Public input sought on federal bioeconomy strategy, needs

With the Dec. 20 release of two Requests for Information (RFIs), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy seeks public input to help guide the development and deployment of the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative, which is intended to use the two disciplines to advance innovative solutions in health, climate change, energy, food security, agriculture, and supply chain resilience.

The National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative RFI seeks public responses on or before Jan. 20 to 17 specific questions contained within several broad topic areas:

• harnessing biotechnology and biomanufacturing R&D to further societal goals;
• data on the bioeconomy;
• building a vibrant domestic biomanufacturing ecosystem;
• biobased products procurement;
• biotechnology and biomanufacturing workforce;
• reducing risk by advancing biosafety and biosecurity;
• measuring the bioeconomy; and,
• international engagement.

Public responses to the RFI for Identifying Ambiguities, Gaps, Inefficiencies, and Uncertainties in the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology are due Feb. 3.  In it, OSTP seeks comments regarding, primarily the regulation of biotechnology products by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A virtual listening session will be held Jan. 12 (registration is required here).

The National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative was announced in a Sept. 12, 2022, White House Executive Order. In addition to the above and several other items, the order called for five federal departments and agencies – Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Health & Human Services and the National Science Foundation to provide reports by March 1, 2023, about various aspects of the bioeconomy and the federal role and their  respective agencies’ recommendations. Presumably, these two RFIs will help influence future policy actions and recommendations in those reports.