Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter: IV. Continuing Research Progress (2004)
Chapter: Appendix B: The Committee's Statement of Task
Appendix B
The Committee’s Statement of Task
The committee will assess research priorities, develop a conceptual research plan, and monitor research progress toward improved understanding of the relationships between airborne particulate matter (PM), its various sources, and its effects on public health. The study will focus on PM-related research being conducted, funded, or planned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the context of PM-related research being conducted, funded, or planned by other agencies and organizations in the United States and abroad.
Four reports will be prepared. The first report, required by Congress within four months of project initiation, will be a brief interim report identifying the most important short-term (3 years) research priorities relevant to evaluating, setting, and implementing primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM). It will be followed by three major reports. The first major report, required by Congress within 12 months of project initiation, will expand upon the assessment of short-term research priorities, identify longer-term research needs, and present conceptual plans for research and the monitoring and evaluation of research. Subsequent reports at the end of the third and fifth years will evaluate research progress and update the research priorities and plans as warranted. The project was started in December 1997 and is sponsored by the EPA.
