Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 84 / Monday, May 2, 2022 / Notices 25649 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Institute on Deafness and 

Other Communication Disorders Draft 

2022–2027 Strategic Plan 

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, 

HHS. 

ACTION: Request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The National Institute on 

Deafness and Other Communication 

Disorders (NIDCD), National Institutes 

of Health (NIH) is requesting public 

comment on the draft 2022–2027 NIDCD 

Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan serves 

as a guide to the NIDCD in prioritizing 

its research investment and to address 

gaps in our research portfolio. The draft 

Plan presents a series of themes and 

goals that represent the most promising 

research needs within the NIDCD’s 

mission areas of hearing, balance, taste, 

smell, voice, speech, and language. 

DATES: Comments will be accepted from 

May 2, 2022 through May 31, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: The draft Plan is available 

for download at: https://

www.nidcd.nih.gov/about/strategicplan/2022-2027/public-comment. 

Comments must be submitted 

electronically via the web-based form at: 

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/about/

strategic-plan/2022-2027/publiccomment. The web-based form accepts 

text but cannot accept attachments. You 

will receive an electronic confirmation 

acknowledging receipt of your response 

but will not receive individualized 

feedback from NIDCD on any comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Specific questions regarding the NIDCD 

draft Strategic Plan should be directed 

to: Laura K. Cole, Ph.D., Planning and 

Evaluation Officer, Science Policy and 

Planning Branch, National Institute on 

Deafness and Other Communication 

Disorders, NIH, 31 Center Drive, Suite 

3C25, Bethesda, MD 20892. Phone: 301– 

402–2313. Email: NIDCDStrategicPlan@

mail.nih.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice is in accordance with the 21st 

Century Cures Act, wherein NIH 

institutes are required to regularly 

update their strategic plans. The 

NIDCD’s mission is to support research 

and training on the normal and 

disordered processes of hearing, 

balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and 

language. Our vision is to advance the 

science of communication to improve 

lives. To accomplish these goals, the 

NIDCD manages a broad portfolio of 

both basic, translational, and clinical 

research. The portfolio is organized into 

three program areas: Hearing and 

balance; taste and smell; and voice, 

speech, and language. The three 

program areas seek to answer 

fundamental scientific questions about 

normal function and disorders and to 

identify patient-oriented scientific 

discoveries for preventing, screening, 

diagnosing, and treating disorders of 

human communication. 

Responses to this request for 

comments are voluntary. Any personal 

identifiers (e.g., names, addresses, email 

addresses, etc.) will be removed when 

responses are compiled. Proprietary, 

classified, confidential, or sensitive 

information should not be included in 

your response. The Government 

reserves the right to use any nonproprietary technical information in any 

resultant solicitation(s). 

This request for comment is for 

information and planning purposes only 

and should not be construed as a 

solicitation or as an obligation on the 

part of the Federal Government, or the 

NIH. The NIH does not intend to award 

a grant or contract to pay for the 

preparation of any information 

submitted or for the NIH’s use of such 

information. No basis for claims against 

the NIH shall arise as a result of a 

response to this request for information 

or the NIH’s use of such information as 

part of the NIDCD Strategic Plan. 

The NIDCD anticipates that the 

finalized plan will be published on the 

NIDCD website in Fall 2022. 

Dated: March 25, 2022. 

Timothy J. Wheeles, 

Executive Officer, National Institute on 

Deafness and Other Communication 

Disorders, National Institutes of Health. 

[FR Doc. 2022–09317 Filed 4–29–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

Interagency Coordinating Committee 

on the Validation of Alternative 

Methods; Notice of Public Webinar; 

Request for Public Input 

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, 

HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Interagency Coordinating 

Committee on the Validation of 

Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) will 

hold a public forum to share 

information and facilitate direct 

communication of ideas and suggestions 

from stakeholders. Interested persons 

may participate via the web meeting 

platform. Time will be set aside for 

questions and public statements on the 

topics discussed. Registration is 

required for both webinar viewing and 

oral statements. Information about the 

meeting and registration are available at 

https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/

iccvamforum-2022. 

DATES: 

Webinar: May 26–27, 2022, 10:00 a.m. 

to approximately 4:00 p.m. EDT both 

days. 

Registration for Webinar: April 11, 

2022, until 4:00 p.m. EDT May 27, 2022. 

Registration for Oral Statements: 

April 11, 2022, until 4:00 p.m. EDT May 

20, 2022. 

Registration to view the webinar and 

present oral public statements is 

required. 

ADDRESSES: Webinar web page: https:// 

ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvamforum2022. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Nicole Kleinstreuer, Acting Director, 

NICEATM, email: nicole.kleinstreuer@

nih.gov, telephone: (984) 287–3150. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background: ICCVAM, a 

congressionally mandated committee, 

promotes the development and 

validation of alternative testing 

strategies that protect human health and 

the environment while replacing, 

reducing, or refining animal use. 

ICCVAM’s goals include promotion of 

national and international partnerships 

between governmental and 

nongovernmental groups, including 

academia, industry, advocacy groups, 

and other key stakeholders. To foster 

these partnerships ICCVAM convenes 

an annual public forum to share 

information and facilitate direct 

communication of ideas and suggestions 

from stakeholders (79 FR 25136). 

This year’s meeting will be held on 

May 26 and 27, 2022. Due to restrictions 

on in-person gatherings amid ongoing 

public health concerns, the public 

forum will be presented via webinar 

only. NICEATM and ICCVAM members 

will give presentations on member 

agencies’ current activities related to the 

development and validation of 

alternative test methods and 

approaches. 

There will be opportunities for 

registered participants to ask clarifying 

or follow-up questions of the ICCVAM 

members about their presentations 

during the meeting. Instructions for 

submitting these questions will be 

provided via email prior to the webinar. 

The agenda will also include time for 

public oral statements relevant to the 

ICCVAM mission and current activities 


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