VA Research: ORD Programs and Eligibility

VA research here means research run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs through its Office of Research and Development (ORD), not virtual-assistant work. The point that decides almost everything else: VA research is intramural, so only VA employees can conduct research under VA’s sponsorship, and VA does not make research grants to universities. A university-based researcher who wants to work in this system needs a VA appointment first, then a proposal. This guide describes the program as stated on the official ORD pages on 2026-10-29.

What it is and who runs it

ORD runs the VA research program. Its stated mission is to improve Veterans’ health and well-being through basic, translational, clinical, health services and rehabilitative research. The ORD About page lists three strategic priorities: increasing Veterans’ access to high-quality clinical trials, increasing the real-world impact of VA research, and putting VA data to work for Veterans.

ORD’s site lists portfolios including Military Exposures, Pain and Opioid Use, Precision Oncology and Suicide Prevention, alongside broad portfolios in Brain, Behavioral and Mental Health, Health Systems Research, Medical Health and Rehabilitation Research. More than 60 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care, according to the ORD funding page. Typically, VA researchers collaborate with academic institutions.

Eligibility, as defined in Program Guide 1200.15

The eligibility document is ORD Program Guide 1200.15, Eligibility for VA Research Support, which cites 38 U.S.C. 7303 as its authority. It states that ORD allocates appropriated medical and prosthetic research funds to VA medical facilities for research on the high-priority health care needs of Veterans, conducted by VA employees. It also states that, unlike NIH and the Department of Defense, VA lacks statutory authority to make research grants to colleges, universities, cities, states or any other non-VA entity. VA investigators may separately seek extramural support from other federal agencies, voluntary health organizations, foundations and companies.

For funding, the principal investigator (PI) and any co-PI must show a primary professional commitment to VA. The Program Guide sets out these requirements:

VA employment: a current VA paid appointment of at least 25 hours per week (5/8ths) before a project can be funded. The proposal must show each investigator’s VA employment status, and the signatures of the PI and the facility’s Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Research and Development verify the 5/8ths minimum.
Physical presence: research conducted principally in a VA facility or VA-leased space, with designated research space and the performance-site address on the proposal. Exceptions follow VHA Handbook 1200.16.
VA information systems: VA email used for VA business to the extent possible, and compliance with VA privacy and information security requirements.
Commitment evidence: a CV or biographical sketch showing past and current VA roles, including research, patient care, teaching and committee work.

Eligibility determinations are made by each research service and are not reciprocal, except between Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development (BLR&D) and Clinical Science Research and Development (CSR&D). Exceptions are considered case by case on a written request from the facility Director, endorsed by the ACOS for R&D and the Chief of Staff. The copy of the Program Guide posted on the ORD policy page shows an issuance date of July 13, 2018 and an expiration date of July 12, 2023 on its face, and ORD still lists it among its handbooks.

What it funds or requires

Funding goes to VA medical facilities for research by their employees, not to outside institutions. Acceptance of VA research funds also means accepting VHA policy on acknowledging VA support in publications and presentations (VHA Handbook 1200.19, as cited in the Program Guide).

Every VA facility engaged in research must also establish a Research and Development (R&D) Committee, a requirement outlined in VHA Directive 1200.01, Research and Development Committee Handbook.

Application and compliance steps

Confirm VA employment status and eligibility under Program Guide 1200.15, including any service-specific requirements the research service posts on ORD’s site.
Check ORD’s Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs) and Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the topic.
Prepare the proposal following ORD’s Proposal Guidance, with employment status, the research performance site address and the required signatures of the PI and the ACOS for R&D.
Submit electronically through Grants.gov.
If selected, complete the Just-in-Time (JIT) process to release funds. ORD publishes the JIT details on the VA intranet, so they are visible only with VA network access.
Report progress with the Federal-wide Research Performance Progress Report, also documented on the VA intranet page.

Questions about VA research go to [email protected].

Typical timeline phases

The steps below are an order of events, not a calendar; actual dates depend on the announcement or RFA.

Eligibility established before funding, and recorded by the research service.
Proposal preparation and submission through Grants.gov against an announcement, NOSI or RFA.
Scientific review by the relevant research service, several of which list a Merit Review page on the ORD site.
Just-in-Time release of funds if the proposal is selected.
Ongoing progress reporting and notification of any change in the PI’s status: the ACOS must tell the facility Director and the research service Director if a PI’s VA appointment falls below 5/8 time.

Common mistakes

Assuming a university can apply as the awardee. The Program Guide says VA cannot make research grants to non-VA entities. The investigator must be a VA employee.
Falling below the appointment floor. A VA paid appointment under 25 hours per week (5/8ths) fails the employment requirement.
Planning the work outside VA space without an approved exception to the physical-presence rule.
Treating one service’s eligibility decision as valid everywhere. Decisions are not reciprocal except between BLR&D and CSR&D.
Leaving out VA support acknowledgement in publications and presentations.

Related programs

ORD’s research services, as named in Program Guide 1200.15 and labeled on the current ORD site:

Service (Program Guide name)	Label on the ORD site
Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development (BLR&D)	Medical Health
Clinical Science Research and Development (CSR&D)	Brain, Behavioral and Mental Health
Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D)	Health Systems Research
Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D)	Rehabilitation Research, Development and Translation

For how other federal agencies work, see our guide to USDA ARS and how outside researchers partner with it, another intramural research agency. For the extramural comparison the Program Guide draws, read about the NIH R01 research project grant and NIH activity codes. Research topics in the rehabilitation and health services portfolios are covered in What Is Health Services Research? and What Is Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Research?, and proposal structure in How to Write a Research Proposal.

FAQ

Can a university researcher apply for VA research funding?

Not as a non-VA investigator. ORD describes VA research as intramural, and the Program Guide says VA cannot make grants to colleges and universities. University researchers typically take part as collaborators of VA investigators.

What is the minimum VA appointment for a funded PI?

A current VA paid appointment of at least 25 hours per week (5/8ths), verified by the PI and ACOS signatures on the proposal.

Where do proposals go?

Electronic submission through Grants.gov, following ORD’s Proposal Guidance and any NOSI or RFA that applies.

Sources

VA Office of Research and Development, About Us (page reviewed 2026-02-09): https://www.research.va.gov/about/. Checked 2026-10-29.
VA ORD Funding Resources (updated/reviewed 2026-01-13): https://www.research.va.gov/funding/. Checked 2026-10-29.
ORD Program Guide 1200.15, Eligibility for VA Research Support (issued 2018-07-13): https://www.research.va.gov/resources/policies/ProgramGuide-1200-15-Eligibility-for-VA-Research-Support.pdf. Checked 2026-10-29.
ORD Program Guides, VHA Directives, Handbooks: https://www.research.va.gov/resources/policies/handbooks.cfm. Checked 2026-10-29.