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Office of Budget

Fiscal Year 2005 Performance and Accountability Report
Published November 15, 2005

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Strategic Goal Four: Contributing to the Nation's Well-Being

Strategic Objective 4.2: Medical Research and Development

Advance VA medical research and development programs that address veterans' needs, with an emphasis on service-connected injuries and illnesses, and contribute to the Nation's knowledge of disease and disability.

Performance Trends and Impact of FY 2005 Results

Performance Trend FY 2005 Impact
Key Measure: Number of peer-reviewed publications by VA investigators
* Estimated actual. Final data are not yet available.
2005 Result 2,665*
2005 Plan 2,558
2006 Plan 2,590
Strategic Target 2,700
VA's projected result for 2005 surpasses our goal of achieving 2,558 peer-reviewed publications that show VA as the affiliated institution of the first author. The result is a quantifiable representation of the degree to which research results are used to improve health care. In addition, our achievement is a quantitative indicator of the productivity of the overall research enterprise as well as the degree to which it benefits veterans and the Nation.

Related Information

Major Management Challenges

Neither VA's Office of Inspector General nor the Government Accountability Office identified any major management challenges related to this objective.

Program Evaluations

No independent program evaluations have been conducted that specifically address this objective.

Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) Evaluation

In relation to this strategic objective, the Administration conducted a PART evaluation of VA's Medical Research and Development program during 2005. The rating has not yet been issued.

New Policies and Procedures

The following new policies and procedures were established in 2005:

  • VA investigators and research offices have been informed that it is their responsibility to ensure that VA affiliation and support are acknowledged on all public reports and presentations including publications, media interviews, and other professional activities in which the results of research are formally presented. VA must be acknowledged first when: (1) the investigator has a five-eighths or more VA appointment; (2) work was funded primarily by VA resources, either directly or indirectly; or (3) the research was conducted primarily in VA facilities.
  • VA established a mechanism to facilitate collaboration with private industry to conduct trials in key disease areas that impact the veteran population.
  • VA is publicizing-via a Web site-clinical trials in which veterans can participate.
  • VA standardized a process for registering clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov, a Web site that provides up-to-date information about federally and privately supported clinical research using human volunteers.
  • VA's Program Office for Research Integrity Development & Education provided new training for the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP). The training included three 2-day HRPP courses on the basics of human research protection regulations, guidance, and implementation for individuals new to their human research protection responsibilities and a 2-day course on HRPP for research compliance officers.

Other Important Results

The VA Research Career Development program is designed to train and retain VA clinicians who will conduct research of high relevance to VA health care. In 2005 VA increased training opportunities for clinician-investigators. The number of clinician-investigators who remain with VA 3 years after the completion of their career development award period is a good indicator of the effectiveness of the program. The 2005 results (projected) show a 69 percent retention rate, exceeding the target of 63 percent.