IRAC Annual Plan (FY2007)

The Interagency Risk Assessment Consortium (IRAC) will continue holding technical quarterly meetings, where the technical representatives of the member agencies exchange risk assessment and risk assessment -related research information. The semi annual Policy Council meetings will also continue.

1. Quarterly Meeting Presentations

i. Continue presentations by agency representatives on current risk assessments.

ii. Continue presentations by member agencies on issues related to risk assessment.

iii. Presentations by other organizations, e.g., ILSI, academia.

2. Work Group Projects

i. Data Gaps Analysis

• Add new data gaps to the Data Gaps list as they are identified.
• Request and add data gaps provided by risk ranking projects
• Update the list for data gaps that have been or are being addressed.
• Identify effective means to publicize the list and promote research that address the data gaps.
• Develop criteria and methods for ranking the data gaps and research priority.

ii. Data Utility

• Consider a second workshop with the focus on statistical sampling.
• Possibly develop a discussion paper on useful sampling strategies based on the two meetings and agency needs to serve as a reference for member agencies.

iii. Nutritional Risk Assessment

• Co-host a workshop jointly with the Food Forum, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), and International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) entitled: "Nutritional Risk Assessment: Bridging Perspectives, Sharing Methodologies, Identifying Data Challenges".

3. Workshops/Meetings/Mini symposia

• Host or co-host at least two public meetings
• Nutritional Risk Assessment - see above:
• Risk Assessment Control Options and Economic Net Benefits in the summer or fall (see meeting minutes ex 10/4/2006)
• Possibly a one-day or half day symposium/workshop on avian influenza risk assessments (AIRA). Besides the effort led by USDA/FSIS, there are several other groups conducting AIRAs. Kerry Deerfield recommended an IRAC-sponsored symposium having the different AIRA groups come and present. The objective of the workshop is to get everyone on board with the multitude of approaches, and to collect outside thoughts. Janell and Kerry will write a short description.

• Hold mini symposia during the IRAC quarterly meetings
• A mini symposium on chemical risk assessments during an IRAC quarterly meeting
• Also, pesticide residues are an issue. A mini symposium during an IRAC quarterly meeting. Barry Hooberman can talk, National Residue program people can talk, as well as Henry Kim (FDA/CFSAN) and the EPA pesticide people. This will emphasize how people across agencies work together. Janell Kause and Kerry Deerfield will write a short description.