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The VA Career Development Award (CDA) is the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development’s (ORD) mentored research award for early- and mid-career investigators: it gives clinicians and non-clinicians protected time to build a VA research career. It comes in two main levels, CDA-1 (2 years) and CDA-2 (3-5 years), plus a one-year enhancement award for senior scientists. This guide sets the levels side by side, lays out the application pathway from the local research office, and flags where VA services publish their own rules. Everything below is as described on the official ORD pages on 2026-10-29. In this guide, “CDA” means this VA award, not a confidential disclosure agreement; for that, see CDA vs NDA vs DUA.
What it is and who runs it
The Career Development Program is run by VA’s Office of Research and Development and is governed by Program Guide 1200.04. ORD describes it as “an award series under which both clinically and non-clinically trained researchers may gain protected time for a mentored research experience intended to advance awardees toward independence as funded VA investigators.”
ORD says awards are provided across its Broad Portfolios: Brain, Behavioral and Mental Health; Health Systems Research; Medical Health; and Rehabilitation Research and Development and Translation. VA research is an intramural program, so recipients must be, or become, VA employees to receive funding (ORD Career Development Program brochure, May 2023). For the wider VA research funding landscape, see VA research funding.
Eligibility
ORD states that candidates “need not have a VA appointment at the time they apply but must be nominated by a VA facility and must identify an appropriate VA mentor.” The program is open to MDs, other clinicians and PhDs “who have the appropriate experience and training.” The ORD brochure adds three points:
- Candidates must become VA employees before funding begins.
- Applicants must be US citizens eligible to be hired by their VA Medical Center.
- Every Career Development award requires at least one member of the mentoring team to be a VA employee with current VA research funding. In some, but not all, cases that person must be the primary mentor.
Degree-timing limits are the part that varies. The ORD brochure describes CDA-1 as within 2 years of the terminal degree and CDA-2 as within 5-10 years of the terminal degree. The Rehabilitation Research and Development Service publishes a separate CDA-1/CDA-2 table with tighter rules (shown below). Check the Request for Applications (RFA) of the service you plan to apply to rather than assuming one window applies everywhere.
What it funds or requires
| Award | Duration | Who it is for (ORD) | Further detail (ORD brochure, May 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDA-1 | 2 years | Entry-level; open to clinicians and non-clinicians | Within 2 years of terminal degree; salary support for investigators in certain high-priority areas; recipients work with mentors to obtain preliminary data for a CDA-2 application |
| CDA-2 | 3-5 years | Mid-level; open to clinicians and non-clinicians | Within 5-10 years of terminal degree; supports salary and project costs; described as VA’s primary type of Career Development Award, covering research across the translational spectrum |
| CDEA (Career Development Enhancement Award) | Up to 1 year | “More senior VA scientists” learning new research skills at a unique facility | Funding of an Extended Educational Leave may be approved by the portfolio that supports most of the candidate’s VA research, as approved by the local VA facility |
Rehabilitation R&D service rules
The Rehabilitation Research and Development Service’s CDA-1/CDA-2 table is specific to that service. For CDA-1 it lists no more than 2 years since the doctoral degree, not being principal investigator on an independent peer-reviewed research project, a maximum of 2 years of salary support, a primary mentor who is a VA employee, and a plan integrated with the mentor’s funded research. For CDA-2 it lists no more than 5 years since the doctoral degree, not being principal investigator on a project supported at more than $100,000 per year, no mentored postdoctoral awards lasting longer than 3 years, at least one first-authored paper in the topic area, up to 5 years of salary support plus project funds, and independent work. The 5-year limit here differs from the brochure’s 5-10 year window, which is why service-specific RFAs matter.
Appointments
Per the ORD brochure, clinician scientists receive a Title 38 appointment and are expected to split their time between clinical duties and funded research. Non-clinicians receive a Title 5 time-limited Schedule B appointment. Most recipients hold a dual appointment with the VA Medical Center’s academic affiliate.
Application steps
- Identify a mentor. At least one mentor on the team must be a VA employee with current VA research funding. ORD expects the applicant, “with sufficient input from the mentor(s),” to choose a feasible project that fits the nominee’s background and interests.
- Contact the local VA research office. The nominee must be nominated by a VA facility, and the sponsoring research office is the route to the RFA. RFAs are posted on the VA Research Intranet only; applicants without VA network access are told to ask the research office at their local VA Medical Center.
- Prepare the preapplication. ORD calls it “the first step in the review process” and says nominees should prepare it with their sponsoring research office.
- Write the full application. If the preapplication is approved, the nominee prepares the application according to one of the Career Development Award RFAs.
- Submission by the sponsoring office. “The sponsoring VA research office must submit the application on behalf of the nominee.”
Preapplication deadlines, as listed on the ORD page on 2026-10-29, follow four review cycles. If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, submission is due the next business day, and ORD encourages early submission.
| Review cycle | Preapplication deadline |
|---|---|
| Winter | October 10 |
| Spring | January 10 |
| Summer | April 10 |
| Fall | July 10 |
Questions about the program go to the Career Development review mailbox, [email protected], as listed by ORD.
Typical timeline phases
The official sources describe sequence rather than a fixed calendar, so plan around the phases:
- Mentor identified and research office engaged.
- Preapplication submitted by the quarterly deadline and reviewed.
- If approved, full application prepared under the current RFA and submitted by the sponsoring research office.
- Before funding begins, an awardee who is not yet a VA employee must become one.
Dates, RFAs and portfolio rules change, so confirm the current cycle with your research office before building a schedule.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a VA appointment is needed first. ORD says candidates need not have one when they apply; they do need to become VA employees before funding starts.
- Naming a mentor without current VA research funding. The brochure requires at least one such VA-employed member of the mentoring team.
- Applying without the local research office. The preapplication is prepared with the sponsoring office, which also submits the full application.
- Applying one service’s degree-timing rule to every service. The brochure’s 5-10 year window for CDA-2 and the Rehabilitation R&D table’s 5-year limit are different statements.
- Missing the preapplication date. The four deadlines apply to the preapplication, before the full application is written.
Related programs
| Program | Where to read more on CASRAI |
|---|---|
| VA research funding overview | VA research funding |
| NIH career development (K) awards | Career development K awards |
| NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence | K99/R00 guide and K99 vs K01 |
| NIH institutional K12 programs | NIH K12 |
FAQ
What does VA CDA stand for?
Career Development Award, the mentored research award series in the Office of Research and Development’s Career Development Program.
What is the difference between CDA-1 and CDA-2?
CDA-1 is the entry-level award with a 2-year duration. CDA-2 is the mid-level award with a 3-5 year duration and supports salary and project costs. The brochure describes CDA-1 as a way to gather preliminary data for a CDA-2 application.
Do I need to work at VA before I apply?
No appointment is needed at the time of application, but you must be nominated by a VA facility, identify a VA mentor, and become a VA employee before funding begins.
Can non-clinicians apply?
Yes. ORD states that CDA-1 and CDA-2 are open to both clinicians and non-clinicians, including PhDs with appropriate experience and training.
Where do I find the RFA?
RFAs are on the VA Research Intranet only. Contact the research office at your local VA Medical Center.
Sources
- VA Office of Research and Development, Career Development Program, research.va.gov/funding/CDP.cfm, checked 2026-10-29.
- VA ORD, Career Development Program brochure (May 2023), research.va.gov brochure PDF, checked 2026-10-29.
- VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, CDA-1 and CDA-2 table, research.va.gov/isrm/rrdt/CDA-1_CDA-2.pdf, checked 2026-10-29.
