Office of Science and Technology Policy October 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), on behalf of the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the Committee on Technology, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and in collaboration with the European Commission, will hold the 2012 ``EU-U.S.: Bridging NanoEHS Research Efforts'' joint workshop on October 25-26, 2012 in Helsinki, Finland. The purpose of this workshop is to further promote and deepen the EU- U.S. collaboration on nanosafety research and to develop the Communities of Research (CoRs). The event is aimed at administrators, policy makers, decision makers, and scientists from the EU and the U.S. NNCO and the European Commission will also host meetings for the CoRs on the topic of environmental, health, and safety issues related to nanomaterials between the publication date of this Notice and September 30, 2013. These CoRs will provide a platform for scientists from the U.S. and EU to develop a shared repertoire of protocols and methods to overcome research gaps and barriers. The co-chairs for each CoR will convene meetings and set meeting agendas with administrative support from the European Commission and the NNCO. The CoRs directly address Goal 4.2 of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan: ``Develop tools and procedures for * * * international outreach and engagement to assist stakeholders in developing best practices for communicating and managing risks.'' However, the CoRs are not envisioned to provide any government agency with advice or recommendations. The CoRs were proposed at the first U.S.-EU workshop on Bridging NanoEHS Research Efforts, which was held in Washington, DC in March 2011. Based on feedback from the workshop participants, the following six CoR themes were announced in 2012: Exposure through the Life Cycle, with Material Characterization. Ecotoxicity Testing and Predictive Models, with Material Characterization. Predictive Modeling for Human Health, with Material Characterization. Databases and Ontologies. Risk Assessment. Risk Management and Control. The CoRs will hold several Webinars and/or conference calls between the publication date of this Notice and September 30, 2013. The envisioned end date for the CoRs is September 30, 2013.