Welcome to the VA Ann Arbor Research Service!

About Us

The Research Service includes support of the VA Center for Clinical Research Management (CCMR) and associated Health Services Research Center of Innovation, The VA Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Serious Mental Health Treatment Research and Evaluation Center (SMITREC) and the Veterans Education and Research Association of Michigan (VERAM) in the conduct of our research. The VA Ann Arbor Research Service also provides oversight support to the VA Ann Arbor Clinical Research Center (CRC), Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center in Saginaw, and the Battle Creek VA Medical Center.

Investigators, study teams, and new personal should visit our website for more information.

The Research Business Office supports the research team, facilities, and committees that oversee the research activities in addition to managing the post-award activities for VA-grants. Meet the Research Business Office staff here.

For Veterans

VA Research Subject Information

As a Veteran, we thank you for your service to our country and for your interest in VA research. We value your input into how research is conducted at the Ann Arbor, Battle Creek and Aleda E. Lutz VAMCs and will respond to the concerns, opinions and suggestions of research participants.

Research Participants (current, prospective or past), or their designated representatives, may contact Scott Sample, the Research Compliance Officer, or Cathy Kaczmarek, the IRB Coordinator, to discuss any of these topics about research studies at the VAAAHS:

• General questions, concerns or complaints about research.
• Research related injury.
• Questions about your rights as a research participant.
• Questions, concerns or complaints about a specific study when study staff are not available or when you would rather talk to someone other than a study staff member.

Mr. Sample and Ms. Kaczmarek are committed to handling inquiries in a safe, courteous, confidential, and reliable way. They will try to answer questions and resolve problems or concerns as soon as possible. If an issue cannot be resolved satisfactorily, it will be forwarded to Lizzy Koester, the Administrative Officer for Research and/ or Dr. Vikas Kotagal, the Associate Chief of Staff for Research.

In addition, contact information for Research Subjects Rights is on the last page of all VA Consent Forms.

You might also find the information in this brochure helpful. Volunteering in Research: VHA R&D.

Join a Research Study at VA Ann Arbor
For research study volunteer opportunities at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, click HERE.

VAAAHS Clinical Research Center (CRC)

Overview

The Clinical Research Center (CRC) functions within the Research Service under the leadership of the ACOS for Research and the Executive Director for VERAM to facilitate the conduct of high-quality, mission-relevant clinical research by VAAAHS researchers at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. We support a diverse portfolio of clinical trials from small single-site studies to large multisite trials through various federal, university and private industry sponsors.

 Our mission is:

“To recruit and maintain a highly qualified group of clinical research personnel.”

CRC is comprised of the Research Coordinator Group (RCG), professional research coordinators capable of working with investigators through project initiation, recruitment, data collection, and analysis. CRC works closely with Human Resources, the Research Service, and Veterans Education and Research Association of Michigan (VERAM) to recruit, train and certify project managers and coordinators with the intention to grow the RCG and retain highly qualified personnel.

“To provide service to investigators with interest in conducting clinical trials at the VA Ann Arbor Health System.”

To achieve this mission, the CRC will collaborate with investigators to determine feasibility of a study and provide resources for successful implementation of those trials. Additionally, CRC partners with VERAM to perform economic analyses and management of protocols by other federal agency, university and industry sponsors. The RCG coordinators will guide investigators through every step: from regulatory applications through protocol closure.

“CRC strives toward best practices in clinical research to improve coordination between clinical processes at the Ann Arbor VA Health System and clinical research related activities.”

The main priority of the CRC is to conduct studies that are well-designed, produce high quality data, protect research participants, and comply with applicable standards and requirements while advancing the health and care of our Veterans. CRC is continuously working with clinical, technical, regulatory and administrative leadership within the medical center to create guidance documents for clinical research. The CRC also strives to build lasting bridges between clinical services and research to improve the effectiveness of our collaborations. 

Research Coordinator Group (RCG)

The Research Coordinator Group consists of experienced project managers & study coordinators reporting directly to the local Research Service. We use a mixed model of (for hire) staff assignment under unified management, some directly assigned to PI or service, some available for flexible coverage of new PIs or projects. We share knowledge and resources & work collaboratively to develop protocols and trainings for study staff. We are located in a shared office space with small wet lab in building 28 of the VA Ann Arbor Medical Center. To learn about opportunities to be involved in clinical research studies, contact Lizzy Koester, . 

Program Manager for Clinical Research Center
Melanie Schmitt, Melanie.Schmitt@va.gov,

VERAM Lead Coordinator
Karen Belanger, MS RD,  

VA Center for Clinical Management Research  (CCMR)

The Ann Arbor VA Center for Clinical Management Research (CCMR) first started as a VA Health Services Research program in 1978. Since its inception with five employees, it has grown to a nationally recognized VA HSR&D Center of Innovation, with approximately 150 employees, including 35 core investigators, occupying 25,000 square feet of leased space in the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Complex. The Center is the largest public partner in the University’s Institute of Healthcare Policy and Innovation.

Our investigators are nationally recognized experts across a broad spectrum of disciplines and hold joint University of Michigan (U-M) appointments in the Medical School and Schools of Nursing and Public Health. They have published ground-breaking research findings and play highly visible service roles in policy development, clinical leadership, and setting research agendas for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Mission & Vision

CCMR’s mission is to advance knowledge, promote innovations, and engage in collaborations that will improve the health and health care of Veterans and the nation. Our vision is to improve the quality, effectiveness, safety, and efficiency of Veterans’ health care through research and partnerships that are driven by important challenges in clinical management. 

Focus Areas                      -                      Partners                     -                    Contact Us

Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)

GRECC Director - Neil Alexander, MD

Associate Director, Research - Roger Albin, MD

Associate Director, Clinical - Christine Cigolle, MD

Associate Director, Education and Evaluation - Caroline Vitale, MD

Administrative Officer - Ashley Guastella, Ashley.Guastella@va.gov

Affiliations: University of Michigan - Geriatric and Palliative Medicine

Focus Areas

• Mobility and physical activity in older Veterans
• Infections in long term care facilities
• Parkinson disease and related disorders
• Health care utilization and optimization of home telehealth in comorbid older Veterans

Current Research Projects

• Interventions to improve mobility and physical activity and reduce fall risk in older Veterans.
• Treatment of refractory gait and balance disorders in Parkinson’s disease
• Cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies
• Infection spread and risk factors in long term care facilities
• Pain mechanisms and pain control in older Veterans, especially those with cancer
• Influence of cognitive function on health outcomes
• Improving diabetes management in older Veterans
• Optimizing medications to reduce negative outcomes

Educational Initiatives

• Sponsor and facilitate a rich learning environment of resources and mentors to Geriatric, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and VA Advanced Fellows
• Sponsor our “Clinical Issues in the Care of Older Adults” continuing education conference annually, which seeks to prepare our providers to better meet the needs of older adult Veterans
• Facilitate the Interprofessional Clinical Conference (ICC) to explore geriatric-based cases and employ interprofessional learning principles and perspectives
• Host the Aging, Dementia, and Diversity lecture series that explores practical considerations for inter-professional team members in the care of older adults

Clinical Innovations

• Multidisciplinary geriatrics primary care, geriatrics consultation clinics and palliative care consultation clinics that provide care at VA Ann Arbor and CBOCs
• Comprehensive medication review and deprescribing programs to optimize safe medication use in older adults, both clinic and home-based, using telemedicine
• Physical activity programs and projects to optimize mobility and exercise in older Veterans, both on-site (Gerofit) and home-based, using telemedicine
• Innovative telehealth interventions for clinical care, medication management, and mobility and physical activity
• Rehabilitation and related care in the CLC, with intervention projects targeting falls and cognitive decline

Featured Publications

• Cholinergic system changes in Parkinson's disease: emerging therapeutic approaches. Publication Link
• Prescription characteristics associated with fall-related injury risk among older adults prescribed benzodiazepines: a cohort study. Publication Link
• Environmental contamination with SARS-CoV-2 in nursing homes. Publication Link
• Lecanemab: Looking Before We Leap. Publication Link
• Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program reduced fall-related health care use: An unexpected benefit?" Publication Link

VAAAHS Research Cores

 Auditory and Vestibular Systems

Biomedical Engineering

Lung Immunobiology

Microscopy and Image Analysis

Neurosciences

Ultrasound Imaging

Veterans Education and Research Association of Michigan (VERAM)

Promoting Research and Education at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System since 1991.

Mission:

“VERAM’s purpose is to facilitate collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System and other institutions. Working with the larger research community, VERAM aspires to advance the health and well-being of our country’s Veterans through medical research and education leading to prevention, diagnosis, and management of disease and disability.”

For more than two decades VERAM has partnered with the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System to promote research investigating a variety of ailments afflicting our nation’s Veterans. In the coming years we will expand our activities to match the increasing need for Veterans’ care. The foundation’s continued goal is to enhance the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System’s researchers and healthcare professionals access to programs and resources that will increase their research capabilities and learning experiences in order to maximize the care they provide to our Veterans and their families.

Employment and Hiring

VA Paid Research Employees

Investigators planning to hire new VA employees need to contact Lizzy Koester (Elizabeth.Koester@va.gov) as soon as possible. The hiring process can occur quickly, or it may take a couple of months depending on the type of position and whether or not the position already exists in research.

Your administrative research office will work with you to:

1. Identify the type of position that is applicable for your needs
2. Complete a Position Description (PD) or Functional Statement
3. Ensure the PD is classified, if not previously classified or not classified in the last two years
4. Review and approve a posting for USAJOBS
5. Manage the selection process.

Some notes about hiring within the Research Service at VAAAHCS:

• The mission of the VA includes the Veterans Preference Program. Qualified veterans will be provided the opportunity for employment before other qualified candidates are considered.
• The Research Service also hires intermittent staff.  These staff do not have assigned hours, and do not have any associated benefits. Their appointment will not exceed 1 year.
• Orientation, which is mandatory for new staff, occurs every two weeks with start dates aligning with the beginning of each pay period.

For Students/New Graduates, also see the VA Pathways Program.

Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA)

The Intergovernmental Personnel Agreement or IPA program is managed by the Federal government’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM). For more information, CLICK HERE.

The program provides for the temporary assignment of personnel between the Federal Government and state and local governments, colleges and universities, Indian (Native American) tribal governments, federally-funded research and development centers, and other eligible organizations, including Non-Profit Research Corporations/ Foundations (NPCs) at each VA facility. IPAs allows for assignments to be made for people who work outside the VA to be paid with VA research funds. These agreements are normally used to acquire research expertise from a variety of sources including affiliated universities and NPCs when the required knowledge/experience is not readily available from normal VA recruitment channels, especially when seeking the help/paid collaboration from a non-citizen.

CLICK HERE to download an IPA Assignment Agreement.  The sections in yellow will need to be updated.

Things to remember about IPAs:

1. IPA’s are initiated by the University of Michigan.  Begin by contacting your UM administrator.  IPAs will need to be routed through the PAF system.  More information can be found at UM's website.
2. The Employee must have been a permanent employee of their current employer for a minimum of 90 days before being eligible for an IPA.
3. IPAs may be used for part-time, full-time, short-term, or long-term employment.

For additional assistance, contact the following IPA specialists:
Research Office:                      CCMR:
LaShawn Cooley                     Theresa Spencer 
Joe Johnson

You will also need to be on-boarded as an IPA detail appointee.
Please download and fill out the IPA packet.  Follow the instructions and return to Zhoie.Bigham@va.gov as directed.
IPA Booklet

Without Compensation (WOC) Employees

A Research Service Without Compensation (WOC) employee is an individual who performs research-related duties without any direct monetary compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Individuals requiring WOC appointments include, but are not limited to, students, university employees, non-paid interns, fellows, residents, other non-VA employees working at VA sites, volunteers, and visiting scientists who are not compensated by the VA for their employment.

Please start by downloading the Without Compensation Booklet and complete all required forms and training, as applicable. 
You may need to download the Emplyee Health package as well (review the  WOC booklet for further instructions)
Without Compensation (WOC) Booklet 
Employee Health Package

Once you have completed all forms and training and had either your supervisor or principal investigator sign the appropriate forms, schedule an in-processing meeting with the Research Program Support Assistant/WOC Coordinator, Zhoie Bigham at Zhoie.Bigham@va.gov.  

After your forms have been received and validated, applicants will be contact by the Human Resources Department for on-boarding, fingerprinting, a background check, and an employee health visit.

If you have any questions that aren’t addressed here or in the packets, please contact Zhoie Bigham at Zhoie.Bigham@va.gov or .

VA Scholars Research Program (SRP) 

JOIN US for a 10-week, hand-on, laboratory-based research experience for undergraduate students that are interested in biomedical research!

Applications will be accepted through USAJobs from November-December 2024

More Details:
•    10 week paid internship (salary + benefits) during Summer 2025
•    Exposure to cutting-edge, clinically-relevant research
•    Be mentored by our faculty and a graduate student from the University of Michigan
•    Gain insight into what a biomedical career could look like
•    Develop skills to think and speak like a scientist
•    Get hands-on experience with experimental design and data interpretation

Eligibility Criteria:
•    Must be a U.S. Citizen
•    Undergraduates entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year in college with active enrollment in an accredited school or university
•    Have an interest in biomedical research
•    Applicants from diverse backgrounds, including students of color, U.S. Veterans or children of U.S. Veterans, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply
•    Must be able to commute daily to and from the Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan