Notice2026-05361
Health Systems Research Scientific Merit Review Board
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 19, 2026
Issuing agencies
Veterans Affairs Department
Abstract
We are giving notice that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs intends to renew the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Systems Research Scientific Merit Review Board for a 2-year period. The Secretary has determined that the Committee is necessary and in the public interest.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 53 (Thursday, March 19, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 53 (Thursday, March 19, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13402-13404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05361]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Health Systems Research Scientific Merit Review Board
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to File.
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SUMMARY: We are giving notice that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
intends to
[[Page 13403]]
renew the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Systems Research
Scientific Merit Review Board for a 2-year period. The Secretary has
determined that the Committee is necessary and in the public interest.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Moragne, Committee Management
Office, Department of Veterans Affairs, Advisory Committee Management
Office (00AC), 811 Vermont Avenue, 4th floor, NW, Washington, DC 20420;
telephone (202) 714-1578; or email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#226847444450475b0c6f4d5043454c476254430c454d54"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0c46696a6a7e69752241637e6d6b62694c7a6d226b637a">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee
ACT, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs intends to renew the Health
Systems Research Scientific Merit Review Board (HSR or Board) for two
(2) years from the filing date of the charter's renewal. The objective
of the Board is to provide for the fair and equitable selection of the
most meritorious research projects for support by VA research funds and
to offer advice for research program officials on program priorities
and policies. The ultimate objective of the Board is to ensure through
recommendations the high quality and mission relevance of VA's HSR
Program.
Also in pursuant to 41 C.F.R Sec. 102-3.65, the Department of
Veterans Affairs provides this written notice determination stating
that the Board is in the public interest and found to be in accordance
with the Federal Advisory Community Act (FACA), the FACA 2025 Final
Rule, and current to the U.S. General Services Administration,
Committee Management Secretariat guidance. The following factors below
provide an overview of the Committee's operations and public interest
intent.
Annual Budget--The overall operating costs for HSR is $1,450,000.
All members receive travel expenses and a per diem allowance in
accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation for any travel made in
connection with their duties as members of the Board. The expected
costs are broken into:
(i) Federal personnel (based on full-time equivalent (FTE) usage
basis) is 7.8 with other Federal internal costs being $1,360,000.
(ii) Proposed payments to Non-Federal Members are $90,000. There
are up to 12 members on the Parent Committee and 12 Subcommittees with
more than 500 consultant members who do not serve on the Parent
Committee. Subcommittee members are recruited based on the number and
the research focus of the applications received. Non-Federal members
receive up to $300/day of service.
(iii) Reimbursable costs are $0.00 non-applicable for the Board.
This Committee does not have any dollar value of grants expected
for the fiscal year.
Membership Selection--The Board is composed of members having
training and expertise in a variety of scientific, technical and
medical disciplines, including but not limited to health care and
clinical management; behavioral, social, and cultural determinants of
health; health, health care informatics; mental and behavioral health;
health care system organization, design and delivery; research methods
and models; post-acute and long-term care and aging; nursing research
initiatives; public health and epidemiology; access to care; post-
deployment care including traumatic brain injury; health equity and
health disparities; rural health; women's health; complementary and
integrative health; mobility, activity and function; implementation
science; patient experience; community care and VA/non-VA care
coordination; mobile and connected health and patient-reported
outcomes; management of chronic pain; opioids and suicide prevention;
health economics; genomics and precision medicine in clinical practice;
patient safety; predictive analytic; health behavior change; operations
research and health systems re-engineering; and the development of
talented VA researchers. The HSR will represent the required subject
matter expertise and technical skills along with Veterans of different
eras and branches of service.
Existing Federal Advisory Committees--The following list of 27 VA
advisory committees includes 18 that are statute (with an asterisk *)
and 9 non-statutory committees.
(1) VA National Academic Affiliations Council
(* 2) Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials
(3) Cooperative Studies Scientific Evaluation Committee
(* 4) Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation
(* 5) Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education
(* 6) Veterans' Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards
(Administratively Inactive)
(* 7) Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War
(* 8) Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee
(* 9) Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses
(10) Health Systems Research Service Merit Review Board
(* 11) Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans
(12) Joint Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development and Clinical
Science Research and Development Services Scientific Merit Review Board
(* 13) Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans
(14) National Research Advisory Council
(* 15) Advisory Committee on U.S. Outlying Areas and Freely Associated
States
(* 16) Advisory Committee on Prosthetics and Special Disabilities
Programs
(* 17) Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans
(* 18) Veterans' Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation
(19) Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit
Review Board
(20) Veterans' Rural Health Advisory Committee
(* 21) Special Medical Advisory Group
(* 22) Advisory Committee on Structural Safety of Department of
Veterans Affairs Facilities
(* 23) Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs
(24) Veterans' Family, Caregiver, and Survivor Advisory Committee
(* 25) Veterans and Community Oversight and Engagement Board
(26) Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service National Advisory
Committee
(* 27) Advisory Committee on Women Veterans
Justification--The review of research proposals requires highly
specialized subject matter expertise and experience. Ensuring broad and
appropriate expertise on the HSR is obtained by recruiting experts both
from within and outside of the Federal Government.
Summary of Previous Committee Accomplishments--This FACA Scientific
Merit Review Board (SMRB) reviews and evaluates approximately 400
health systems research proposals per year through its subcommittees.
These evaluations have assisted VA Office of Research Development (ORD)
in selecting the most meritorious research projects that will
ultimately lead to improvements in Veteran health and healthcare,
quality of life and participation in their lives and community. VA ORD
funds approximately 20% of the proposals it receives. This SMRB needs
to continue its activities so VA ORD can continue to benefit from
expert evaluations when making funding decisions.
Why Committee is Essential--Health Systems Research provides advice
on the fair and equitable selection of the
[[Page 13404]]
most meritorious research projects for support by VA research funds and
for research program officials on program priorities and policies;
ensures the high quality and mission relevance of VA's legislatively
mandated research and development program; and advises on the
scientific and technical merit, the mission relevance and the
protection of human and animal subjects proposals. Peer review of
research proposals by the external subject matter experts on this Board
is a critical element of the VA's Research program. VA research is a
statutory mandate under 38 U.S. Code Sec. 7303, Public Law 117-328. VA
Research priorities are further mandated by the Hannon Act (traumatic
brain injury), the PACT Act (military toxic exposures and Gulf War
Illness), the CARA act (Pain and opioid treatment), the Cleland Dole
Act (Precision Oncology), and the MISSION and Elizabeth Dole Acts
(community care). There is no other mechanism for VA to get this expert
advice.
In conclusion, this Notice of Intent states that this renewing
Board is in the public interest, essential to the conduct of agency
business and that the information provided is not available through any
other advisory committee or source within the Federal Government.
Dated: March 16, 2026.
LaTonya L. Small,
Federal Advisory Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-05361 Filed 3-18-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
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