progress most notably the important scientific challenges identified in Chapter 5: developing a systematic program to assess the toxicity of different components of the PM mixture, planning and implementing new studies of the effects of long-term exposure, improving the relevance of toxicological approaches, enhancing the nation’s air quality monitoring system, and ultimately moving beyond PM to a multipollutant approach. A shift towards these objectives will require enhanced, multidisciplinary research, and although progress has been made in improving the management of PM research and the gathering and synthesis of information, significant science management challenges remain to be addressed before the goals of the research plan recommended by the committee can be reached. In this chapter, the committee provides guidance on scientific management issues that it expects to be relevant for successfully addressing key priorities for PM research in the future. These issues need to be addressed if the questions identified for continuing research in the previous chapters are to be answered successfully and in a timely fashion.

Specifically, this chapter addresses

• Enhancing and sustaining research and its management at EPA and across the broader research enterprise.

• Tools needed for enhancing the tracking and synthesis of the science going forward.

The management of any multidisciplinary, multiyear research program is challenging and requires strategic planning, leadership, commitment of a wide range of expertise, and resources. Such management is often more difficult in large public and private institutions where conflicting and changing priorities, institutional fragmentation, and administrative restrictions limit effective program implementation. Yet, sustained, creative management is essential for producing timely results that will provide answers to the key questions posed.

In its previous reports, the committee, recognized the need for this type of management and called for sustained efforts at EPA and other organizations. Management of the PM research program requires the following elements:

• Broadening the scope of and setting priorities for the full range