[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 6927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2537]


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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) that a meeting of the 
Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review 
Board will be held on February 28-March 3, 2005, at the Watergate 
Hotel, 2650 Virginia Avenue NW., Washington, DC. The sessions are 
scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5:30 p.m. each day.
    The purpose of the Board 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 February 28 and 
March 2 sessions from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. for the discussion of 
administrative matters, the general status of the program and the 
administrative details of the review process. The meeting will be 
closed on February 28-March 3 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for the Board's 
review of 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 project 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 Public Law 92-463 as amended 
by section 5(c) of Public Law 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 (202) 254-0054.

    Dated: January 28, 2005.

    By direction of the Secretary.
E. Philip Riggin,
Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-2537 Filed 2-8-05; 8:45 am]
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