Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; Request for Nominations for Voting Members, 11491-11492 [2011-4627]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
• Health Resources and Services Administration

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11491-11492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4627]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; Request for 
Nominations for Voting Members

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is 
requesting nominations to fill expected vacancies on the Advisory 
Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation.
    The Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation was 
established pursuant to Public Law 109-129 as amended by Public Law 
111-264; 42 U.S.C. 274k; Section 379 of the Public Health Service Act. 
In accordance with Public Law 92-463, the Council was chartered on 
December 19, 2006.

DATES: The agency must receive nominations on or before April 1, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be submitted to the Executive Secretary, 
Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation, Healthcare Systems 
Bureau, HRSA, Parklawn Building, Room 12C-06, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857. Federal Express, Airborne, UPS, or mail 
delivery should be addressed to Executive Secretary, Advisory Council 
on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation, Healthcare Systems Bureau, HRSA, at 
the above address. Nominations submitted electronically should be e-
mailed to ptongele@hrsa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia A. Stroup, M.B.A., M.P.A., 
Executive Secretary, Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell 
Transplantation, at (301) 443-1127 or e-mail pstroup@hrsa.gov or Robert 
Baitty, Director, Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Program, Division of 
Transplantation, at (301) 443-2612 or e-mail rbaitty@hrsa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council was established to implement a 
statutory requirement of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 
2005 (Pub. L. 109-129). The Council is governed by the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), which sets forth 
standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.
    The Advisory Council advises the Secretary and the Administrator, 
HRSA, on matters related to the activities of the C.W. Bill Young Cell 
Transplantation Program and the National Cord Blood Inventory Program.
    The Council shall, as requested by the Secretary, discuss and make 
recommendations regarding the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation 
Program (Program). It shall provide a consolidated, comprehensive 
source of expert, unbiased analysis and recommendations to the 
Secretary on the latest advances in the science of blood stem cell 
transplantation. The

[[Page 11492]]

Council shall advise, assist, consult and make recommendations, at the 
request of the Secretary, on broad Program policy in areas such as the 
necessary size and composition of the adult donor pool available 
through the Program and the composition of the National Cord Blood 
Inventory, requirements regarding informed consent for cord blood 
donation, accreditation requirements for cord blood banks, the 
scientific factors that define a cord blood unit as high quality, 
public and professional education to encourage the ethical recruitment 
of genetically diverse donors and ethical donation practices, criteria 
for selecting the appropriate blood stem source for transplantation, 
Program priorities, research priorities, and the scope and design of 
the Stem Cell Therapeutic Outcomes Database. It also shall, at the 
request of the Secretary, review and advise on issues relating more 
broadly to the field of blood stem cell transplantation, such as 
regulatory policy including compatibility of international regulations, 
and actions that may be taken by the State and Federal Governments and 
public and private insurers to increase donation and access to 
transplantation. The Advisory Council also shall make recommendations 
regarding research on emerging therapies using cells from bone marrow 
and cord blood.
    The Council consists of up to 25 members, including the Chair. 
Members of the Advisory Council shall be chosen to ensure objectivity 
and balance, and reduce the potential for conflicts of interest. The 
Secretary shall establish bylaws and procedures to prohibit any member 
of the Advisory Council who has an employment, governance, or financial 
affiliation with a donor center, recruitment organization, transplant 
center, or cord blood bank from participating in any decision that 
materially affects the center, recruitment organization, transplant 
center, or cord blood bank; and to limit the number of members of the 
Advisory Council with any such affiliation.
    The members and chair shall be selected by the Secretary from 
outstanding authorities and representatives of marrow donor centers and 
marrow transplant centers; representatives of cord blood banks and 
participating birthing hospitals; recipients of a bone marrow 
transplant; recipients of a cord blood transplant; persons who require 
such transplants; family members of such a recipient or family members 
of a patient who has requested the assistance of the Program in 
searching for an unrelated donor of bone marrow or cord blood; persons 
with expertise in bone marrow and cord blood transplantation; persons 
with expertise in typing, matching, and transplant outcome data 
analysis; persons with expertise in the social sciences; basic 
scientists with expertise in the biology of adult stem cells; 
ethicists, hematology and transfusion medicine researchers with 
expertise in adult blood stem cells; persons with expertise in cord 
blood processing; and members of the general public.
    In addition, representatives from the Division of Transplantation 
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Department of 
Defense Marrow Recruitment and Research Program operated by the 
Department of the Navy, the Food and Drug Administration, the National 
Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention serve as non-voting 
ex officio members.
    Specifically, HRSA is requesting nominations for voting members of 
the Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in these 
categories: marrow donor centers and transplant center representatives; 
cord blood banks and participating hospitals representatives; 
recipients of cord blood transplant; family members of bone marrow 
transplant and cord blood transplant recipients or family members of a 
patient who has requested assistance by the Program in searching for an 
unrelated donor; persons with expertise in bone marrow or cord blood 
transplantation; persons with expertise in typing, matching, and 
transplant outcome data analysis; persons with expertise in social 
sciences; basic scientists with expertise in the biology of adult stem 
cells; researchers in hematology and transfusion medicine with 
expertise in adult blood stem cells; persons with expertise in cord 
blood processing; and members of the general public. Nominees will be 
invited to serve a 2- to 6-year term beginning after January 1, 2012.
    HHS will consider nominations of all qualified individuals to 
ensure that the Advisory Council includes the areas of subject matter 
expertise noted above. Individuals may nominate themselves or other 
individuals, and professional associations and organizations may 
nominate one or more qualified persons for membership on the Advisory 
Council. Nominations shall state that the nominee is willing to serve 
as a member of the Council. Potential candidates will be asked to 
provide detailed information concerning financial interests, 
consultancies, research grants, and/or contracts that might be affected 
by recommendations of the Council to permit evaluation of possible 
sources of conflicts of interest. In addition, nominees will be asked 
to provide detailed information concerning any employment, governance, 
or financial affiliation with any donor centers, recruitment 
organizations, transplant centers, and/or cord blood banks.
    A nomination package should be sent in as hard copy, e-mail 
communication, or on compact disc. A nomination package should include 
the following information for each nominee: (1) A letter of nomination 
stating the name, affiliation, and contact information for the nominee, 
the basis for the nomination (i.e., what specific attributes recommend 
him/her for service in this capacity), and the nominee's field(s) of 
expertise; (2) a biographical sketch of the nominee and a copy of his/
her curriculum vitae; and (3) the name, return address, e-mail address, 
and daytime telephone number at which the nominator can be contacted.
    The Department strives to ensure that the membership of HHS Federal 
advisory committees is fairly balanced in terms of points of view 
represented and the committee's function. Every effort is made to 
ensure that the views of women, all ethnic and racial groups, and 
people with disabilities are represented on HHS Federal advisory 
committees and, therefore, the Department encourages nominations of 
qualified candidates from these groups. The Department also encourages 
geographic diversity in the composition of the committee. Appointment 
to this Council shall be made without discrimination on the basis of 
age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and 
cultural, religious, or socioeconomic status.

    Dated: February 24, 2011.
Reva Harris,
Acting Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination.
[FR Doc. 2011-4627 Filed 3-1-11; 8:45 am]
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