[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 19 (Friday, January 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5185-5186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1871]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS);
Request for Information (NOT-ES-11-006): Interagency Breast Cancer and
Environmental Research Coordinating Committee
AGENCY: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS),
National Institutes of Health (NIH).
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: The Interagency Breast Cancer and Environmental Research
Coordinating Committee is a congressionally mandated body established
by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), in
collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This Committee
is comprised of 19 voting members, including representatives of Federal
agencies; non-federal scientists, physicians, and other health
professionals from clinical, basic, and public health sciences; and
advocates for individuals with breast cancer.
The IBCERCC is charged with reviewing all research efforts within
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning the
environmental and genomic factors related to the etiology of breast
cancer, and developing a comprehensive summary of advances and
recommendations regarding research gaps and needs for the Secretary of
HHS.
This Request for Information (RFI) is directed toward addressing
questions relevant to the Committee's mandate. The RFI was announced in
the NIH Guide on January 13, 2011, and is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-ES-11-006.html.
DATES: A response is requested by February 16, 2011. Responses received
after February 16, 2011 will be considered to the extent possible.
Responses: Please send responses to the IBCERCC
([email protected]) by February 16, 2011. The following are
acceptable ways to submit your responses:
1. Copy and paste the questions into the body of an e-mail message
and send your responses to [email protected]; or
2. Mail or fax your responses in a letter to the attention of the
contact person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer B. Collins, Division of
Extramural Research and Training, NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, MD K3-12, RTP,
NC 27709; Telephone: 919-541-0117, FAX: 919-541-2860, E-mail:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Committee's primary mission is to facilitate the efficient and
effective exchange of information on breast cancer research activities
among the member agencies, and to advise the NIH and other Federal
agencies in the solicitation of proposals for collaborative,
multidisciplinary research, including proposals to further evaluate
environmental and genomic factors that may be related to the etiology
of breast cancer. The Committee serves as a forum and assists in
increasing public understanding of the member agencies' activities,
programs, policies, and research, and in bringing important matters of
interest forward for discussion.
Definition of Environment: For the purpose of this RFI,
``environment'' is broadly defined as any factors that are non-genetic
in nature. This can include environmental chemicals, radiation,
biological agents, pharmaceuticals, nutritional factors, and
psychosocial and behavioral stressors.
Definition of Systems Biology: For the purpose of this RFI,
``systems biology'' refers to a holistic approach to the study of
breast cancer etiology with the objective of simultaneously monitoring
all biological processes and environmental exposures operating as an
integrated system.
Information Requested
Input is invited on the items listed below and will be used as a
resource by the IBCERCC members during the development of the
comprehensive summary of advances and recommendations regarding
research gaps and needs for the Secretary of HHS. Comment on each item
is optional.
(1) How susceptibility to the effects of environmental exposures in
sub-groups of the population (resulting from factors such as genetic or
epigenetic variability, or timing of exposure during development or
other stages) impacts breast cancer risk.
(2) Differences in the type and extent of environmental exposures
which help explain the differential distribution of breast cancer
subtypes in the U.S. population.
(3) How windows of susceptibility during the life-course can be
integrated into a complex systems biology approach to better understand
the role of the environment and breast cancer.
(4) How additional insight into normal mammary gland development
through research using cell lines and animal models can enhance our
understanding of environmental exposures and mammary carcinogenesis.
(5) The technologies and analytic capacity needed to accurately
measure environmental exposures (including biological dose) and to
develop markers of early damage relevant to breast cancer risk.
(6) The translation of research findings to the public about the
environment and breast cancer risk considering the timing, and the
strength of evidence, and the roles of community and advocacy groups.
(7) Engagement of advocacy organizations to ensure that
environmental exposures of greatest interest and concern are studied
and the role of media, data access, and publication access in this
process.
(8) Approaches and effective models for coordination and
collaboration among research agencies of the Federal Government to
identify emerging opportunities in and programs to study environmental
causes of breast cancer, such as in peer review, collaborative program
development, and models for supporting cross-agency opportunities.
This Request for Information (RFI) is for information and planning
purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or as an
obligation on the part of the Federal Government, the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS) and or the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NIH
does not intend to award a grant or contract to pay for the preparation
of any information submitted or for the NIH's use of such information.
Respondents will not be notified of the NIH evaluation of the
information received. No basis for claims against the NIH shall arise
as a result of a response to this request for information or the NIH's
use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in
developing specifications for any subsequent announcement. Responses
[[Page 5186]]
will be held confidential. Proprietary information should not be sent.
Dated: January 19, 2011.
Linda S. Birnbaum,
Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and
National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-1871 Filed 1-27-11; 8:45 am]
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