Newswise — Reston, Va.; June 26, 2014 — Yesterday, the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that a study section focused on environmental health and toxicology has been chartered. The new Systemic Injury from Environmental Exposure (SIEE) study section represents the culmination of a decade of effort by the Society of Toxicology (SOT) to more closely align the scientific background and expertise of NIH’s research proposal reviewers to the science they are being asked to review.

“Since 2004, the Society has been actively working with CSR to make a standing toxicological study section a reality, and we are thrilled that the SIEE study section is now in place to recognize and fund important toxicological research,” says SOT President Norbert E. Kaminski. “The recommendations by this peer review committee will have a significant impact on the direction and specific areas of research in toxicology and environmental health sciences that will be funded by NIH in the future.”

For the past two years, SOT members have served as reviewers of applications to the SIEE special emphasis panel, which is the origin of the new SIEE study section.

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About SOTFounded in 1961, the Society of Toxicology (SOT) is a professional and scholarly organization of more than 7,700 scientists from academic institutions, government, and industry representing the great variety of individuals who practice toxicology in the US and abroad. SOT is committed to creating a safer and healthier world by advancing the science of toxicology. The Society promotes the acquisition and utilization of knowledge in toxicology, aids in the protection of public health, and has a strong commitment to education in toxicology and to the recruitment of students and new members into the profession. For more information about SOT and toxicology, visit the Society online at www.toxicology.org, follow us on Twitter @SOToxicology, and like us on Facebook.