Click here for the VHA Directive 2007-044 mandating use of CRADAs.   Please disregard the version disseminated in an email last week.   For your convenience, click here for the CRADA FAQs.

Please notify potential attendees about “Using VA CRADAs – A Conference for Industry Sponsors” which NAVREF is hosting on February 20, 2008.   This conference will be a valuable opportunity to correct misperceptions about CRADAs and to present VA’s improved policies and models as well as providing for direct discussions among sponsors and responsible VA officials.  The greater the number of sponsor and CRO representatives that attend, the easier it will be for you to negotiate CRADAs.  Please hit the phones now and use emails to get the word out!  This conference will be offered just once. 

The materials linked below have been designed to make notifications quick and easy.  Please use them to inform your industry and CRO contacts about this highly worthwhile educational opportunity.   Also, provide the notification materials to PIs and study coordinators so they, too, may share them with their contacts.   For your convenience, all of the items discussed below are also linked on the NAVREF home page and posted at http://navref.org/cradaconference/advertisement.htm

Email Advertisement:  Open this ad as a Word document and “select all” and “copy.”  Then open a new email to your contact(s).  If you have a previous or ongoing relationship with your contact(s), write a short message (see sample below) and then “paste” the email advertisement into the body of the email.  Be sure to include the link at the top, “Click here if you are unable to view the email below.”

Click here to open the email ad.

Sample email message (insert above the ad):  (Name):  Please be aware that as of March 26, 2008, VA is requiring the use of CRADAs – Cooperative Research and Development Agreements – for all new industry-sponsored studies performed at VA sites.  To ensure that sponsors and CROs are familiar with VA CRADAs, NAVREF – the association of the VA-affiliated nonprofits – is sponsoring a one day conference on February 20 at a location convenient to Washington Reagan National Airport.  The content will be presented by the VA personnel directly responsible for CRADAs and applicable VA policies – staff from VA’s Office of Research and Development and the Technology Transfer Program, as well as attorneys from the VA Office of General Counsel –  and there will be opportunities for Q&A and networking.  Details and a link to the conference web site (http://www.navref.org/cradaconference/) are provided below.  It has been my pleasure to work with you and your company in the past, and I very much look forward to continuing these collaborations using CRADAs.

Flyer:   Open the conference flyer as a Word document or a PDF and print it in color or black and white for local distribution and posting.  Or save the document and attach it to emails.  

• Click here to open the flyer – Word Document

• Click here to open the flyer – PDF

Small Ad:  This advertisement is suitable for insertion in newsletters and other publications where space is limited.  Open it as a Word document.  “Select all” and “paste” it where appropriate.

• Click here to open the Small Ad.

Web site:  The  comprehensive conference web site can be found at http://www.navref.org/cradaconference/  Please direct potential attendees here to find details about the program, the conference location and accommodations as well as online registration and payment.

VHA Directive 2007-044:  Click here for the VHA directive that requires use of CRADAs as of March26, 2008.

CRADA FAQs:  Click here for FAQs about VA CRADAs.

VHA Press Release:   Final approval is pending.  It will be posted with the other materials as soon as it is available. 

For future reference, the content of this email is linked on the NAVREF home page and posted at http://navref.org/cradaconference/advertisement.htm

For assistance with notifications, do not hesitate to contact the NAVREF office:  bwest@navref.org or amurakami@navref.org