[Federal Register: October 23, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 205)]
[Notices]               
[Page 53620]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23oc01-83]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

 
National Cancer Institute Call for Nominations for the National 
Cancer Institute Director's Liaison Group

    The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Federal Government's 
primary agency for cancer research, is seeking nominations for five new 
members of the NCI Director's Consumer Liaison Group (DCLG) who will be 
appointed in July 2002. The DCLG helps NCI to identify appropriate 
advocates to serve on its program and policy advisory committees, and 
it serves as a channel for consumer advocates to voice their views and 
concerns. The DCLG is federal chartered advisory committee of the 
National Cancer Institute (NCI). It consists of 15 consumer advocates 
who are involved in cancer advocacy and who reflect the diversity among 
those whose lives are affected by cancer.
    NCI brings together these advocates from many communities to advise 
and make recommendations to the Director, NCI from the consumer 
advocate perspective on a wide variety of issues, programs and research 
priorities. All DCLG members must be U.S. citizens. Specifically the 
DCLG members:
     Help develop and establish processes, mechanisms, and 
criteria for identifying appropriate consumer advocates to serve on a 
variety of program and policy advisory committees responsible for 
advancing the mission of the NCI.
     Serve as a primary forum for discussing issues and 
concerns and exchanging viewpoints that are important to the broad 
development of the NCI programmatic and research priorities.
     Establish and maintain strong collaborations between the 
NCI and the cancer advocacy community to reach common goals.
    Eligibility Requirements for Individual members. To serve on the 
DCLG, a member must meet the following minimum eligibility 
requirements:
     Be involved in the cancer experience as a cancer survivor, 
a person affected by the suffering and consequences of cancer, or a 
professional or volunteer who works with survivors or those affected.
     Represent a constituency (formally or informally) with 
whom she or he communicates regularly on cancer issues and be able to 
serve as a conduit for information both to and from his/her 
constituency.
    DCLG members must be committed to participating in all activities 
of the DCLG which includes at least two meetings a year in Bethesda.
    Criteria For Evaluating Individual Candidates. Nominees who meet 
the minimum eligibility requirements will be further assessed based on 
the following criteria:
     Cancer advocacy experience
     Ability to communicate effectively
     Ability to represent broad issues, think ``globally''
     Ability to contribute to an effective group process
     Leadership ability
    Characteristics of the DCLG. In addition to the criteria for 
individual candidates, the following characteristics of the DCLG as a 
group are intended to ensure that it reflects the breadth and diversity 
of the consumer advocacy community:
     Multicultural diversity
     A broad mix of cancer sites
     Representation of the medically underserved
     Men and women
     A range of organizations (local/regional and national)
     Age diversity
     Geographic diversity (rural/urban mix)
    Selection Process. A call for nominations is disseminated annually 
to a broad range of groups, including local, regional and national 
organizations, to encourage nominations of candidates reflecting the 
diversity sought for the DCLG. All nominees are screened for 
eligibility, then evaluated according to the criteria. A list of highly 
qualified candidates who reflect balance and diversity of 
representation is forwarded to the Director, NCI, who selects the DCLG 
members. The original members of the DCLG endorsed this process, which 
will be used to select future members.
    NCI encourages nomination of candidates reflecting the diversity 
sought on the DCLG. Nominations can be made by organizations, including 
local/regional and national groups, or individuals, including self-
nominations. To receive a nomination package for the DCLG, send your 
name, advocacy/voluntary organization affiliation (if any), address and 
phone number to the Office of Liaison Activities, NCI, c/o Palladian 
Partners, 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1200, Silver Spring, MD 20910, FAX 
(301) 650-8676.
    Nominations must be postmarked by December 8, 2001.

    Dated: October 16, 2001.
LaVerne Stringfield
Director, Office of Federal Advisory Committee Policy National 
Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 01-26618 Filed 10-22-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M