02-4135. Medical Research Service Merit Review Committee, Notice of Meetings

The Department of Veterans Affairs gives notice under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App., of the following meetings to be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as indicated below:

Subcommittee for	Date	Location
Surgery	March 18, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Mental Hlth & Behav Sciences	March 18-19, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Nephrology	March 19, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Cardiovascular Studies	March 21, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Alcoholism & Drug Dependence	March 22, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Epidemiology	March 22, 2002	1400 I St, NW, Ste 400.
Gastroenterology	March 25-26, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Endocrinology	April 4-5, 2002	Marriott Residence Inn.
Neurobiology-C	April 5, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Respiration	April 5, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
General Medical Science	April 8-9, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Hematology	April 11, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Immunology & Dermatology	April 11, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Oncology	April 15-16, 2002	Marriott Residence Inn.
Aging and Clinical Geriatrics	April 19, 2002	1400 I St, NW, Ste 400.
Neurobiology-D	April 25-26,2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Infectious Diseases	April 29-30, 2002	Holiday Inn Central.
Medical Research Service Merit Review Committee	June 6, 2002	Marriott Residence Inn.

The addresses of the hotels are:

Holiday Inn Central Hotel, 1501 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005

Marriott residence Inn Washington—Thomas Circle, 1199 Vermont Avenue, Washington, DC 20005

These subcommittee meetings are for the purpose of evaluating the scientific merit of research conducted in each specialty by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) investigators working in VA Medical Centers and Clinics.

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, and oral review of site visits, staff and consultant critiques of research protocols and similar documents. 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 by Public Law 94-409, 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, Ph.D., Chief, Program Review Division, Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, [phone].

Dated: February 13, 2002.

Nora E. Egan,

Committee Management Officer.