Overview
Title
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Notice of Closed Meeting
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is having an online meeting to talk about grant requests on May 15-16, 2025, but it's a secret meeting where only certain people can join to keep private details safe. Leroy Worth is the person you can ask for more information if you need it.
Summary AI
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences will hold a closed virtual meeting to review grant applications on May 15-16, 2025. The meeting will be closed to the public to maintain confidentiality of trade secrets and personal information related to the applications. The meeting will be held between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Attendees can contact Leroy Worth, Ph.D., for more information.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document announces a closed virtual meeting by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) on May 15-16, 2025. This meeting intends to review grant applications and will not be open to the public. The closure of the meeting is necessary to prevent the disclosure of confidential materials and personal information. The meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Dr. Leroy Worth is the contact person for more details.
Summary of the Document
This notice communicates important logistical details about a virtual meeting organized by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The committee involved will evaluate grant proposals specifically related to the Environmental Health Sciences. The announcement emphasizes the confidentiality of the proceedings due to potential exposure of sensitive information such as trade secrets and personal data.
Significant Issues and Concerns
Reason for Meeting Closure: The notice indicates that the meeting is closed to protect sensitive information and personal privacy, referencing U.S. Code sections. However, it lacks a detailed explanation, which might leave the public questioning the necessity and the criteria for such confidentiality.
Lack of Evaluation Criteria: The document fails to specify the criteria or focus areas for evaluating the grant applications. This absence could introduce a degree of ambiguity regarding the decision-making process.
Complex Legal References: The document refers to legal sections in an intricate manner. For readers without a legal background, simplifying these references or providing context could make the information more accessible.
Explanation of Assistance Programs: Multiple assistance programs are mentioned with specific codes, but no further details are provided. This might confuse stakeholders unfamiliar with these designations and their relevance.
Virtual Meeting Platform: There is no mention of which virtual platform will be used. Knowing this can be crucial for participants who need to prepare technologically for the meeting.
Broad Public Impact
For the general public, this document might not have a direct impact as it involves an administrative meeting about grant applications. However, the general oversight in communication transparency could provoke interest or concern about how public funds are allocated secretly.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Grant Applicants: Those applying for grants will be directly affected, as the outcomes could determine the funding they receive for their projects.
Academic and Research Institutions: They might be impacted positively through funding opportunities that support research and development in environmental health sciences.
Viability for Transparency Advocates: There may be concern about transparency in the decision-making process due to the closed nature of the meeting. Advocates may see this as a chance to push for more open and detailed communications regarding public funding allocation.
Overall, while the administrative nature of this notice pertains primarily to stakeholders involved in environmental health research funding, the broader implications about transparency and accessibility of public information remain relevant.
Issues
• The notice states that the meeting will be closed to the public, but does not provide sufficient detail on why confidentiality is necessary beyond mentioning the potential disclosure of trade secrets or personal privacy invasion.
• The purpose of the meeting is to review and evaluate grant applications, but no specific criteria or areas of focus for evaluation are provided, leaving room for ambiguity.
• The language used in referring to the sections of the U.S. Code, like 'sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., as amended,' could be overly complex for some readers and might benefit from a brief explanation.
• The document lists several assistance programs with codes but does not explain what each program entails, which could be unclear to those unfamiliar with these codes.
• The document does not specify the platform or technology that will be used for the virtual meeting, which could be important for participants to know.