[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 21, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 35912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17197]



[[Page 35912]]

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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Health Services Research and Development Service Merit Review 
Board; Notice of Meeting

    The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under Public 
Law 92-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that a meeting of the 
Health Services Research and Development Service Scientific Merit 
Review Board will be held August 18-20, 2009, at the Doubletree Denver 
Tech, 7801 East Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, Colorado. Various 
subcommittees of the Board will meet during the review period. Each 
subcommittee meeting will be open to the public the first day for 
approximately one half-hour from 8 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. to cover 
administrative matters and to discuss the general status of the 
program. The remaining portion of the meetings will be closed. The 
closed portion of each meeting will involve discussion, examination, 
reference to, and oral review of the research proposals and critiques.
    The purpose of the Board is to review research and development 
applications involving the measurement and evaluation of health care 
services, the testing of new methods of health care delivery and 
management, and nursing research. Applications are reviewed for 
scientific and technical merit.
    Recommendations regarding funding are submitted to the Office of 
Research and Development's Chief Research and Development Officer.
    On August 18, the Nursing Research Initiative subcommittee will 
convene from 8 a.m. until noon and the Career Development subcommittee 
will convene from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
    On August 19, the Health Services Research A, Health Services 
Research B, Health Services Research C, Health Services Research D, and 
Health Services Research E subcommittees will convene from 8 a.m. until 
5 p.m. In the afternoon, the Career Development subcommittee will 
reconvene from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.
    On August 20, the Health Services Research A-E subcommittees will 
reconvene from 8 a.m. until noon. In the afternoon, the Health Services 
Research F subcommittee will convene from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.
    After the subcommittees meet, there will be a debriefing provided 
to members of the Board. The purposes of the debriefing are to discuss 
the outcomes of the review sessions and to ensure the continued 
integrity and consistency of the review process.
    During the closed portion of each meeting, discussion and 
recommendations will include qualifications of the personnel conducting 
the studies (the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly 
unwarranted invasion of personal privacy), as well as research 
information (the premature disclosure of which would likely compromise 
significantly the implementation of proposed agency action regarding 
such research projects). As provided by subsection 10(d) of Public Law 
92-463, as amended by Public Law 94-409, closing portions of each 
meeting is in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6) and (9)(B).
    Those who plan to attend the open portion should contact Ms. Rita 
Lysik, Scientific Merit Review Coordinator, Health Services Research 
and Development Service (124R), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 
Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, at least five days prior to 
the meeting. For further information, please call (202) 461-1524.

    Dated: July 15, 2009.

    By Direction of the Secretary.
E. Philip Riggin,
Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-17197 Filed 7-20-09; 8:45 am]
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