[Federal Register: July 13, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 134)]
[Notices]               
[Page 38658-38659]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13jy07-150]                         

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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 Merit Review Board 
will be held August 21-23, 2007, at the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. 
Monroe Street, Chicago, IL. Various subcommittees of the Board will 
meet during that period. Each subcommittee meeting of the Merit Review 
Board will be open to the public on 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 each meeting 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 concerned with 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 Chief Research and Development Officer.
    On Tuesday, August 21, the subcommittee on Nursing Research 
Initiative (NRI) will convene from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Wednesday, 
August 22, six subcommittees will convene from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those 
subcommittees are Chronic Disease Management, Equity and Women's 
Health, General Health Services Research, Implementation and Management 
Research Science, Long Term Care and Aging, and Mental Health and 
Deployment Health. On Thursday, August 23, six subcommittees will 
convene from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those subcommittees are Chronic Disease 
Management (continuation), Equity and Women's Health (continuation), 
General Health Services Research (continuation), Implementation and 
Management Research Science (continuation), Long Term Care Aging 
(continuation), and Mental Health and Deployment Health (continuation),
    After the subcommittees meet there will be a debriefing provided to 
members of Health Services Research and Development Service Scientific 
Merit Review Board. This debriefing, by teleconference, will be to 
discuss the outcomes of the review sessions and to ensure the integrity 
and consistency of the review process.
    During the closed portion of the meetings on August 21-23, 
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 be 
likely to 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 these meetings is in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 
552b(c)(6) and (9)(B).

[[Page 38659]]

    Those who plan to attend the open session should contact the 
Scientific Merit Review Program Manager (124R), Health Services 
Research and Development Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, 1722 
Eye Street, NW., Washington DC 20006 at least five days before the 
meeting. For further information, call (202) 254-0207.

    By Direction of the Secretary:

    Dated: July 9, 2007.
E. Philip Riggin,
Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-3426 Filed 7-12-07; 8:45 am]

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