Teaching Fundamentals in the Risk Assessment Training and Experience (RATE) Program
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Risk assessment plays a unique role in serving the needs of various regulatory programs through incorporating, integrating, and coordinating the use of scientific information as a foundation for regulatory decision-making. The Risk Assessment Training and Experience (RATE) Program modules were developed to cover scientific subject matter and methodologies considered to be essential knowledge and skills for risk assessors both within and outside of the US EPA. Training modules cover the topics of general risk assessment, human health risk assessment, and specific methodologies and models used in modern risk assessments, including use of Benchmark Dose (BMD) and Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models. Modules developed on exposure assessment have been incorporated as Tutorials in the ExpoBox online resource (https://www.epa.gov/expobox/exposure-assessment-tutorials). Modules on Ecological Risk Assessment are also a part of the RATE Catalog of courses. New modules are being developed for additional subjects to support internal EPA Program Office and outside stakeholder needs. Both web-based and on-site training have been delivered to technical staff in EPA and other organizations through the RATE Program, including the Risk Assessment Syllabus webinar series sponsored by the Risk Assessment Specialty Section (RASS) of the SOT. RATE training materials are continually being updated based on more recent developments in risk assessment (e.g., systematic review), as well as to include an expanding set of modifications applied from previous training events developed for specific audiences. RATE training modules are customizable and flexible to address stakeholder needs, ranging from student on-boarding to training for international partners.