National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: Horizon Scanning Virtual Workshop

Sharing Strategies to Move From Reactive to Proactive Approaches to Identify New Environmental Concerns

Tuesday, April 30, 2024 • 9:00 a.m. – 3:20 p.m. &
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 • 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Purpose

The NIEHS is convening a two-day virtual workshop on Horizon Scanning to proactively identify and improve responses to emerging contaminants, emergencies, and issues of concern. Horizon scanning activities engage experts in conversations to predict responses or capabilities that may be needed; scoping typically consists of compiling bits of information and working with a stakeholder to satisfy their needs.

Registration

Registration is open for the April 30, 2024 workshop. Follow the link below to register now.

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NIEHS Workshop Organizing Team

Led by the Emerging Contaminants and Issues of Concern (ECIC) Program Management Team (Division of Translational Toxicology).

Workshop Goals

• Advance horizon scanning methods or tools (for the scientific community) and inform a strategy or framework for addressing new environmental concerns.
• Identify contaminants (e.g., chemicals, mixtures) in the environmental and biological samples (e.g., non-target chemical analyses).
• Identify exposure sources and affected communities (e.g., mapping methodology, including environmental justice tools).
• Identify issues of community concern (e.g., social media and crowd sourcing).
• Provide a forum to share insights, coordination opportunities, and challenges for researchers, federal and state agencies, including research and regulatory agencies), non-government advocacy groups, and affected populations.

Anticipated Outcomes

Workshop is expected to benefit ECIC, NIEHS, and the scientific community at large and include:

• Develop NIEHS (including ECIC) horizon-scanning approaches.
• Establish a network or community of practice for sharing information about horizon scanning.
• Identify key CEC stakeholders and initiate sharing of current methods from participating organizations involved in horizon scanning.
• Whitepaper or journal publications summarizing existing tools, research gaps, guidance, or strategies for proactively identifying emerging contaminants or issues of concern and best practices for communicating hazard information to affected communities.

Agenda

Day one will focus on articulating the current scope of our abilities and technologies for horizon scanning; we will also identify current gaps or weaknesses in those abilities. At the conclusion of Day one, participants will be asked to consider what advancements in our abilities need to occur, and what a collaborate directed effort – a community of practice – may look like. 

Day two will feature collaborative round-table discussion and workshop time to address these two questions, and to outline key needs and features for a community of practice. This collaborative half-day will lay the groundwork for building an inter-agency, interdisciplinary community of practice for horizon scanning.