06-3650. Joint Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development and Clinical Science Research and Development Services Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meetings

The Department of Veterans Affairs gives notice under the Public Law 92-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that the subcommittees of the Joint Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development and Clinical Science Research and Development Services Scientific Merit Review Board will meet from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as indicated below:

Subcommittee for	Date(s)	Location
Mental Hlth & Behav Sciences-B	May 4, 2006	Doubletree Washington
Nephrology	May 8, 2006	Hotel Rouge
Immunology-A	May 9, 2006	Topaz Hotel
Immunology-B	May 12, 2006	Doubletree Washington
Aging and Clinical Geriatrics	May 12, 2006	Hotel Madera
Mental Hlth & Behav Sciences-A	May 15, 2006	Wyndham Hotel
Oncology-A	May 15-16, 2006	Hilton Embassy Row
Infectious Diseases-B	May 17, 2006	Crowne Plaza Silver Spring
Hermatology	May 18, 2006	Holiday Inn Central
Endocrinology-B	May 19, 2006	Doubletree Rockville
Cardiovascular Studies-A	May 22, 2006	The Churchill Hotel
Cellular & Molecular Medicine	May 22, 2006	One Washington Circle
Epidemiology	May 23, 2006	St. Gregory Hotel
Cardiovascular Studies-B	May 25, 2006	Doubletree Washington
Neurobiology-A	June 2, 2006	One Washington Circle
Oncology-B	June 5-6, 2006	Hilton Embassy Row
Neurobiology-C	June 7-8, 2006	Wyndham Hotel
Gastroenterology	June 8, 2006	Courtyard Rockville
Infectious Diseases-A	June 9, 2006	Marriott Bethesda North
Neurobiology-D	June 12, 2006	Hilton Embassy Row
Surgery	June 12, 2006	Hilton Embassy Row
Respiration	June 12, 2006	Hilton Embassy Row
Endocrinology-A	June 14-15, 2006	Wyndham Hotel
Clinical Research Program	June 16, 2006	The Churchill Hotel
Neurobiology-E	June 16, 2006	Doubletree Washington

The addresses of the hotels are:

Courtyard Rockville, 2500 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD.

Crowne Plaza Silver Spring, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD.

Doubletree Washington, 1515 Rhode Island Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.

Doubletree Rockville (The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center), 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD.

Hilton Embassy Row, 2015 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.

Holiday Inn Central, 1501 Rhode Island Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.

Hotel Madera, 1310 New Hampshire Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.

Hotel Rouge, 1315—16th Street, NW., Washington, DC.

Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda, MD.

One Washington Circle Hotel, One Washington Circle, NW., Washington, DC.

St. Gregory Hotel, 2033 M Street, NW., Washington, DC.

The Churchill Hotel, 1914 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.

Topaz Hotel, 1733 N Street, NW., Washington, DC.

Wyndham Hotel, 1400 M Street, NW., Washington, DC.

The purpose of the Merit Review Board is to provide advice on the scientific quality, budget, safety and mission relevance of investigator-initiated research proposals submitted for VA merit review consideration. Proposals submitted for review by the Board involve a wide range of medical specialities within the general areas of biomedical, behavioral and clinic science research.

The subcommittee meetings will be open to the public for approximately one hour at the start of each meeting to discuss the general status of the program. The remaining portion of each subcommittee meeting will be closed to the public for the review, discussion, and evaluation of initial and renewal projects.

The closed portion of the meetings involves discussion, examination, reference to staff and consultant critiques of research protocols. During this portion of the subcommittee meetings, discussion and recommendations will deal with qualifications of 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 could significantly frustrate implementation of proposed agency action regarding such research projects.

As provided by subsection 10(d) of Public Law 92-463, as amended, closing portions of these subcommittee meetings is in accordance with 5 U.S.C., 552b(c)(6) and (9)(B). Those who plan to attend or would like to obtain a copy of minutes of the subcommittee meetings and rosters of the members of the subcommittees should contact LeRoy G. Frey, PhD, Chief, Program Review (121F), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420 at [phone].

Dated: April 10, 2006.

By Direction of the Secretary.

E. Philip Riggin,

Committee Management Officer.