[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 35723]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14009]


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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 19-21, 2008, at the Hyatt Harborside at Boston's 
Logan International Airport, 101 Harborside Drive, Boston, 
Massachusetts. Various subcommittees of the Board will meet during the 
review period. Each subcommittee meeting of the Merit Review Board 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 Chief Research and Development Officer.
    On August 19, the subcommittee on Nursing Research Initiative will 
convene from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On August 20-21, five subcommittees--
Health Services Research A, Health Services Research B, Health Services 
Research C, Health Services Research D, and Health Services Research 
E--will convene from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    After the subcommittees meet there will be a debriefing provided to 
members of the Health Services Research & Development Scientific Merit 
Review Board. The purposes of the debriefing are to discuss the 
outcomes of the review sessions and to ensure the 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 session should contact Ms. Rita 
Lysik, Scientific Merit Review Program Manager, at (202) 254-0225, or 
Health Services Research and Development Service (124R), Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, at 
least five days before the meeting.

    By Direction of the Secretary.

    Dated: June 16, 2008.
E. Philip Riggin,
Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-14009 Filed 6-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-M