Role of the Steering Committee

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• Scientific co-ordination is achieved through the activities of the co-ordinating staff, steering committee and regional co-ordinators

• All important strategic decisions relating to the protocol and eventual dissemination of the project are made by the steering committee. Other less important decisions related to the day to day administration of the project are made by co-ordinating staff and the project leader without consultation with the steering committee.

• Review progress with environmental and health data collection, laboratory analysis of samples, statistical analysis of data and dissemination of results

• Meet formally once a year and informally once a year to review progress and hold conference calls at least twice a year. Minutes from all meetings are distributed amongst all principal investigators.

• Meet informally once a year with principal investigators and other research staff to report progress of the study and relay information and decisions made by the steering committee to principal investigators in their region.

• The membership of the steering committee has been agreed to include the project leader, project co-ordinator, regional co-ordinators, all working group leaders and all members of the co-ordinating staff and to be representative of all geographical regions of the EC centres