2018-00650. Health Services Research and Development Service, Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meetings

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under the Federal Advisory Committee Act the Health Services Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board will conduct in-person and teleconference meetings of its eleven Health Services Research (HSR) subcommittees on the dates below from 8:00 a.m. to approximately 4:30 p.m. (unless otherwise listed) at the FHI 360, 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009 (unless otherwise listed):

• HSR 0—Community Care on March 13, 2018;
• HSR 1—Health Care and Clinical Management on March 13-14, 2018;
• HSR 2—Behavioral, Social, and Cultural Determinants of Health and Care on March 13-14, 2018;
• HSR 3—Healthcare Informatics on March 16, 2018;
• HSR 4—Mental and Behavioral Health on March 15-16, 2018;
• HSR 5—Health Care System Organization and Delivery on March 15-16, 2018;
• HSR 6—Post-acute and Long-term Care on March 14, 2018;
• MRA 0—Mentored Research on March 16, 2018;
• HSR 8—Implementation Research Project on March 13, 2018;
• HS8 A—Randomized Program Evaluations on March 13, 2018; and
• HSR 9—Learning Health Initiative on March 15, 2018.

The purpose of the Board is to review health services 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 mentored research. Applications are reviewed for scientific and technical merit, mission relevance, and the protection of human and animal subjects. Recommendations regarding funding are submitted to the Chief Research and Development Officer.

Each subcommittee meeting of the Board will be open to the public the first day for approximately one half-hour from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the start of the meeting on March 13 (HSR 0, 1, 2, 8, and HS8A), March 14 (HSR 1, 2, 6), March 15 (HSR 4, 5, 9), and March 16 (HSR 3, 4, 5, and MRA 0) to cover administrative matters and to discuss the general status of the program. Members of the public who wish to attend the open portion of the subcommittee meetings may dial 1 [phone], participant code 10443#.

The remaining portion of each subcommittee meeting will be closed for the discussion, examination, reference to, and oral review of the intramural research proposals and critiques. During the closed portion of each subcommittee 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 the meeting is in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6) and (9)(B).

No oral or written comments will be accepted from the public for either portion of the meetings. Those who plan to participate during the open portion of a subcommittee meeting should contact Ms. Liza Catucci, Administrative Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research and Development Service (10P9H), 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, or by email at [e-mail]. For further information, please call Ms. Catucci at [phone].

Dated: January 11, 2018.

LaTonya L. Small,

Federal Advisory Committee Management Officer.