[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 159 (Friday, August 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66711-66712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18373]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-ORD-2015-0765; FRL-12151-01-ORD]
Request for Nominations of Experts to the Office of Research and
Development's Board of Scientific Counselors Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking
nominations for technical experts to serve on its Board of Scientific
Counselors (BOSC), a Federal advisory committee to the Office of
Research and Development (ORD). Submission of nominations should be
made via the BOSC website at: https://www.epa.gov/bosc.
DATES: Nominations should be submitted by September 6, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please submit nominations by completing the nomination form
provided on the BOSC website at https://www.epa.gov/bosc.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public needing
additional information regarding this Notice and Request for
Nominations may contact Mr. Tom Tracy, Office of Science Advisor,
Policy and Engagement, Office of Research and Development, Mail Code
B343-01, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711;
via phone/voice mail at: (919) 541-4334; or via email at:
[email protected]. General information concerning the BOSC can be found
at the following website: https://www.epa.gov/bosc.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The BOSC is a chartered Federal Advisory Committee established by
the EPA to provide independent scientific and technical peer review,
advice, consultation, and recommendations on ORD's research programs.
As a Federal Advisory Committee, the BOSC conducts business in
accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C.
app. 10) and related regulations.
The BOSC is comprised of an Executive Committee and one or more
supporting subcommittee(s). Current subcommittees are: Social and
Community Science, and Climate Change. All the work of BOSC
subcommittees and ad-hoc panels is conducted under the auspices of the
chartered BOSC Executive Committee. The BOSC Executive Committee
members review all BOSC subcommittee and ad-hoc panel draft reports and
determine whether each meets the BOSC's criteria and high-quality
standards required to deliver them to the EPA Administrator. General
information concerning the BOSC, including its charter, current
membership, and activities can be found on the EPA website at: https://www.epa.gov/bosc.
BOSC Membership
Members of the BOSC constitute a distinguished body of non-EPA
scientists, engineers, and economists who are experts in their
respective fields. EPA will consider nominees from industry, business,
public and private research institutes or organizations, academia,
government (Federal, State, local, and Tribal) and non-government
organizations, and other relevant interest areas. Members are appointed
by the EPA Administrator to serve as special government employees and
provide independent expert advice to the agency, for a maximum of six
years of service. EPA compensates special government employees for
their time and provides reimbursement for travel and other incidental
expenses associated with official government business related to the
BOSC meetings, as allowed.
Members of the BOSC are subject to the provisions of 5 CFR part
2634, Executive Branch Financial Disclosure, as supplemented by the EPA
in 5 CFR part 6401. In anticipation of this requirement, each nominee
will be asked to submit confidential financial information that fully
discloses, among other financial interests, the candidate's employment,
stocks and bonds, and where applicable, sources of research support.
The information provided is strictly confidential and will not be
disclosed to the public. Before a candidate is considered further for
service on the BOSC, EPA will evaluate each candidate to assess whether
there is any conflict of financial interest, appearance of a lack of
impartiality, or prior involvement with matters likely to be reviewed
by the Board.
Expertise Sought
The chartered BOSC provides scientific advice to the EPA
Administrator on a variety of EPA science and research topics. EPA
invites nominations of individuals to serve on the chartered BOSC with
expertise or extensive experience in the following scientific
disciplines and topic areas as they relate to human health and the
environment:
Agronomy, Soil Science
Air Quality
Atmospheric Sciences
Biology and Microbiology
Chemistry (including Environmental)
Climate Science and Change
Community Engagement
Contaminated Site Remediation
Disaster Science
Ecology
Ecosystem Services
Emergency Management
Energy and the Environment
Environmental Economics
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Justice
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment
Environmental Modeling
Epidemiology
Exposure Science and Assessment
Forestry and Natural Resource Management
Information and Data Science
Materials/Waste Management
New Approach Methods
Novel Analytical Methods
Participatory Science (including Community and Citizen Science)
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Modeling
Public Health
Research Program Evaluation
Risk Assessment (including Human Health, Ecological, Environmental)
Science Policy/Public Policy
Social, Behavioral and Decision Sciences
Sustainability
Systems Science
Toxicology
Water Quality (including drinking water, surface water, groundwater)
Water Quantity and Reuse
Watershed Management
Submission of Nominations
To nominate a candidate for consideration or self-nominate, please
visit the BOSC website at https://www.epa.gov/bosc to access and
complete the nomination form. Nominations should be submitted no
[[Page 66712]]
later than 11:59 p.m., September 6, 2024. To receive full
consideration, nominations should include all information requested.
EPA's nomination form requests: contact information about the person
making the nomination; contact information about the nominee; the
disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the nominee; committee
preference; the nominee's curriculum vita and/or resume; and additional
information that would be useful for considering the nomination such as
background and qualifications (e.g., current position, educational
background, expertise, research areas), experience relevant to one or
more of ORD's research programs, service on other advisory committees
and professional societies, and availability to participate as a member
of the Executive Committee and/or Subcommittee. EPA values and welcomes
diversity. To obtain nominations of diverse candidates, EPA encourages
all qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender, race,
disability, or ethnicity, as well as from a variety of backgrounds
(e.g., tribal, industry, non-profit organizations, academia, and
government). Persons having questions about the nomination procedures,
or who are unable to submit nominations through the BOSC website,
should contact Mr. Tom Tracy, as indicated above under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
Evaluation of Nominations
The BOSC is a balanced and diverse board of experts designed to
possess the necessary domains of expertise, depth and breadth of
knowledge, and diverse and balanced scientific perspectives to best
support the needs of the EPA's ORD. Nominations will be evaluated on
the basis of several criteria including: (a) demonstrated scientific
and/or technical credentials and disciplinary expertise, knowledge, and
experience in relevant fields; (b) availability to serve and
willingness to commit time to the committee (approximately one to three
meetings per year both by teleconferences and possibly face-to-face
meetings); (c) absence of financial conflicts of interest; (d) absence
of an appearance of a lack of impartiality; (e) demonstrated ability to
work constructively and effectively on committees; and (f) background
and experiences that would contribute to the diversity of viewpoints on
the Executive Committee, e.g., workforce sector, geographical location,
social, cultural, and educational backgrounds, and professional
affiliations.
To help the Agency in evaluating the effectiveness of its outreach
efforts, nominees and nominators are requested to inform the Agency of
how you learned of this opportunity when completing the nomination
form.
Final selection of BOSC members is a discretionary function of the
Agency and will be announced as soon as selections are made on the BOSC
website at https://www.epa.gov/bosc.
Kathleen Deener,
Acting Director, Office of Science Advisor, Policy and Engagement.
[FR Doc. 2024-18373 Filed 8-15-24; 8:45 am]
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