The

Veterans Health Administration Office of Research and Development The Veterans Health Administration Office of Research and Development (ORD) is the research and development agency of the Veterans Health Administration in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The department focuses on biomedical and ...

's Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D) Service funds research to improve or restore function in

veterans A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

who have become disabled because of injury or disease. As the population of Veterans with disabilities increases, in part, due to improved survival following catastrophic events, the need for research increases. The fundamental goal of

rehabilitation Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...

is to maximize functional recovery. Additional goals include integrating the Veteran back into the family, work environment, and society. This often means teaching compensatory techniques; implementing innovative therapy interventions; and providing adaptive equipment, advanced prosthetic equipment, and neural prosthetic devices.

Program Scope

RR&D's areas of emphasis are broad and expansive, encompassing basic scientific research that has strong implications for translation into clinical practice, as well as rehabilitation strategies, interventions, and techniques, including prosthetic devices and the reintegration of Veterans into all facets of civilian life. Specific research areas include, but are not limited to, prosthetics,

orthotics Orthotics ( el, Ορθός, translit=ortho, lit=to straighten, to align) is a medical specialty that focuses on the design and application of orthoses, or braces. An is "an externally applied device used to influence the structural and functio ...

, orthopedics, musculoskeletal disorders, rehabilitation engineering, chronic disease, dementias and

psychiatric disorders A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

sensory systems The sensory nervous system is a part of the nervous system responsible for processing sense, sensory information. A sensory system consists of sensory neurons (including the sensory receptor cells), neural pathways, and parts of the brain invo ...

, communication disorders,

spinal cord injury A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cor ...

and dysfunction regeneration and restoration, neurological dysfunction, traumatic brain injury, vocational rehabilitation, disabilities as a consequence of aging, and rehabilitation outcomes.

Organizational Units

Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development

The Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD) is a

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

rehabilitation journal sponsored by RR&D. The journal is an international publisher of original research funded by both VA and outside sources. In support of the RR&D mission, JRRD disseminates research in 31 topic areas that will inform the treatment process, stimulate debate on healthcare challenges, and advance patient care.

Merit Review Program

The RR&D Investigator-Initiated Research Merit Review Program is the principal mechanism for competitive funding of VA rehabilitation research. The program coordinates an independent panel of scientists who evaluate research proposals and provide funding recommendations based on the scientific merit and feasibility of the proposed research and the significance and importance of the proposed research to the RR&D mission.

Centers of Excellence

RR&D Centers of Excellence (COEs) are specialized research units within various VA medical centers. The COE designation is awarded to facilities competitively, based on a scientific review of submitted proposals and the conformance with the following criteria: relevance of the proposed research to the Veteran population, capability of applicant to meet intended outcome of proposed research program, potential contribution of proposed research to the field of rehabilitation, long-term management of impairment, and impact on overall quality-of-life issues for Veterans with disabilities. As of June 2010, there are currently 14 COEs nationwide. Funding for COEs is for 5 years.

References

Veterans Health Administration. VHA HANDBOOK 1203.04. Retrieved June 16, 2010, from http://www.research.va.gov/resources/policies/by_service.cfm#RRD.

External links

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D) ServiceJournal of Rehabilitation Research and DevelopmentRR&D Centers of Excellence
{{Authority control United States Department of Veterans Affairs