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Dan Berlowitz, MD, MPH on Effective Reviewing
Part 1: Key Focus Areas and Resources for Reviewers
Part 2: Your Written Review, the Oral Presentation, and Scoring
The HSR Scientific Merit Review Board is made up of several panels organized by HSR review areas. Please note that review panel membership and assignments may change for each review and will be updated after the most recent review is completed.
See also HSR Merit Review Success Rates
IMPORTANT: This list is for information purposes only. Under no circumstances should an investigator communicate directly with any review board member about an application either before or after the review. Please direct all questions about reviews to the Scientific Program Manager who oversees the relevant review committee.
Interpretation of an application's overall score: Reviewers serving on the Scientific Merit Review Board (SMRB) assign each application a single score that reflects their assessment of the overall scientific merit based on consideration of the review criteria. The individual reviewer scores are averaged and then multiplied by 100. Below are the general guidelines currently used by SMRB reviewers. [Note: While all applications are reviewed, not all applications are discussed and scored by the review panel. Only discussed applications receive an overall score; others are "unscored." Applications that are candidates for being unscored include any proposal with an average preliminary score placing it in the lower (least meritorious) 25-30% of applications for review. An unscored application may be very appropriate for resubmission, depending on the comments in the written critiques. See Guidelines for Scoring HSR Proposals.
| Review Group | SRO | Phone | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HQ5/HQ8 - QUERI | Kara Beck, PhD | (734) 845-3452 | Kara.Beck@va.gov | Non-research partnered initiatives/centers focused on addressing VA priorities, supporting VHA's transformation to a Learning Health System, and moving the needle on VHA's Quintuple Aim goals by leveraging evidence-based implementation, evaluation, and/or quality improvement methods-partnering closely with health system leaders, managers, and frontline staff-to support the uptake of effective programs, policies, and practices across VHA. |
| HSR 1 – Health Care and Clinical Management | Cathie Plouzek, PhD | Cathie.Plouzek@va.gov | Research on Veteran clinical/medical care with a focus on primary/specialty clinical practices; medical/surgical management; provider/staff preferences and behaviors; diagnosis; prognosis; best practices; guidelines; quality and safety of health care; chronic pain management; opioid use and management; POU AMP; pharmacology; and pharmacotherapeutics. | |
| HSR 2 – Behavioral, Social and Cultural Drivers of Health and Care |
Crystal Henderson, EdD |
(202) 215-7233 |
Crystal.Henderson1@va.gov
|
Patient preferences, perceptions, and behaviors (including engagement and self-management); personal, sociodemographic, and cultural factors affecting health and health care (patient/population/provider/community); complementary, alternative or integrative health; patient decision-making; focused patient-centered health care improvements and innovations; care of Gulf War Veterans, homelessness/ housing, economic security and social determinants drivers, whole health, patient-provider interactions and communication; population-based programs and policies affecting populations with disparities in health (underserved populations, LGBTQIA+, etc.); and health equity. |
| HSR 3 – Healthcare Informatics & Access to Care | Lolita Blair, MPH, BS | (443) 473-0020 | Lolita.Blair@va.gov | Research in informatics, data science, and health information technology (HIT) tools and systems to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of VHA care, including impact of new information technology on patient experience; clinical analysis of big data to generate new evidence and scientific discovery (MVP data, genomics data, phenotypic data, emerging health data, CIPHER); development, testing and evaluation of novel and innovative digital HIT tools including mobile apps; emerging health data standards; ethical/trustworthy use of data and artificial intelligence tools; and EHR Modernization. Research related to access to care and related factors that affect access to care. This includes studies examining timely access to high-quality and appropriate care, studies examining the impact of the Maintaining Systems & Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION Act), coordinating VA and non-VA care, and optimizing and improving access to health care in the VA. |
| HSR 4 – Mental and Behavioral Health | Samantha M Hack, PhD | (720) 234-2017 | samantha.hack@va.gov | Research using health systems methods and outcomes related to assessment, treatment, and prevention of mental health conditions (such as anxiety, depression, serious mental illness, and PTSD) and behavioral health disorders (such as substance use disorder and other addictive disorders); suicide prevention and suicide ideation; mental health-primary care integration (MH-PCI); measurement-based care; and access to and delivery of mental health and behavioral health care. |
| HSR 5 – Health Care System Organization and Delivery, and Women's Health | Amanda E Borsky, DrPH, MPP | (202) 701-7631 | Amanda.Borsky@va.gov | Research on (1) the VHA healthcare system and delivering care for all Veterans and/or (2) women Veteran's health and healthcare, especially in health areas that affect women Veterans uniquely, disproportionately, or differently from men. This includes research focused on the healthcare delivery system and measuring system level factors and outcomes, such as: organizational models, interventions, or policies affecting delivery of care across systems (e.g., different care settings or healthcare systems). It also includes best practices in implementation of health care interventions and improvements, systems science including health care efficiency and redesign, value-based care, resource optimization, and human factors affecting care. This includes but is not limited to research focused on improving healthcare delivery across the lifespan for women Veterans to address their unique healthcare needs and lingering sex- and gender-based disparities in care. |
| HSR 6 – Aging, Recovery, and Workforce | Amelia Schlak, PhD, RN | (202) 443-5739 | amelia.schlak@va.gov | Research focused on four broad areas: (1) aging (aging related health issues, their medical management, and outcomes. Care-settings that are focused on aging populations. Additional areas of interest include caregiving, palliative services, end-of-life care, and supportive services (e.g., transportation; respite)); (2) quality of life and recovery during activity, mobility and exercise (quality of life and recovery during activity, mobility and exercise. This includes studies related to neurological disorders and spinal cord injury); (3) workforce practice, management, and outcomes (VA workforce outcomes such as burnout, turnover, retention, engagement, and performance. Note: Workforce is not specific to any care setting or medical specialty); and (4) rural health (rural health issues related to care quality, access, rural disparities, and outcomes). |
| HSR 7 - Capacity Building | Bonnie J. BootsMiller, PhD | (319) 383-2746 | bonnie.bootsmiller@va.gov | Capacity building in Learning Health Systems methods and health systems research knowledge management-including curation of research, data sources, and impacts pertaining to VA and ORD priority topics-with an emphasis on VHA Quintuple Aim goals across the translation spectrum. |
| MRA0 - Research Career Scientist | Bonnie J. BootsMiller, PhD | (319) 383-2746 | bonnie.bootsmiller@va.gov | Mentored health services research with an approved Letter of Intent. Research topics span the full HSR and QUERI research portfolios. |
| MRA1 - Mentored Physician and Clinical Psychologist Award in Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias | Kara Beck, PhD | (734) 845-3452 | Kara.Beck@va.gov | Mentored Physician and Clinical Psychologist Award in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (MPCPS-ADRD) is a VA-ORD Career Development Award (CDA), in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging (NIA). |
