Notice

Health Systems Research Scientific Merit Review Board

A Notice by the Veterans Affairs Department on 03/19/2026

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• Public Inspection Published Document: 2026-05361 (91 FR 13402) Document Headings ###### Department of Veterans Affairs

AGENCY:

Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice of Intent to File.

SUMMARY:

We are giving notice that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs intends to ( printed 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 Jeffrey.Moragne@va.gov.

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 § 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 ( printed 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 § 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

Published Document: 2026-05361 (91 FR 13402)