Changes to Letters of Intent for Merit Review/Investigator Initiated Research (IIR)

The following changes apply to Letters of Intent for Merit Review/Investigator Initiated Research (IIR) in the four research services.

Biomedical Laboratory R&D Service (BLRD) and Clinical Science R&D Service (CSRD):

• CSR&D requires a Letter of Intent (LOI) to be approved prior to submission of Merit Review applications proposing a clinical trial. Questions may be addressed to Clin-Review@va.gov
• LOIs are required for the BLR&D and CSR&D Career Development Program
• LOIs are required for some specialty RFAs; check the individual RFAs for LOI requirements
• Approved waivers are also required prior to submission of any Merit Review proposal that exceeds the budget limits
• The Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) will continue to use a separate submission process as in the past
• More information can be found on the BLRD/CSRD resources page https://www.research.va.gov/services/shared_docs/resources.cfm

Other questions for BLRD and CSRD may be addressed to Dr. Michael Burgio at 202-443-5703 or via email at michael.burgio@va.gov.

Health Services R&D Service (HSR&D):

Intent to Submit (ITS)

Investigators planning to submit Merit Review proposals for the December 15 (Cycle I-Winter) or June 15 (Cycle III-Summer) deadlines must submit an Intent to Submit (ITS). The ITS is a key step in the proposal submission process. It is intended to assist investigators by ensuring that their research is appropriate to the goals of HSR&D and VA. The ITS process also provides HSR&D the opportunity to plan for resources and conduct other administrative functions that allow for an efficient and effective review cycle. The ITS is an electronic submission which can be accessed at:
http://art.puget-sound.med.va.gov/IntentSubmitIntro.cfm.

Questions regarding ITS may be addressed to:
Tiffin Ross-Shepard at 202-527-3286 or via email at vhacoscirev@va.gov

HSR&D encourages investigators to also communicate with the appropriate portfolio manager, as identified on the HSR&D web site http://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/research/portfolio.cfm.

For detailed information, please refer to the funding section of the HSR&D web site at http://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/funding/.

Rehabilitation R&D Service (RR&D):

A Pre-application (letter of intent/LOI) is required to be submitted to Grants.gov/eRA for each review round, including resubmissions and renewals. Please refer to RR&D's Instructions for Submitting a Letter of Intent for deadlines, required format and submission process. Inquiries may be directed to Kristy Benton-Grover at 202-465-6537; Kristy.Benton-Grover@va.gov.

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