Request for Information on Drinking Water Contaminants of Emerging Concern for the National Emerging Contaminant Research Initiative, 28120-28121 [2021-11051]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 25, 2021 / Notices
Date: June 28–29, 2021.
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: National Institutes of Health,
Rockledge II, 6701 Rockledge Drive,
Bethesda, MD 20892 (Virtual Meeting).
Contact Person: Malaya Chatterjee, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Center for
Scientific Review, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 6192,
MSC 7804, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–806–
2515, chatterm@csr.nih.gov.
Name of Committee: Center for Scientific
Review Special Emphasis Panel; Digestive
and Nutrient Physiology and Diseases.
Date: June 28–29, 2021.
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: National Institutes of Health,
Rockledge II, 6701 Rockledge Drive,
Bethesda, MD 20892 (Virtual Meeting).
Contact Person: Aster Juan, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Center for
Scientific Review, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD
20817, 301–435–5000, juana2@mail.nih.gov.
(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Nos. 93.306, Comparative Medicine;
93.333, Clinical Research, 93.306, 93.333,
93.337, 93.393–93.396, 93.837–93.844,
93.846–93.878, 93.892, 93.893, National
Institutes of Health, HHS)
Dated: May 20, 2021.
Miguelina Perez,
Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 2021–11045 Filed 5–24–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Request for Information on Drinking
Water Contaminants of Emerging
Concern for the National Emerging
Contaminant Research Initiative
AGENCY:
National Institutes of Health,
HHS.
ACTION:
Request for information.
The National Institutes of
Health (NIH), National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences
(NIEHS), on behalf of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy (OSTP),
requests input from all interested parties
on research needed to identify, analyze,
monitor, and mitigate drinking water
contaminants of emerging concern (DW
CECs). Comments provided through this
Request for Information (RFI) will
inform the development of a National
Emerging Contaminant Research
Initiative (NECRI). The NECRI will be
the precursor to Federal coordination of
DW CEC research; and agencies will
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
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18:09 May 24, 2021
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publish external grant solicitations that
align with the goals of the NECRI.
DATES: This Request for Information is
open for public comment for 30 days.
Responses must be received by June 24,
2021 to ensure consideration.
ADDRESSES: Responses to this RFI may
be submitted online to NIEHSCEC@
nih.gov. Email submissions should be
machine-readable [PDF, Word] and
should not be copy-protected.
Submissions should include ‘‘RFI
Response: Drinking Water Contaminants
of Emerging Concern’’ in the subject line
of the email.
Response to this RFI is voluntary.
Each individual or organization is
requested to submit only one response.
Please feel free to respond to one or as
many statements as you choose.
Responses must not exceed 10 pages in
12 point or larger font (exclusive of
attachments), with a page number
provided on each page. Responses
should include the name of the
person(s) or organization(s) filing the
response.
Responses containing references,
studies, research, and other empirical
data that are not widely published
should include copies of or electronic
links to the referenced materials.
Responses containing profanity,
vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate
language or content will not be
considered.
Comments submitted in response to
this RFI are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA). Responses to
this RFI may also be posted, without
change, on a Federal website. Therefore,
we request that any proprietary
information, copyrighted information,
or personally identifiable information be
omitted from your response to this RFI.
This RFI is for planning purposes
only and should not be construed as a
solicitation for applications or
proposals, or as an obligation in any
way on the part of the United States
Federal government. The Federal
government will not pay for the
preparation of any information
submitted or for the government’s use.
Additionally, the government cannot
guarantee the confidentiality of the
information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about this request for
information should be directed to
Christopher P. Weis, Ph.D., DABT,
National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS), Telephone:
301–496–3512, Email:
Christopher.Weis@nih.gov; or David M.
Balshaw, National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences
PO 00000
Frm 00068
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(NIEHS), Telephone: 984–287–3234,
Email: balshaw@niehs.nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Drinking
water contaminants of emerging concern
(DW CECs) are newly identified or reemerging manufactured or naturally
occurring physical, chemical, biological,
radiological, or nuclear materials that
may cause adverse effects to human
health or the environment and do not
currently have a national primary
drinking water regulation. Through this
RFI, NIH/NIEHS seeks input from nongovernmental entities (e.g., industry,
academia, civil society), State and local
governments, and other institutions
with scientific and material interest in
DW CEC research. Comments provided
in response to this RFI will inform the
development of a National Emerging
Contaminant Research Initiative
(NECRI) for protection of U.S. drinking
water quality. Responses may also be
used to address requests from the 2021
National Defense Authorization Act to
identify research questions and
priorities in the area of sustainable
chemistry. The initiative will build on
the National Science and Technology
Council’s (NSTC) cross-agency Plan for
Addressing Critical Research Gaps
Related to Emerging Contaminants in
Drinking Water published in 2018. The
NECRI will be the precursor to Federal
coordination of DW CEC research; and,
in compliance with the NDAA for Fiscal
Year 2020, Title LXXIII, Subtitle D,
Sections 7341 and 7342, agencies will
‘‘issue a solicitation for research
proposals consistent with the Federal
research strategy and that agency’s
mission.’’
Contaminants of emerging concern
may be present in drinking water and in
some cases have been shown to cause
adverse effects on human health. The
2020 NDAA instructed Office of Science
and Technology Policy (OSTP) to
establish the NECRI to improve the
‘‘identification, analysis, monitoring,
and treatment methods of contaminants
of emerging concern’’ and subsequently
develop ‘‘any necessary program,
policy, or budget’’ to further DW CEC
research. The 2020 NDAA also directs
the Administrator of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and the Secretary of Health and Human
Services (HHS) to establish an
Interagency Working Group on
Contaminants of Emerging Concern
(CEC IWG) to facilitate coordination of
Federal research on CEC. OSTP
collaborated with the CEC IWG to
identify approaches, tools, and methods
to accelerate DW CEC research, and
metrics and indicators to assess progress
in reaching the goals of the NECRI.
E:\FR\FM\25MYN1.SGM
25MYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 25, 2021 / Notices
Information Requested
This RFI requests feedback on two
sections: The need for coordination of
efforts and the scientific focus of a DW
CEC effort. Respondents are free to
address one or both of the sections
listed below and respond to as many
items in each section as they choose,
while remaining within the 10-page
limit, exclusive of attachments.
Section 1—Feedback on Improving
and Coordinating DW CEC Efforts: This
RFI requests feedback on methods to
focus and coordinate DW CEC research
efforts. Please consider how U.S.
Government and external stakeholder
action could contribute to DW CEC
research, take advantage of emerging
science and technology opportunities,
measure outcomes, and develop a DW
CEC research initiative with the goal to
provide safe drinking water for the
American people. Please comment on:
1. Barriers that prevent or limit you or
your organization’s DW CEC research
capabilities and success.
2. Potential opportunities to improve
coordination and partnership among
public and private entities participating
in DW CEC research and prevent
unnecessarily duplicative efforts.
3. The types of outreach efforts most
useful to communicate DW CEC
research results for impacted Federal,
State, local, and Tribal communities.
Please provide examples where
possible.
4. Metrics or indicators that you or
your organization adopted to measure
the success of your DW CEC research or
other related research efforts.
5. Metrics or indicators that would be
valuable in measuring the success of a
National DW CEC research initiative.
6. As an affected community member,
the most significant concerns and
recommendations for DW CECs.
Section 2—Feedback on DW CEC
Research Areas: This RFI requests
feedback on needs for broad areas of DW
CEC research (detailed below) and
research needed for shaping the NECRI.
Research Area 2: Human Health and
Environmental Effects
Emerging contaminants may cause
adverse effects on human health and the
environment. Biological effects research
encompasses the identification and
characterization of these adverse effects,
including factors that influence
susceptibility to disease or disfunction.
Research tools may include in-silico and
receptor-based approaches, predictive
modeling, new toxicological
assessments, and data analytics
strategies. In the context of this research
initiative, environmental effects
research considers indicators of adverse
human health effects.
Research Area 3: Risk Characterization
To Inform Risk Mitigation
Risk characterization synthesizes
available information and
communicates uncertainty about
exposure, biological effects, and other
relevant considerations to inform risk
mitigation actions. Risk mitigation
actions include research into
preventative approaches such as source
reduction. Sustainable chemistry efforts
may also fall into risk mitigation
actions. In addition, treatments,
technological development and
application, and other interventions
may also be considered to reduce or
otherwise mitigate risk for individual,
mixtures, or classes of CEC.
DW CEC Research Areas
Research Area 4: Risk Communication
Below are descriptions of four areas of
DW CEC research identified by the CEC
IWG. When submitting your feedback,
please indicate which DW CEC research
area(s) you are responding to.
Risk communication relays
information to relevant groups about
risks to human health and actions that
could address those risks. The scope of
relevant groups includes those affected
by exposures, the general public,
decision makers, scientists, industry,
and other technical experts. Risk
communication research includes
techniques and media formats used to
inform stakeholder groups and studies
on the psychosocial aspects of risks,
such as general perceptions of risk, the
adoption of risk reduction behaviors,
Research Area 1: Exposure
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
exposures, characterize their risk, and
develop mitigation tools. Monitoring
can be performed routinely to assess
water composition, during acute
exposure events, or to estimate the effect
of CEC mitigation efforts. Exposure
science includes efforts to estimate the
type and concentration of contaminants
through a range of activities from
targeted analysis of specific CEC, nontargeted analysis for the discovery of
unknown CEC, and modeling activities.
Please include thoughts on
identification and measurement tools,
such as sensors, to conduct analyses.
Exposure to DW CECs can occur
through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal
routes. Exposure-related research
includes contaminant identification and
monitoring from source-to-tap and
informs downstream efforts to
understand the biological effects of CEC
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18:09 May 24, 2021
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PO 00000
Frm 00069
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
28121
and perceptions framed by scientific
controversy or misinformation.
The following statements are
provided to obtain feedback to fill
existing gaps in DW CEC knowledge and
practice in these research areas. Please
comment on:
1. The critical, impactful research
questions and topics that should be
addressed in order to better protect
American public health in regard to DW
CEC.
2. Research priorities within each of
the four areas described below.
3. New or innovative tools,
technologies, software, modeling,
methods, data/information sharing, etc.
that should be developed or employed
to address these research areas.
This RFI is for planning purposes
only and should not be construed as a
solicitation for applications or
proposals, or as an obligation in any
way on the part of the United States
Federal government. The Federal
government will not pay for the
preparation of any information
submitted or for the government’s use.
Additionally, the government cannot
guarantee the confidentiality of the
information provided.
Dated: May 19, 2021.
Christopher P. Weis,
Toxicology Liaison, National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, National
Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2021–11051 Filed 5–24–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases; Notice of Closed
Meeting
Pursuant to section 10(d) of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended, notice is hereby given of the
following meeting.
The meeting will be closed to the
public in accordance with the
provisions set forth in sections
552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C.,
as amended. The grant applications and
the discussions could disclose
confidential trade secrets or commercial
property such as patentable material,
and personal information concerning
individuals associated with the grant
applications, the disclosure of which
would constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy.
Name of Committee: National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases Special
Emphasis Panel Limited Competition:
E:\FR\FM\25MYN1.SGM
25MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28120-28121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11051]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Request for Information on Drinking Water Contaminants of
Emerging Concern for the National Emerging Contaminant Research
Initiative
AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.
ACTION: Request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), on behalf of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), requests input from all
interested parties on research needed to identify, analyze, monitor,
and mitigate drinking water contaminants of emerging concern (DW CECs).
Comments provided through this Request for Information (RFI) will
inform the development of a National Emerging Contaminant Research
Initiative (NECRI). The NECRI will be the precursor to Federal
coordination of DW CEC research; and agencies will publish external
grant solicitations that align with the goals of the NECRI.
DATES: This Request for Information is open for public comment for 30
days. Responses must be received by June 24, 2021 to ensure
consideration.
ADDRESSES: Responses to this RFI may be submitted online to
[email protected]. Email submissions should be machine-readable [PDF,
Word] and should not be copy-protected. Submissions should include
``RFI Response: Drinking Water Contaminants of Emerging Concern'' in
the subject line of the email.
Response to this RFI is voluntary. Each individual or organization
is requested to submit only one response. Please feel free to respond
to one or as many statements as you choose. Responses must not exceed
10 pages in 12 point or larger font (exclusive of attachments), with a
page number provided on each page. Responses should include the name of
the person(s) or organization(s) filing the response.
Responses containing references, studies, research, and other
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of
or electronic links to the referenced materials. Responses containing
profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate language or
content will not be considered.
Comments submitted in response to this RFI are subject to the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Responses to this RFI may also be
posted, without change, on a Federal website. Therefore, we request
that any proprietary information, copyrighted information, or
personally identifiable information be omitted from your response to
this RFI.
This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed
as a solicitation for applications or proposals, or as an obligation in
any way on the part of the United States Federal government. The
Federal government will not pay for the preparation of any information
submitted or for the government's use. Additionally, the government
cannot guarantee the confidentiality of the information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about this request for
information should be directed to Christopher P. Weis, Ph.D., DABT,
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Telephone:
301-496-3512, Email: [email protected]; or David M. Balshaw,
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Telephone:
984-287-3234, Email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Drinking water contaminants of emerging
concern (DW CECs) are newly identified or re-emerging manufactured or
naturally occurring physical, chemical, biological, radiological, or
nuclear materials that may cause adverse effects to human health or the
environment and do not currently have a national primary drinking water
regulation. Through this RFI, NIH/NIEHS seeks input from non-
governmental entities (e.g., industry, academia, civil society), State
and local governments, and other institutions with scientific and
material interest in DW CEC research. Comments provided in response to
this RFI will inform the development of a National Emerging Contaminant
Research Initiative (NECRI) for protection of U.S. drinking water
quality. Responses may also be used to address requests from the 2021
National Defense Authorization Act to identify research questions and
priorities in the area of sustainable chemistry. The initiative will
build on the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) cross-
agency Plan for Addressing Critical Research Gaps Related to Emerging
Contaminants in Drinking Water published in 2018. The NECRI will be the
precursor to Federal coordination of DW CEC research; and, in
compliance with the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2020, Title LXXIII, Subtitle
D, Sections 7341 and 7342, agencies will ``issue a solicitation for
research proposals consistent with the Federal research strategy and
that agency's mission.''
Contaminants of emerging concern may be present in drinking water
and in some cases have been shown to cause adverse effects on human
health. The 2020 NDAA instructed Office of Science and Technology
Policy (OSTP) to establish the NECRI to improve the ``identification,
analysis, monitoring, and treatment methods of contaminants of emerging
concern'' and subsequently develop ``any necessary program, policy, or
budget'' to further DW CEC research. The 2020 NDAA also directs the
Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an
Interagency Working Group on Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC IWG)
to facilitate coordination of Federal research on CEC. OSTP
collaborated with the CEC IWG to identify approaches, tools, and
methods to accelerate DW CEC research, and metrics and indicators to
assess progress in reaching the goals of the NECRI.
[[Page 28121]]
Information Requested
This RFI requests feedback on two sections: The need for
coordination of efforts and the scientific focus of a DW CEC effort.
Respondents are free to address one or both of the sections listed
below and respond to as many items in each section as they choose,
while remaining within the 10-page limit, exclusive of attachments.
Section 1--Feedback on Improving and Coordinating DW CEC Efforts:
This RFI requests feedback on methods to focus and coordinate DW CEC
research efforts. Please consider how U.S. Government and external
stakeholder action could contribute to DW CEC research, take advantage
of emerging science and technology opportunities, measure outcomes, and
develop a DW CEC research initiative with the goal to provide safe
drinking water for the American people. Please comment on:
1. Barriers that prevent or limit you or your organization's DW CEC
research capabilities and success.
2. Potential opportunities to improve coordination and partnership
among public and private entities participating in DW CEC research and
prevent unnecessarily duplicative efforts.
3. The types of outreach efforts most useful to communicate DW CEC
research results for impacted Federal, State, local, and Tribal
communities. Please provide examples where possible.
4. Metrics or indicators that you or your organization adopted to
measure the success of your DW CEC research or other related research
efforts.
5. Metrics or indicators that would be valuable in measuring the
success of a National DW CEC research initiative.
6. As an affected community member, the most significant concerns
and recommendations for DW CECs.
Section 2--Feedback on DW CEC Research Areas: This RFI requests
feedback on needs for broad areas of DW CEC research (detailed below)
and research needed for shaping the NECRI.
DW CEC Research Areas
Below are descriptions of four areas of DW CEC research identified
by the CEC IWG. When submitting your feedback, please indicate which DW
CEC research area(s) you are responding to.
Research Area 1: Exposure
Exposure to DW CECs can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or
dermal routes. Exposure-related research includes contaminant
identification and monitoring from source-to-tap and informs downstream
efforts to understand the biological effects of CEC exposures,
characterize their risk, and develop mitigation tools. Monitoring can
be performed routinely to assess water composition, during acute
exposure events, or to estimate the effect of CEC mitigation efforts.
Exposure science includes efforts to estimate the type and
concentration of contaminants through a range of activities from
targeted analysis of specific CEC, non-targeted analysis for the
discovery of unknown CEC, and modeling activities. Please include
thoughts on identification and measurement tools, such as sensors, to
conduct analyses.
Research Area 2: Human Health and Environmental Effects
Emerging contaminants may cause adverse effects on human health and
the environment. Biological effects research encompasses the
identification and characterization of these adverse effects, including
factors that influence susceptibility to disease or disfunction.
Research tools may include in-silico and receptor-based approaches,
predictive modeling, new toxicological assessments, and data analytics
strategies. In the context of this research initiative, environmental
effects research considers indicators of adverse human health effects.
Research Area 3: Risk Characterization To Inform Risk Mitigation
Risk characterization synthesizes available information and
communicates uncertainty about exposure, biological effects, and other
relevant considerations to inform risk mitigation actions. Risk
mitigation actions include research into preventative approaches such
as source reduction. Sustainable chemistry efforts may also fall into
risk mitigation actions. In addition, treatments, technological
development and application, and other interventions may also be
considered to reduce or otherwise mitigate risk for individual,
mixtures, or classes of CEC.
Research Area 4: Risk Communication
Risk communication relays information to relevant groups about
risks to human health and actions that could address those risks. The
scope of relevant groups includes those affected by exposures, the
general public, decision makers, scientists, industry, and other
technical experts. Risk communication research includes techniques and
media formats used to inform stakeholder groups and studies on the
psychosocial aspects of risks, such as general perceptions of risk, the
adoption of risk reduction behaviors, and perceptions framed by
scientific controversy or misinformation.
The following statements are provided to obtain feedback to fill
existing gaps in DW CEC knowledge and practice in these research areas.
Please comment on:
1. The critical, impactful research questions and topics that
should be addressed in order to better protect American public health
in regard to DW CEC.
2. Research priorities within each of the four areas described
below.
3. New or innovative tools, technologies, software, modeling,
methods, data/information sharing, etc. that should be developed or
employed to address these research areas.
This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed
as a solicitation for applications or proposals, or as an obligation in
any way on the part of the United States Federal government. The
Federal government will not pay for the preparation of any information
submitted or for the government's use. Additionally, the government
cannot guarantee the confidentiality of the information provided.
Dated: May 19, 2021.
Christopher P. Weis,
Toxicology Liaison, National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-11051 Filed 5-24-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P
