Human subjects research falls under the purview of the Madison VA Hospital and requires review and approval by the Madison VA Research & Development Committee (VA R&D) before the research can begin if any of the following conditions apply to the study:

  • There are key personnel engaged in human subjects research for this project or study under their Madison VA (Wm. S. Middleton VA Hospital) appointment.
  • The project or study is supported by VA funds.

The R&D committee may grant permission for some non-VA studies to conduct limited activities involving the VA. See the Investigator Manual for details.

2024 VA Research & Development Committee Meeting Dates

VA Review Workflow

The review workflow for VA studies recently changed so that studies are submitted to and endorsed by the VA RDC prior to submission to the IRB. Previously, the VA endorsement process occurred after IRB pre-review. Moving the RDC endorsement process to occur prior to IRB review will provide the RDC with the opportunity to review any VA-required modifications, will align the process with other ancillary committees such as the UWCCC PRMC, and ultimately will help to shorten overall review times for VA studies.

Post IRB-review, VA studies will be approved with an administrative hold. Once the RDC issues final approval, the IRB administrative hold will be lifted. For more information, please see this guidance for additional details and contact vhamadrdcoordinator@va.gov with questions.

VA Consent Form and HIPAA Authorization Form Template Documents

Consent Form and HIPAA Authorization Form templates along with other guidance, flowchart, and a quick reference for VA researchers can be found on IRBNet.

Contact Information for Madison VA Hospital

  • Research and Development Committee: 608-280-7007, VHAMADRDCOORDINATOR@va.gov
  • Research Service: 608-280-7007, VHAMADRDCOORDINATOR@va.gov
  • Research Compliance Officer: 608-256-1901, extension 17805
  • HIPAA Privacy Officer: 608-256-1901, extension 11699
  • Information Security Officer: 608-256-1901, extension 17282