(a) General. VA shall carry out an ongoing program of activities for the purpose of advancing the knowledge, methods, techniques, and resources available for use in rehabilitation programs for veterans. For this purpose, VA may conduct research and development, provide support for research and development, or both conduct and provide support for the development and conduct of:

(1) Studies and research concerning the psychological, educational, social, vocational, industrial, and economic aspects of rehabilitation; and

(2) Projects which are designed to increase the resources and potential for accomplishing the rehabilitation of disabled veterans.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3119(a))

(b) Grants. VA may make grants to, or contract with, public on nonprofit agencies, including institutions of higher learning, to carry out the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3119(b))

(c) Research by Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) staff members. VA will encourage research by VR&E staff members. This research will address problems affecting service delivery, initiation and continuation in rehabilitation programs, and other areas directly affecting the quality of VR&E services to veterans.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3119(a))

(d) Interagency coordination. VA shall cooperate with the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration and the Director of the National Institute of Handicapped Research in the Department of Education, the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment in the Department of Labor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding rehabilitation studies, research, and special projects of mutual programmatic concern.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3119(c))

[49 FR 40814, Oct. 18, 1984, as amended at 62 FR 17710, Apr. 11, 1997]