Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 124 / Thursday, July 1, 2021 / Notices 35099 

such as general perceptions of risk, the 

adoption of risk reduction behaviors, 

and perceptions framed by scientific 

controversy or misinformation. 

The following statements are 

provided to obtain feedback to fill 

existing gaps in DW CEC knowledge and 

practice in these research areas. Please 

comment on: 

1. The critical, impactful research 

questions and topics that should be 

addressed in order to better protect 

American public health in regard to DW 

CEC. 

2. Research priorities within each of 

the four areas described below. 

3. New or innovative tools, 

technologies, software, modeling, 

methods, data/information sharing, etc. 

that should be developed or employed 

to address these research areas. 

This RFI is for planning purposes 

only and should not be construed as a 

solicitation for applications or 

proposals, or as an obligation in any 

way on the part of the United States 

Federal government. The Federal 

government will not pay for the 

preparation of any information 

submitted or for the government’s use. 

Additionally, the government cannot 

guarantee the confidentiality of the 

information provided. 

Dated: June 28, 2021. 

Christopher P. Weis, 

Toxicology Liaison, National Institute of 

Environmental Health Sciences, National 

Institutes of Health. 

[FR Doc. 2021–14150 Filed 6–30–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

Request for Information: Inviting 

Comments To Inform the Women’s 

Health Consensus Conference (WHCC) 

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, 

HHS. 

ACTION: Request for information. 

SUMMARY: The National Institutes of 

Health (NIH) Office of Research on 

Women’s Health (ORWH) is planning a 

Women’s Health Consensus Conference 

(WHCC) in October 2021, in response to 

a Congressional request to address NIH 

research efforts related to women’s 

health research as well as the following 

specific conditions, rising maternal 

morbidity and mortality rates, 

increasing rates of chronic debilitating 

conditions in women, and stagnant 

cervical cancer survival rates. The 

ORWH is seeking comments and 

testimonies from the extramural 

scientific community, professional 

societies, and the general public 

regarding the topics mentioned above to 

assist with identifying research gaps, 

pitfalls in clinical practices, and 

obtaining real-life testimonial 

experiences (direct or indirect) caused 

by any or all of the listed public health 

issues. 

DATES: The Women’s Health Consensus 

Conference (WHCC) Request for 

Information is open for public comment 

through September 15, 2021. Comments 

must be received by September 15, 

2021, to ensure consideration. 

Comments received after the public 

comment period has closed may be 

considered by the Office of Research on 

Women’s Health. 

ADDRESSES: Submissions must be sent 

electronically to Elizabeth Barr, Ph.D., 

WHCC@od.nih.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Questions about this request for 

information should be directed to 

Elizabeth Barr, Ph.D., Office of Research 

on Women’s Health, 6707 Democracy 

Boulevard, Suite 400, Bethesda, MD 

20817, WHCC@od.nih.gov, 301–402– 

7895. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ORWH 

was established at NIH on September 

10, 1990. The Office was reaffirmed by 

statute in congressional legislation by 

the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Pub. 

L. 103–43, Section 486) to serve as the 

focal point for women’s health research 

at NIH, reporting directly to the NIH 

Director, and working in a collaborative 

partnership with the Institutes, Centers, 

and Offices. ORWH is convening the 

Women’s Health Consensus Conference 

in response to significant items (SI) in 

H.R. 7614—Departments of Labor, 

Health and Human Services, and 

Education, and Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act (2021). The SIs 

require that a consensus forum assessing 

research on the health of women be held 

by the fall of 2021. 

Goals and Requirements. Both the 

House and Senate directed NIH to 

evaluate research underway related to 

women’s health and provide an update 

on priority areas for additional study to 

advance women’s health research, 

including reproductive sciences. In 

preparation for the WHCC, ORWH, and 

partners from other NIH Institutes, 

Centers, and Offices will assess the 

current state of NIH-supported women’s 

health research; delineate research gaps 

and, in turn, opportunities related to 

research on the health of women; and 

set contemporary priorities for research 

on the health of women. The following 

specific topics, among others, will be 

addressed: Maternal morbidity and 

mortality,1 2 the rising rates of chronic 

debilitating conditions in women 3 and 

stagnant cervical cancer survival rates.4

To inform the WHCC meeting and 

discussion, ORWH seeks comment and 

testimony on current research efforts on 

the health of women. 

1. Maternal Morbidity and Mortality 

Birthing people in the United States 

are dying during the postnatal period 

from conditions that can be treated, 

such as cardiovascular disease, 

hypertension, thrombotic pulmonary 

embolism, and hemorrhage, among 

others. An estimated six in ten maternal 

deaths are preventable.5 The public 

health challenge is to reduce U.S. 

maternal mortality rates (17.2 per 

100,000 live births in 2011–15) 6 to be 

comparable with or lower than other 

first world countries such as United 

Kingdom, Germany, France, and Canada 

(rates all below 9.2 per 100,000 live 

births in 2015).7

Individual, behavioral, and structural 

factors influence incidence of maternal 

morbidity and mortality.5 Structural 

racism,5 implicit bias,6 & racially biased 

policies and practices 7 contribute to 

significant and persistent racial 

disparities in maternal morbidity and 

mortality. From 2011–2015 nonHispanic Black and American Indian/ 

Alaska Native women had the highest 

incidences of pregnancy-related deaths. 

Black women are three times more 

likely to die from a pregnancy-related 

cause than White women,6 in New York 

City, Black women are twelve times 

more likely than White women to die 

from pregnancy-related causes.8 Similar 

racial disparities exist in maternal 

morbidity.9 Neither education nor 

higher socioeconomic status mitigates 

the elevated risks of severe maternal 

morbidity and maternal mortality 

among Black women. 

2. Chronic Debilitating Conditions in 

Women 

Chronic Debilitating Conditions 

include diseases that occur in both men 

and women such as diabetes, 

cardiovascular disease, cancer, and 

autoimmune diseases as well as sexspecific conditions such as fibroids and 

endometriosis. In the United States, six 

in ten adults have a chronic disease; 

chronic disease is the leading cause of 

death and disabilities.10

Rates of many chronic diseases in 

women are rising, for example COPD in 

women,11 and new discoveries related 

to sex-difference and molecular 

mechanisms of disease are being 

published every day.12 Biomedical and 

socio-behavioral understandings of sex 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
35100 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 124 / Thursday, July 1, 2021 / Notices 

and gender influences on mechanisms 

and outcomes of chronic diseases are 

incomplete, reducing the specificity, 

sensitivity, and efficacy of diagnostic 

tests and treatments for women. 

Research on rare diseases that are more 

prevalent in women or only occur in 

women faces similar challenges. 

3. Stagnant Cervical Cancer Survival 

Rates 

In the United States it is estimated 

approximately 12,000 new cases of 

cervical cancer occur each year. Human 

papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of 

cervical cancer as well as a large 

percentage of cancers of the vulva, 

vagina, penis, anus, rectum, and 

oropharynx.13 Despite cancer 

prevention efforts through HPV 

vaccination and cervical cancer 

screening, incidence and mortality from 

this malignancy have been stable for the 

last two decades. Communities 

historically under-represented in 

medicine are disproportionately 

burdened by this disease. The incidence 

rate of cervical cancer is 30 percent 

higher in Black women 14 and Black 

women persistently present at later 

stages at diagnosis.15 The overall 5-year 

relative survival rate for cervical cancer 

among Black women is 56 percent, 

compared with 68 percent among White 

women.14

Information Requested 

This Request for Information (RFI) 

invites the scientific community, health 

professionals, professional societies, 

and the general public to provide 

comments and testimonies on research 

gaps, pitfalls in clinical practices, and 

obtaining real-life testimonial 

experiences (direct or indirect) related 

to any or all of the listed public health 

issues. Responses are welcome from 

associations and professional 

organizations as well as individuals. 

This RFI is for planning purposes 

only and should not be construed as a 

solicitation or an obligation on the 

federal government, the National 

Institutes of Health, or individual NIH 

Institutes or Centers. Responses to this 

RFI Notice are voluntary. The NIH will 

use the information submitted in 

response to this RFI at its discretion. 

NIH will analyze the information 

submitted and may share it internally or 

in reports. The information may or may 

not be reflected in future solicitations, 

as appropriate and at the government’s 

discretion. NIH advises respondents the 

government is under no obligation to 

acknowledge receipt of the information 

provided and will not provide feedback 

to respondents. The federal government 

will not pay for the preparation of any 

information submitted or for the 

government’s use. NIH will not consider 

submitted information confidential. 

Additionally, the government cannot 

guarantee the confidentiality of the 

information provided. 

References 

1. Hoyert DL. Maternal Mortality Rates in the 

United States, 2019. NCHS Health EStats. 2021. 

2. Collier AY, Molina RL. Maternal Mortality 

in the United States: Updates on Trends, 

Causes, and Solutions. Neoreviews. 

2019;20(10):e561-e574. 

3. Raghupathi W, Raghupathi V. An 

Empirical Study of Chronic Diseases in 

the United States: A Visual Analytics 

Approach. Int J Environ Res Public 

Health. 2018;15(3). 

4. Gaffney DK, Hashibe M, Kepka D, Maurer 

KA, Werner TL. Too many women are 

dying from cervix cancer: Problems and 

solutions. Gynecol Oncol. 

2018;151(3):547–554. 

5. National Institutes of Health, Office of 

Research on Women’s Health. Maternal 

Morbidity and Mortality What do we 

Know? How are we Addressing it? 20– 

OD–80692020:1–16. 

6. Petersen EE DN, Goodman D, et al. Vital 

Signs: Pregnancy-Related Deaths, United 

States, 2011–2015, and Strategies for 

Prevention, 13 States, 2013–2017. 

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 

2019(68):423–429. 

7. GDB 2015 Maternal Mortality 

Collaborators. Global, regional, and 

national levels of maternal mortality, 

1990–2015: A systematic analysis for the 

Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. 

Lancet. 2016;388(10053):1775–1812. 

8. New York City Department of Health and 

Mental Hygiene Bureau of Maternal, 

Infant, and Reproductive Health. 

Pregnancy-Associated Mortality, New 

York City, 2006–2010. 

9. Howell EA, Egorova NN, Balbierz A, 

Zeitlin J, Hebert PL. Site of delivery 

contribution to black-white severe 

maternal morbidity disparity. American 

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

2016;215(2):143–152. 

10. National Center for Chronic Disease 

Prevention and Health Promotion. 

Chronic Diseases in America. https://

www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/ 

infographic/chronic-diseases.htm. 

Updated 1/12/2021. 

11. Bade BC, DeRycke EC, Ramsey C, et al. 

Sex Differences in Veterans Admitted to 

the Hospital for Chronic Obstructive 

Pulmonary Disease Exacerbation. Ann 

Am Thorac Soc. 2019;16(6):707–714. 

12. De Bellis A, De Angelis G, Fabris E, 

Cannata A, Merlo M, Sinagra G. Genderrelated differences in heart failure: 

Beyond the ‘‘one-size-fits-all’’ paradigm. 

Heart Fail Rev. 2020;25(2):245–255. 

13. Viens LJ HS, Watson M, et al. Human 

Papillomavirus–Associated Cancers— 

United States, 2008–2012. Weekly 

2016(65):661–666. 

14. DeSantis CE, Miller KD, Goding Sauer A, 

Jemal A, Siegel RL. Cancer statistics for 

African Americans, 2019. CA Cancer J 

Clin. 2019;69(3):211–233. 

15. Benard VB, Watson M, Saraiya M, et al. 

Cervical cancer survival in the United 

States by race and stage (2001–2009): 

Findings from the CONCORD–2 study. 

Cancer. 2017;123 Suppl 24(Suppl 

24):5119–5137. 

Dated: June 25, 2021. 

Lawrence A. Tabak, 

Principal Deputy Director, National Institutes 

of Health. 

[FR Doc. 2021–14151 Filed 6–30–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

Government-Owned Inventions; 

Availability for Licensing 

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, 

HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The invention listed below is 

owned by an agency of the U.S. 

Government and is available for 

licensing to achieve expeditious 

commercialization of results of 

federally-funded research and 

development. Foreign patent 

applications are filed on selected 

inventions to extend market coverage 

for companies and may also be available 

for licensing. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David Yang at 240–695–6406 or 

yangp3@mail.nih.gov. Licensing 

information may be obtained by 

communicating with the Technology 

Transfer and Intellectual Property 

Office, National Institute of Allergy and 

Infectious Diseases, 5601 Fishers Lane, 

Rockville, MD 20852; tel. 301–496– 

2644. A signed Confidential Disclosure 

Agreement will be required to receive 

copies of unpublished information 

related to the invention. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Technology description follows: 

Pre-Biotic Formulation of Topical 

Chemicals for Use on Human Skin 

Description of Technology: Atopic 

dermatitis (AD) is a common, recurrent, 

chronic inflammatory skin disease that 

is a cause of considerable economic and 

social burden. It is one of the most 

prevalent skin disorders, affecting ∼25% 

of children in developed and 

developing countries and is expected to 

continue to escalate. This increased rate 

of incidence has changed the focus of 

research on AD toward epidemiology, 

prevention, and treatment. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES