|
The
National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) will hold a public meeting
on January 4, 2007, to receive input on research
needs related to the environmental, health, and safety aspects of engineered nanoscale
materials. NNCO will hold the meeting on behalf of the Nanoscale Science,
Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of the Committee on Technology,
National Science and Technology Council. NIOSH is a member of the
subcommittee and encourages participation in the public meeting.
The
NNCO notice, which includes further details about the meeting and contact
information, follows.
12/4/06
NATIONAL
NANOTECHNOLOGY COORDINATION OFFICE
Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology Subcommittee,
National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Technology
Research
Needs and Priorities Related to the Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects
of Engineered Nanoscale Materials:
Public Meeting
ACTION:
Notice of public meeting
SUMMARY:
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), will hold a
public meeting on January 4, 2007, to receive input on research needs related
to the environmental, health, and safety aspects of engineered nanoscale
materials (hereafter referred to as nanomaterials). Specifically, the NSET
Subcommittee is seeking comment on the research needs and prioritization
criteria for the research identified in the NSET Subcommittee document
Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale
Materials, which was released on September
15, 2006.
DATE
AND ADDRESS: The public meeting will be held on Thursday, January
4, 2007, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the FDIC Training Center, 3501
North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22226. A
schedule will be published prior to the meeting. Directions to the facility
are available on the registration web page (see below).
REGISTRATION:
Persons interested in attending the meeting may register at
www.nano.gov/public_ehs.html prior to the meeting. Due to space limitations,
early registration is suggested. On-site registration will be available on a
first-come basis, space permitting.
Persons
interested in presenting comments at the meeting also should register at http://www.nano.gov/public_ehs.html
and should do so no later than Wednesday,
December 20, 2006.
Written or electronic comments may be submitted on the same web page until January 31, 2007.
Information on this meeting also will be posted on http://www.nano.gov.
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: For information regarding this Notice, please
contact Cate Alexander Brennan, National Nanotechnology Coordination Office.
Telephone: (703) 292-4399. Email: calexand@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION: The Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET)
Subcommittee coordinates planning, budgeting, and program implementation and
review to ensure a balanced and comprehensive National Nanotechnology
Initiative (NNI). The NSET Subcommittee is composed of representatives from
agencies participating in the NNI. The NNCO provides technical and
administrative support to the NSET Subcommittee in its work.
On
September 15, 2006, the NSET Subcommittee released a
document identifying environmental, health, and safety research and
information needs related to understanding and management of potential risks
of nanomaterials. The document was created by the Nanotechnology
Environmental and Health Implications (NEHI) Working Group of the NSET
Subcommittee, which is composed of scientists and other agency representatives.
The document also reflects expert input from industry liaison groups and
other research needs-identification efforts.
This
foundational document will be used by the NSET Subcommittee and the Federal
agencies participating in the NNI as they set research priorities for
Government-funded research programs.
The
meeting is an opportunity for public participation in the prioritization of
research related to environmental, health, and safety aspects of nanomaterials.
Specific comment on research needs and prioritization criteria in the
Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale
Materials document and input regarding the criteria for evaluating research
priorities is welcome. (To read the document, see http://www.nano.gov/NNI_EHS_research_needs.pdf.)
The
public meeting will be chaired by leadership of the NEHI Working Group, the
NSET Subcommittee, and the NNCO.
For
more information on the National Nanotechnology Initiative and its various
working entities, please visit http://www.nano.gov.
How
Can You Participate?
You can participate through oral presentation at the meeting or through
written electronic material submitted to the NNCO at
www.nano.gov/public_ehs.html. The meeting is open to the public, up to the
limit set by facility fire codes. Pre-registration is required for
participation (see above).
How
Will the Meeting Day Be Structured?
Due to significant interest in and the breadth of this subject, our plan is
to organize the public meeting around subject areas, including research
prioritization criteria and the five research areas identified in the
Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials
document: Instrumentation, Metrology, and Analytical Methods; Nanomaterials
and Human Health; Nanomaterials and the Environment; Health and Environmental
Surveillance; and Risk Management Methods. Speakers are requested to indicate
which research area you wish to speak to; if you will direct your comments to
topics outside of those identified above, please indicate that as well, so
that you can be scheduled accordingly.
In
addition to indicating the topical area of your presentation, please also provide
a short description of the content you intend to cover. The final
organization of the meeting may change depending on the nature of the
requests for presentations that are received. The speaker schedule will be
distributed before the meeting.
How Will Public Input Be Used?
All comments and recommendations made at the meeting or in written
submissions will be considered by the NEHI Working Group as it proceeds with
prioritizing the research needs. Input from multiple stakeholders with
various interests will be valuable to the NNI, especially with regard to
strategic and interim goals for filling the EHS information needs gaps for nanomaterials.
The NSET Subcommittee and NNI member agencies plan to make the
priority-setting process a dynamic, open, and transparent process.
|
