[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 237 (Wednesday, December 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79179-79180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26996]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-10017-41-OA]


Notification of a Closed Meeting of the Science Advisory Board 
2020 Scientific and Technological Achievement Awards Committee

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a meeting of the Scientific and 
Technological Achievement Awards (STAA) Committee. The purpose of the 
meeting is to review the 2020 STAA nominations and to make 
recommendations for awards. The meeting is closed to the public.

DATES: The meeting of the SAB STAA Committee will be held on Monday, 
January 11, 2021 and Tuesday, January 12, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
(Eastern Time) each day.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain further information concerning this notice may contact Dr. Zaida 
Figueroa, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via email at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dbbdb2bcaebea9b4baf5a1bab2bfba9bbeabbaf5bcb4ad"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dbbdb2bcaebea9b4baf5a1bab2bfba9bbeabbaf5bcb4ad">[email protected]</span></a>. General information about the SAB as well as 
any updates concerning the meetings announced in this notice can be 
found on the SAB website at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: The SAB was established pursuant to the Environmental 
Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDDAA), 
codified at 42 U.S.C. 4365, to provide independent scientific and 
technical advice to the EPA Administrator on the scientific and 
technical basis for agency positions and regulations. The SAB is a 
Federal Advisory Committee chartered under the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., App. 2. The SAB will comply with the 
provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural 
policies. Pursuant to FACA and EPA policy, notice is hereby given that 
the Science Advisory Board Scientific and Technological Achievement 
Awards (STAA) Committee, will hold a closed meeting to review the 2020 
STAA nominations and to make recommendations for awards and 
recommendations for improvement of the Agency's STAA program.
    The STAA awards are established to honor and recognize EPA 
employees who have made outstanding contributions in the advancement of 
science and technology through their research and development 
activities, as exhibited in publication of their results in peer 
reviewed journals. In conducting its review, the SAB considers each 
nomination in relation to the following four award levels:
    <bullet> Level I awards are for those who have accomplished an 
exceptionally high-quality research or technological effort. The awards 
recognize the creation or general revision of a scientific or 
technological principle or procedure, or a highly significant 
improvement in the value of a device, activity, program, or service to 
the public. Awarded research is of national significance or has high 
impact on a broad area of science/technology. The research has far 
reaching consequences and is recognizable as a major scientific/
technological achievement within its discipline or field of study.
    <bullet> Level II awards are for those who have accomplished a 
notably excellent research or technological effort that has qualities 
and values similar to, but to a lesser degree, than those described 
under Level I. Awarded research has timely consequences and contributes 
as an important scientific/technological achievement within its 
discipline or field of study.
    <bullet> Level III awards are for those who have accomplished an 
unusually notable research or technological effort. The awards are for 
a substantial revision or modification of a scientific/technological 
principle or procedure, or an important improvement to the value of a 
device, activity, program, or service to the public. Awarded research 
relates to a mission or organizational component of the EPA, or 
significantly affects a relevant area of science/technology.
    <bullet> Honorable Mention awards acknowledge research efforts that 
are noteworthy but do not warrant a Level I, II or III award. Honorable 
Mention applies to research that: (1) May not quite reach the level 
described for a Level III award; (2) show a promising area of research 
that the Subcommittee wants to encourage; or (3) show an area of 
research that the Subcommittees feels is too preliminary to warrant an 
award recommendation at this time.
    The SAB reviews the STAA nomination packages according to the 
following five evaluation factors:
    <bullet> The extent to which the work reported in the nominated 
publication(s) resulted in either new or significantly revised 
knowledge. The accomplishment is expected to represent an important 
advancement of scientific knowledge or technology relevant to 
environmental issues and EPA's mission.
    <bullet> The extent to which environmental protection has been 
strengthened or improved, whether of local, national, or international 
importance.
    <bullet> The degree to which the research is a product of the 
originality, creativeness, initiative, and problem-solving ability of 
the researchers, as well as the level of effort required to produce the 
results.
    <bullet> The extent of the beneficial impact of the research and 
the degree to which the research has been favorably recognized from 
outside EPA.
    <bullet> The nature and extent of peer review, including stature 
and quality of the peer-reviewed journal or the publisher of a book for 
a review chapter published therein.
    I have determined that the meetings of the STAA Committee and 
Chartered SAB will be closed to the public because they are concerned 
with selecting employees deserving of awards. In making these 
recommendations, the Agency requires full and frank advice from the 
SAB. This advice will involve professional judgments on the relative 
merits of various employees and their respective work. Such personnel 
matters involve the discussion of information that is of a personal 
nature and the disclosure of which would be a clearly unwarranted 
invasion of personal privacy and, therefore, are protected from 
disclosure by section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(FACA), 5 U.S.C. App. 2, and sections (c)(2) and (c)(6) of the 
Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(2) and (6). Minutes of 
the meetings of the STAA Committee and

[[Page 79180]]

the Chartered SAB will be kept and certified by the chair of those 
meetings.

Andrew Wheeler,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-26996 Filed 12-8-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


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