[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 239 (Monday, December 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 68827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33082]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit 
Review Board, Notice of Meeting

    The Department of Veterans Affairs gives notice under Public Law 
92-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) as amended, by section 5(c) of 
Public Law 94-409 that a meeting of the Rehabilitation Research and 
Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board will be held at the 
Wyndham Hotel, 1400 ``M'' Street NW, Washington, DC on January 12 
through January 14, 1999. The session on January 12, 1999, is scheduled 
to begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m. The sessions on January 13 
and January 14, 1999, are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 
p.m.
    The purpose of the meeting is to review rehabilitation research and 
development applications for scientific and technical merit and to make 
recommendations to the Director, Rehabilitation Research and 
Development Service, regarding their funding.
    The meeting will be open to the public for the January 12 session 
for the discussion of administrative matters, the general status of the 
program, and the administrative details of the review process. On 
January 13-14, 1999, the meeting is closed during which the Board will 
be reviewing research and development applications.
    This review involves oral comments, discussion of site visits, 
staff and consultant critiques of proposed research protocols, and 
similar analytical documents that necessitate the consideration of the 
personal qualifications, performance and competence of individual 
research investigators. Disclosure of such information would constitute 
a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Disclosure would 
also reveal research proposals and research underway which could lead 
to the loss of these projects to third parties and thereby frustrate 
future agency research efforts.
    Thus, the closing is in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6), and 
(c)(9)(B) and the determination of the Secretary of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs under Sections 10(d) of Pub. L. 92-463 as amended by 
Section 5(c) of Pub. L. 94-409. Those who plan to attend the open 
session should contact Ms. Victoria Mongiardo, Program Analyst, 
Rehabilitation Research and Development Service (122P), Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20420, at least 
five days before the meeting. For further information, call (202) 275-
0023.

    Dated: December 4, 1998.

    By Direction of the Secretary.
Heyward Bannister,
Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-33082 Filed 12-11-98; 8:45 am]
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