB Web site at: https://
www.biosecurityboard.gov.
The Board is interested in hearing perspectives from such
individuals as investigators who work with Select Agents, senior
research officials at institutions registered for Select Agent work,
security think tank analysts, responsible officials under the Select
Agent program, and individuals who promote the responsible conduct of
research and have studied issues of research integrity. Others are
equally welcomed and encouraged to participate.
The meeting is open to the public and free of charge. Due to
limited space, pre-registration is encouraged. To register, please
connect to https://www.biosecurityboard.gov. Notice of this meeting will
also be published in the Federal Register. Any groups or individuals
who cannot attend the meeting are encouraged to submit in advance of
the meeting written comments to: nsabb@od.nih.gov Please note that this
meeting will not be Web cast. More information about the NSABB is
available at https://www.biosecurityboard.gov.
Dated: March 9, 2009.
Amy P. Patterson,
Director, Office of Biotechnology Activities, National Institutes of
Health.
[FR Doc. E9-5526 Filed 3-12-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P
