[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 219 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 60823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-29883]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Announcement of a Meeting To Discuss an Opportunity To Join a 
Cooperative Research and Development Consortium on Brachytherapy 
Manufacturing Technology

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
invites interested parties to attend a meeting on December 9, 1997 to 
discuss the possibility of setting up a cooperative research consortium 
on Brachytherapy Manufacturing Technology. The goal of the consortium 
is to identify critical industrial needs for NIST to be involved in 
source dosimety modeling, developing necessary standards and standard 
reference materials, and developing and disseminating systems for 
performing automated high accuracy dosimety measurements and 
calculations.

DATES: The meeting will take place on December 9, 1997 at 10:00 a.m. 
Interested parties should contact NIST to confirm their interest at the 
address, telephone number or FAX number shown below.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place and inquiries should be sent to 
Room C301, Building 245, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Christopher Soares, 301-975-5589; FAX 301-869-
7682

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Any program undertaken will be within the 
scope and confines of The Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 
(Public Law 99-502, 15 U.S.C. 3710a), which provides federal 
laboratories including NIST, with the authority to enter into 
cooperative research agreements with qualified parties. Under this law, 
NIST may provide ``personnel, service, facilities, equipment, or other 
resources with or without reimbursement (but not funds to non-federal 
parties)''--to the cooperative research program.
    Members will be expected to make a contribution to the consortium's 
efforts in the form of personnel, data, and/or funds. This is not a 
grant program.
    The R&D staff of each industrial partner in the Consortium will be 
able to interact with NIST researchers on generic measurement needs in 
the industry for specific brachytherapy source designs. The industrial 
partners will also be able to schedule at NIST collaborative projects 
in which they could participate. All partners will receive a copy of 
all non-proprietary data on all materials measured. All partners will 
have a certain amount of NIST measurements made on materials they 
request. All partners have some influence as to the type and accuracy 
of the measurements and calculations pursued by the consortium. 
Development of standard reference materials suitable for use for the 
range of activities and radioisotopes and photon energies appropriate 
for use in brachytherapy in accordance with U.S. regulatory protocols 
and accepted standard protocols is an integral part of the mission of 
the NIST Brachytherapy Manufacturing Technology Consortium.

    Dated: November 6, 1997.
Elaine Bunten-Mines,
Director, Program Office.
[FR Doc. 97-29883 Filed 11-12-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M