Field Research Advisory Committee (FRAC)
Overview
The purpose of the Department of Veterans Affairs Field Research Advisory Committee (FRAC) is to:
- promote communication between the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and investigators in the field,
- provide input on issues relevant to VA research, and
- participate in strategic planning.
The purview of FRAC includes all research sponsored and/or conducted by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of Research and Development. The Deputy Under Secretary for Health established this committee on May 27, 2004 – see Dr. Perlin's 5/27/04 memo to the ACOS (161 KB, PDF). The FRAC approved Operating Procedures at its meeting on July 9, 2004.
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Organization
The FRAC is designed to broadly represent the field of VA researchers. It consists of key representatives from the field as well as VACO staff. Representatives are elected for 3-year terms, with one-third of the field membership rotating off annually. The FRAC meets on a quarterly basis, with minutes published for distribution to the field.
In order to facilitate better communication among the five ACOS/R&D representatives on the FRAC, a quarterly conference call is held prior to each quarterly meeting to discuss issues. The five ACOS/R&D representatives are responsible for establishing and maintaining communication networks within their respective regions.
Field Research Representatives:
- Five ACOS/R&D -- one from each of the five geographic regions recognized by the Office of Research Oversight (ORO), -- are elected by their peers.
- The following additional field representatives, also elected by their peers within the subset they represent, including:
- One director of a Rehabilitation R&D Center of Excellence
- One director of a Health Services R&D Center of Excellence
- One study chairman from among all studies funded by the Cooperative Studies Program (CSP)
- One non-clinician Ph.D. scientist from among all Research Career Scientists and Senior Research Career Scientists
VACO ORD Staff Represenatives:
- Chief Research and Development Officer (CRADO)
- Deputy CRADO
- Directors of the four research services:
- Biomedical Laboratory R&D Service (BLR&D)
- Clinical Science R&D Service (CSR&D)
- Health Services R&D Service (HSR&D)
- Rehabilitation R&D Service (RR&D)
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Membership
FRAC Regions
- Mid-Atlantic Region — VISNs 4, 5, 6, 9, 10
John M. Stuart, MD (Memphis), john.stuart@va.gov
- Midwestern Region — VISNs: 11, 12, 15, 19, 23
Neil Mandel, PhD (Milwaukee), neil.mandel@va.gov
- Northeastern Region — VISNs: 1, 2, 3
Mohamed Boutjdir (New York), mohamed.boutjdir@va.gov
- Southern Region — VISNs: 7, 8, 16, 17
Warren Blackburn (Birmingham), warren.blackburn@va.gov
- Western Region — VISNs: 18, 20, 21, 22
Lynn Pulliam, MS, PhD (San Francisco), michael.davey@va.gov
Other Field Representatives
- Study Chairman, Cooperative Studies Program
Frank Lederle, MD, frank.lederle@va.gov
- Director, HSR&D COE
Gary E. Rosenthal, MD, gary.rosenthal@va.gov
- Director, RR&D COE
P. Hunter Peckham, PhD, pxp2@case.edu
- Non-clinician PhD Scientist
Leslie Gonzalez-Rothi, PhD, leslie.gonzalez-rothi@va.gov
VACO Staff
- Chief Research and Development Officer (CRADO)
Joel Kupersmith, MD, joel.kupersmith@va.gov
- Acting Deputy CRADO
Timothy J. O'Leary, MD, PhD, timothy.oleary@va.gov
- Acting Director, Biomedical Laboratory R&D Service (BLR&D)
Ronald Przygodzki, MD, ronald.przygodzki@va.gov
- Director, Clinical Science R&D Service (CSR&D)
Timothy J. O'Leary, MD, PhD, timothy.oleary@va.gov
- Director, Health Services R&D (HSR&D)
Seth A. Eisen, MD, MSc, seth.eisen@va.gov
- Director, Rehabilitation R&D Services (RR&D)
Michael E. Selzer, MD, PhD, michael.selzer@va.gov
Office of Research and Development Contact Information:
Jay A. Freedman, PhD
Special Assistant to the CRADO
Phone: 202-461-1699
Fax: 202-254-0460
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