United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Portland VAMC Research and Development Service

HSR&D Research Review Committee (RRC)

The research review process for HSR&D (Health Services Research) activities at the Portland VA Medical Center (PVAMC) is designed to provide scientific review of HSR&D-related proposals and to provide assistance to VA HSR&D-funded investigators. The goals of the review are to improve the quality of proposals and to increase the likelihood of funding.

HSR&D Research Review Committee (RRC)

The PVAMC RRC membership includes:

  • HSR&D-funded investigators
  • HSR&D Career Development awardees
  • Selected ad hoc investigators from OHSU and the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (KPCHR)

The sessions are open, however, to any member of the PVAMC research community. Investigators planning their initial grant applications using Health Sciences Research methodologies may find the meetings especially helpful.

The RRC provides peer-review for all portions of HSR&D proposals: letters of intent, grant applications (regardless of funding source), and final reports.

The results of the RRC review are forwarded to the PVAMC R&D Committee who are responsible for granting final approval.

Submission Process

  • The investigator notifies Sandi Long (sondra.long@va.gov, x55315), the Administrative Assistant (AA) of the Columbia Center REAP, that materials will be submitted for review. This notification should be done by the 2nd Friday of the month.
  • Materials are due to the AA by 9:00 am on the 3rd Friday of the month
  • Submissions can include:
    • Letter of Intent
    • Final Report
    • Grant Application Materials
  • If a grant application is to be submitted, the submission must include:
    • The VA PPQ
    • Administrative Review materials (if applicable)
    • The grant application materials:
      • Abstract
      • Budget
      • Description of Resources
      • Draft of Proposal/Application

RRC Meetings

  • Meetings are held the 4th Friday of the month
  • The meetings are held in Building 6, Room 336
  • The Director or Co-Director of the Columbia Center REAP serves as Chair
  • Attendance is required for all PVAMC HSR&D researchers and Career Development awardees
  • An agenda and documents to be reviewed are circulated to members approximately one week before the meeting
  • The meetings are coordinated by the AA of the Columbia Center REAP

Review and Approval Process

  • When materials are submitted for review the RRC Chair identifies two primary reviewers from the members of the RRC, with the aim to match reviewer expertise to proposal topics.
  • The Chair may identify reviewers from outside the RRC when needed. These reviewers will attend the review meeting.
  • The reviewers submit their written reviews to the AA by the day before the meeting to allow time for duplication.
  • The review at the RRC meeting proceeds as follows:
    • The proposal or document is discussed by the Committee with the investigator present
    • The Committee asks questions of the investigator
    • The investigator is excused from the meeting room
    • Any additional needed discussion is conducted by the Committee
    • A motion is made by one of the Committee members
    • A vote is taken
  • The RRC review and vote on a proposal or document will result in one of the following decisions:
    • Approve
      • The proposal or document requires no revisions
    • Approve with Executive Review
      • The proposal or document is approved contingent upon revisions that will be reviewed and approved by the Primary Reviewers
    • Revise and Resubmit
      • The proposal or document must be revised and then resubmitted for review by the entire Committee
    • Disapprove
      • The proposal or document is viewed as having minimal chance of eventual funding
        (Note: the investigator can, however, request that disapproved proposals or documents be sent to the R&D Committee anyway)
  • Immediately following the meeting, the AA and Chair prepare and send a letter electronically to the investigator. The letter includes the Committee’s vote and a summary of key suggestions made by the Committee during its discussions. The letter also includes the reviewers’ written reviews.
  • The AO for Research Service (AO/R&D) is copied on the email to the investigator. The AO/R&D presents the information and recommendations from the RRC to the R&D Committee at their next meeting. The R&D Committee is responsible for final approval of the submission.


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