Our role at the VA is to facilitate Research and Educational Programming with other Government Agencies and the private sector, including the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health. CERV negotiates and contracts for Clinical and Basic Research Studies with numerous Clinical Research Organizations, private and public sector corporations investigating pharmaceutical, and therapeutic and Medical Device investigations. We sponsor several in-house VA and community educational and informative seminars, consortiums, conferences and programs. CERV personnel and Board Members serve on committees, task forces, recruiting groups and boards with our affiliate Partners at the VA, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the Southern Ohio Chamber Alliance, The American Red Cross and many others. CERV was formed in 1991 and incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) in 1998 in the State of Ohio. CERV is one of the more than 75 non-profit corporations authorized by Congress under 38 USC §§7361-7366 to provide flexible funding mechanisms for the conduct of research and education at VA facilities nationwide. Oversight and direction for CERV is established through the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Research and Development, Nonprofit Program Office.