[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 61 (Thursday, April 1, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17148-17149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06647]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-10021-31-OP]


Request for Nominations of Candidates to the EPA's Science 
Advisory Board (SAB)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites 
nominations of scientific experts from a diverse range of disciplines 
to be considered for appointment to the EPA Science Advisory Board 
(SAB) described in this notice. Appointments will be announced by the 
Administrator.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted no later than May 3, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the chartered 
SAB membership appointment process and schedule, please contact Dr. 
Suhair Shallal, DFO, by telephone at (202) 564-2057 or by email at 
shallal.suhair@epa.gov or Dr. Thomas Armitage, DFO, by telephone at 
(202) 564-2155 or by email at armitage.thomas@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The SAB is a chartered Federal Advisory Committee, 
established in 1978, under the authority of the Environmental Research, 
Development and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDDAA), codified at 
42 U.S.C. 4365, to provide independent scientific and technical peer 
review, consultation, advice and recommendations to the EPA 
Administrator. Members of the SAB constitute a distinguished body of 
non-EPA scientists, engineers, and economists who are nationally and 
internationally recognized experts in their respective fields. Members 
are appointed by the EPA Administrator to serve as Special Government 
Employees and provide independent expert advice to the agency for a 
term of up to three years. Additional information about the SAB is 
available at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
    Expertise Sought for the Sab: The chartered SAB provides scientific 
advice to the EPA Administrator on a variety of EPA science and 
research topics. All the work of SAB standing committees and ad-hoc 
panels is conducted under the auspices of the chartered SAB. The 
chartered SAB reviews all SAB standing committee and ad-hoc panel draft 
reports and determines whether each exhibits the high quality and meets 
the SAB's criteria to deliver to the EPA Administrator. The SAB Staff 
Office invites nominations of individuals to serve on the chartered SAB 
with expertise or extensive experience in the following scientific 
disciplines and topics as they relate to human health and the 
environment: Air quality; agricultural sciences and economics; 
analytical chemistry; atmospheric sciences; benefit-cost analysis; 
chemical safety; climate science; citizen science; community 
environmental health; dose-response assessment; drinking water; 
drinking water engineering; ecological sciences and ecological 
assessment; ecological risk assessment; ecosystem services; economics; 
energy and the environment; engineering; environmental justice; 
epidemiology; exposure assessment; forestry; geochemistry; health 
sciences; human health risk assessment; hydrology; hydrogeology; 
medicine; microbiology; modeling; pediatrics; pesticide risk 
assessment, public health; physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) 
modeling; risk assessment; social, behavioral and decision sciences; 
statistics; sustainability; radiological risk assessment; toxicology; 
uncertainty analysis; water quality; water quantity and reuse; and 
waste management. For further information about the chartered SAB 
membership appointment process and schedule, please contact Dr. Suhair 
Shallal, DFO, by telephone at (202) 564-2057 or by email at 
shallal.suhair@epa.gov or Dr. Thomas Armitage, DFO, by telephone at 
(202) 564-2155 or by email at armitage.thomas@epa.gov.
    Members selected to the Chartered SAB may also participate on 
standing committees of the SAB. These committees take the lead at 
evaluating specific peer review actions where SAB feedback is 
requested. Board members with demonstrated scientific credentials, 
disciplinary expertise in relevant fields, and experience may be asked 
to also participate on the following SAB Standing Committees:
     The Agricultural Science Committee;
     the Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee;
     the Climate Science Committee;
     the Drinking Water Committee;
     the Economic Analysis Committee;
     the Environmental Justice Science Committee; and,
     the Radiation Advisory Committee.

Selection Criteria for the SAB Includes

--Demonstrated scientific credentials and disciplinary expertise in 
relevant fields;
--Willingness to commit time to the committee and demonstrated ability 
to work constructively and effectively on committees;
--Background and experiences that would help members contribute to the 
diversity of perspectives on the committee, e.g., geographical, social, 
cultural, educational backgrounds, professional affiliations; and other 
considerations; and
--For the committee, the collective breadth and depth of scientific 
expertise is considered of the individual and holistically for the 
entire committee.

    As the SAB and its standing committees and ad-hoc panels undertake 
specific advisory activities, the SAB Staff Office will consider two 
additional criteria for each new activity: Absence of financial 
conflicts of interest and absence of an appearance of a loss of 
impartiality.
    How to Submit Nominations: Any interested person or organization 
may nominate qualified persons to be considered for appointment to 
these advisory committees. Individuals may self-nominate. Nominations 
should be submitted in electronic format using the

[[Page 17149]]

online nomination form under the ``Nomination of Experts'' category at 
the bottom of the SAB home page at http://www.epa.gov/sab. To be 
considered, all nominations should include the information requested 
below. EPA values and welcomes diversity. All qualified candidates are 
encouraged to apply regardless of gender, race, disability, or 
ethnicity.
    The following information should be provided on the nomination 
form: Contact information for the person making the nomination; contact 
information for the nominee; the disciplinary and specific areas of 
expertise of the nominee; the nominee's curriculum vitae; and a 
biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current position, 
educational background; research activities; sources of research 
funding for the last two years; and recent service on other national 
advisory committees or national professional organizations. To help the 
agency evaluate the effectiveness of its outreach efforts, please 
indicate how you learned of this nomination opportunity. Persons having 
questions about the nomination process or the public comment process 
described below, or who are unable to submit nominations through the 
SAB website, should contact a DFO as identified above. The SAB Staff 
Office will acknowledge receipt of nominations and invite the nominee 
to provide any additional information that the nominee feels would be 
useful in considering the nomination, such as availability to 
participate as a member of the committee; how the nominee's background, 
skills and experience would contribute to the diversity of the SAB; and 
any questions the nominee has regarding membership. The names and 
biosketches of qualified nominees identified by respondents to this 
Federal Register notice, and any additional experts identified by the 
SAB Staff Office, will be posted in a List of Candidates on the SAB 
website at http://www.epa.gov/sab. Public comments on each List of 
Candidates will be accepted for 21 days from the date the list is 
posted. The public will be requested to provide relevant information or 
other documentation on nominees that the SAB Staff Office should 
consider in evaluating candidates.
    Candidates invited to serve will be asked to submit the 
``Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government 
Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency'' (EPA Form 3110-48). This confidential 
form allows EPA to determine whether there is a statutory conflict 
between that person's public responsibilities as a Special Government 
Employee and private interests and activities, or the appearance of a 
loss of impartiality, as defined by Federal regulation. The form may be 
viewed and downloaded through the ``Ethics Requirements for Advisors'' 
link on the SAB home page at http://www.epa.gov/sab. This form should 
not be submitted as part of a nomination.

    Dated: March 24, 2021.
V. Khanna Johnston,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-06647 Filed 3-31-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


