NIOSH Board of Scientific Counselors

Charter

The charter defines the NIOSH BSC’s objective and scope of activities, description of its duties, its composition and structure, and estimated annual operating costs.

Authority

The Board of Scientific Counselors, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) was established under Section 222 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Section 217a), as amended. The board is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, (5 U.S.C., App.) and 41 CFR Part 102, which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.

Objective and Scope of Activities

The Board of Scientific Counselors, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, shall provide advice to the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, on National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health research and prevention programs.

Description of Duties

The board shall provide guidance on the Institute’s research activities related to developing and evaluating hypotheses, systematically documenting findings, and disseminating results. The board shall evaluate the degree to which the activities of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: (1) conform to those standards of scientific excellence appropriate for Federal scientific institutions in accomplishing objectives in occupational safety and health; (2) address currently relevant needs in the fields of occupational safety and health either alone or in conjunction with other known activities inside and outside of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; and (3) produce their intended results in addressing important research questions in occupational safety and health, both in terms of applicability of the research findings and dissemination of the findings.

Agency or Official to Whom the Board Reports

The board provides advice to the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC.

Support

Management and support services shall be provided by the Office of the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC.

Estimated Annual Operating Costs and Staff Years

Estimated annual cost for operating the board, including compensation and travel expenses but excluding staff support is $40,586. Estimate of annual person-years of staff support required is 0.35 at an estimated annual cost of $55,396.

Designated Federal Officer

CDC will select a fulltime or permanent part-time Federal employee to serve as the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) to attend each board meeting and ensure that all procedures are within applicable statutory, regulatory, and HHS General Administration Manual directives. The DFO will approve and prepare all meeting agendas, call all of the board and subcommittee meetings, adjourn any meeting when the DFO determines adjournment to be in the public interest, and chair meetings when directed to do so by the official to whom the board reports. The DFO or hislher designee shall be present at all meetings of the full board and subcommittees.

Estimated Number and Frequency of Meetings

Meetings shall be held up to three times per year at the call of the DFO, in consultation with the Chair.

Meetings shall be open to the public except as determined otherwise by the Secretary, HHS, or other official to whom the authority has been delegated, in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. § 552b(c» and Section 1O(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act; notice of all meetings shall be given to the public.

Duration

Continuing

Termination

Unless renewed by appropriate action prior to its expiration, the Board of Scientific Counselors, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health will terminate two years from the date this charter is filed.

Membership and Designation

The Board of Scientific Counselors, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, shall consist of 15 members, including the Chair. Members and the Chair shall be selected by the Secretary, or designee, from authorities knowledgeable in the pertinent disciplines involved in occupational safety and health, such as occupational medicine, occupational nursing, industrial hygiene, occupational safety and engineering, toxicology, chemistry, safety and health education, ergonomics, epidemiology, biostatistics, and psychology. Of the appointed members, four may represent industry and labor, with knowledge in occupational safety and health research and dissemination of scientific research findings. Members shall be deemed Special Government Employees.

Members shall be invited to serve for overlapping terms of up to four years, except that any member appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term shall be appointed for the remainder of that term. Terms of more than two years are contingent upon the renewal of the board by appropriate action prior to its termination. A member may serve up to 180 days after the expiration of that member’s term if a successor has not taken office.

Subcommittees

Subcommittees composed of members and nonmembers of the parent committee may be established with the approval of the Secretary, HHS or his/her designee. The subcommittees must report back to the parent committee and do not provide advice or work products directly to the agency. The Department Committee Management Officer will be notified upon establishment of each subcommittee and will be provided information on its name, membership, function, and estimated frequency of meetings.

Recordkeeping

The records of the board, established subcommittees, or other subgroups of the board, shall be managed in accordance with General Records Schedule 26, Item 2 or other approved agency records disposition schedule. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. §552.