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Alert

The NNEMS program is currently being evaluated by EPA.

Thank you for your interest in EPA's National Network for Environmental Management Studies (NNEMS) Fellowship Program. The NNEMS program is currently being evaluated by EPA, and we hope to have information about the 2011 program posted here in the near future.

— FOR REFERENCE ONLY —
The NNEMS program is currently being evaluated by EPA.

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NNEMS Project 2010-306

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Program Announcement
Identifier: EPA-EED-10-01

NNEMS Catalog for 2010
(EPA 171-B-09-001)

[PDF, 1.5 MB, 118 pages]

NNEMS Application Materials
[PDF, 631 KB, 17 pages]

For additional information, e-mail the NNEMS Fellowship Program

Questions About a Project?

If you would like additional information about or clarification of a specific project, please complete and submit the project-specific questions form.

To view answers to questions submitted by other applicants or updated information about the projects, click here.

Category:
Environmental Science

Preferred Project Period:
5/10/10 - 7/30/10

Desired Education Level(s):

Project Title:
Benchmark Dose Software Development and Maintenance

Sponsoring Office:
Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park

Project Overview:
NCEA/Research Triangle Park (RTP) and other NCEA units have the main responsibility for scientific assessment within Office of Research and Development (ORD) and EPA in general. These assessments are broad and typically have significant implications for national and international environmental policy development and implementation. NCEA/RTP risk assessments include preparation of Integrated Science Assessments (ISAs) (previously known as Air Quality Criteria Documents) for particulate matter, ozone, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and lead, as well as IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) assessments of available scientific information for pollutants listed primarily under the Clean Air Act. Additionally, NCEA/RTP provides support in developing and evaluating many of the Agency s risk assessment methodologies and guidance documents. Besides serving as the key scientific foundation for U.S. regulations, ISAs, IRIS assessments, and agency risk assessment methodologies and approaches are also used world-wide by other governments and the World Health Organization (WHO) for deriving international guidelines and other aspects of air pollution control strategies and systems for these pollutants. Thus, NCEA/RTP assessments have broad implications, not only nationally for the U.S., but also internationally. Another major activity of NCEA/RTP is development of risk assessment models, methods, and guidance to better quantify risks and characterize uncertainty at the low environmental exposure levels most often experienced in real-world scenarios. Specifically, EPA has developed Benchmark Dose Software (BMDS) to facilitate application of the benchmark dose (BMD) methodology in risk assessments. This methodology involves fitting statistical models to the observed data and estimating the BMD, which is the central estimate of the dose or concentration that produces a predetermined change in the response rate of an adverse effect. BMDS undergoes continuous maintenance and further development, including ongoing quality assurance testing, incorporation of new statistical models, and refinements to the graphic user interface. In addition, NCEA/RTP develops training materials for the use of BMDS and conducts training workshops for internal and external stakeholders at venues such as the annual meetings of scientific organizations. The fellow working on this project will work with members of NCEA and conduct research in BMDS, including research on quantitative dose response methods (such as benchmark modeling) in risk assessments.

Project Goals:
The fellow can expect to increase his or her knowledge of environmental sciences broadly, particularly in the area of development and application of quantitative dose response methods (such as benchmark modeling) in risk assessments, working in multidisciplinary teams including toxicologists, epidemiologists, and statisticians. The fellow will gain an understanding of how scientific information is used to inform risk assessments and policy decisions.

Final Product of the Project:
The fellow will prepare and present mid-project and final project presentations.

Project Location:
EPA Headquarters, Research Triangle Park, NC


Project Officer Information

Deborah Wales
Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park


Office Mission/Responsibility

National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) provides guidance and risk assessments aimed at protecting human health and the environment. This guidance presents critical analyses and summaries of scientific consensus, vetted through a rigorous peer review process, on the risks of pollutants to human health and the natural environment.

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