Ricardo GonzalezAdministrative Officer

Rehabilitation R&D Service

Sunil Sengupta, PhD., MPHScientific Program Manager

Mental Health/Social Reintegration

VA Funding OpportunitiesVA Career Development Program

Overview

•Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

•VA Organizational Structure

•Funding Opportunity

•VA Funding Mechanisms

•VA Career Development Program

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

• Retired U.S. Army General Eric K. Shinseki was nominated by President Barack Obama confirmed by the Senate on January 20, 2009 to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

 • “VA’s Research and Development

Program is an essential part of our mission to provide cutting-edge health care to our Nation’s Veterans. As we work to transform VA, three fundamental attributes mark the starting point for framing a 21st-Century Organization: people-centric, results-driven, and forward-looking. These attributes require continued and increased emphasis on discovery, innovation, and best-practices.”

““To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.”widow and his orphan.” Abraham Lincoln, 1865 Abraham Lincoln, 1865

• Second-largest of the 15 Cabinet departments in the Federal Government

• Operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance and burial benefits

• VA's fiscal year 2009 spending is approximately $93.4 billion, including $40 billion for health care.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Department of Veterans Affairs

Department of Veterans Affairs

VHA Mission

• The largest integrated health system in the nation

• Serves 5.1 million patients and 7.6 million enrollees

• Has 1382 sites of care nationwide

• Is a premier environment for research

• Is the largest single provider of graduate medical education

• Is affiliated with 17 academic health systems

• Has 1,500 health professional training programs

• Has a fully deployed electronic health record - an unparalleled

resource for all aspects of human research.

VHA Leadership

• Brig. Gen. Michael J. Kussman, M.D., was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Under Secretary for Health for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) on May 25, 2007.

•  He is board certified in Internal Medicine and serves on the faculty of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

Veterans Health Administration

Office of Research and Development

Biomedical Laboratory Research & Development

Clinical Science Research & Development

Rehabilitation Research & Development

Office of Research and Development

Health Services Research & Development

Chief Research and Development Officer

• JOEL KUPERSMITH, M.D is a graduate of New York Medical College where he also completed his residency in internal medicine. Subsequently, he completed a cardiology fellowship at Beth Israel Medical Center/Harvard Medical School.

“By spearheading research that directly advances the medical care of Veterans, the VA Research program has become an acclaimed model for conducting superior bench-to-bedside research.”

• Joel Kupersmith, MD, CRADO, ORD

ORD’s Motto

“To discover knowledge and create innovations that advance the health and care of veterans and the nation.”

ORD Program Explained

• VA is an intramural research program

• Over $750 million direct and indirect costs

• Funds approximately 3,000 VA scientists

• More than 70 percent are clinicians

• VA scientists receive nearly $400 million in research support from extra-

VA sources

– including the National Institutes of Health

– other federal agencies, and foundations

– Private and commercial sponsors support the remainder of the

research portfolio.

ORD Program Explained (Cont’) ORD Program Explained (Cont’)

• VA research focuses on areas of concern to veterans • Studies conducted within VA help improve medical care not

only for the veterans enrolled in VA's health care system, but for the nation at large.

• 7 in 10 VA researchers are also clinicians

• VA is uniquely positioned to translate research results into improved patient care.

• VA scientists and clinicians collaborate across many disciplines, resulting in a synergistic flow of inquiry, discovery and innovation between labs and clinics

Funding Opportunity• Funding:

– A source of supply

– A sum of money or other resources set aside for a specific

purpose

– To furnish a fund for

• Opportunity:

– An appropriate or favorable time or occasion

– A situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal

– A good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or

success.

VA Funding Opportunity The New Orlando VA Medical Center

New Orlando VA Medical Center

• Groundbreaking was Friday, Oct. 24, 2008

• Scheduled to be completed in 2012

• Will be located in South Orlando (Lake Nona)

• Across the street from the new University of Central Florida Medical School

Medical City at Lake Nona• The Nemours Children’s Hospital

• The “New” VA Hospital

• The Burnett Building for Biomedical Research

• The UCF College of Medicine

• The Burnham Institute for Medical Research

• It will set new standards in medical education, patient care and scientific research.

• Anchoring the undertaking will be the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. Which is set to become the nation’s premier medical school

• UCF will act as a magnet to draw the energy and enthusiasm of outstanding students, doctors and researchers to this burgeoning medical center

Current Orlando VA Medical Center

• Serves an area of nearly 90,000 veterans in East Central Florida

• It includes:– The current Orlando VA Medical Center– Community Living Center– Residential Rehabilitation Program– Viera Outpatient Clinic– Daytona Outpatient Clinic– 3 Community Based Outpatient Clinics

• Leesburg, Kissimmee, and Orange City.

• The NEW hospital will serve nearly 400,000 veterans

• Make it easier for veterans to access VA medical center

• Relieve the burden of traveling long distances for inpatient care

• Career Development Program• Salary support, protected time, travel awards

• Merit Award• 3 years, $250K/yr, travel awards• 4 years, $925K Max, $300K Max/yr, travel awards

• Pilot Awards• 2 years, $75K/yr, travel award

• Center of Excellence• 5 years, $950K/yr

• Research Award Enhancement Program• 5 years, $325K/yr

• Research Career Scientists (Regular & Senior Level)• 5 - 7 years, salary support

VA Research Funding Mechanisms

http://www.research.va.gov/

• The Funding section of the R&D website

• Latest solicitations for research studies and programs

• General guidelines for VA researchers to submit proposals

• Learn about Important Resources

• Specific eligibility requirements for obtaining research funding can be found in the Policy section.

Career Development Program (CDA) Overview

• Is designed to attract, develop, and retain high-caliber investigators

• Leading-edge health research on behalf of the nation's Veterans

• To provide mentoring for junior researchers – so they can learn from experienced VA researchers

• Awards are provided in all areas of VA’s research enterprise: – biomedical laboratory, clinical science, health

• Enables senior VA investigators to share their wisdom and experience with junior investigators, highly talented and productive in their own right, who represent the next generation of cutting-edge VA research

Career Development Program (CDA) Overview (Cont’)

• Comprised of four awards:– Career Development Award-1 (CDA-1)– Career Development Award-2 (CDA-2)– Career Development Transition Award (CDTA)– Career Development Enhancement Award

(CDEA)

• Different research and academic levels in a scientist’s career

Career Development Program (CDA) Overview (Cont’)

• Candidates need not be VA employees to be considered for an award

• Must be nominated by the VA Medical Center that is to appoint them

• Clinicians and non-clinicians follow the same basic application procedures

• Candidates are matched to the award level that best corresponds to their training and research proficiency

• Nominees may apply at the level they deem most appropriate

• Award level will be determined following peer review

• may not necessarily match the level for which the candidate initially applied.

CDA Application Process (CDA-1)

• Targets post-doctoral clinicians and non-clinicians• not already benefited from comparable research training • Within 2 years of training

• Provides up to two years of salary support

• Intended for individuals who are no more than two years beyond completion of training

• CDA-1 awardees work closely with a VA mentor• to establish a foundation for a CDA-2

• Review criteria emphasize: candidate’s qualifications, mentorship, career development plan

CDA Application Process (CDA-2)

• Provides an opportunity for highly promising clinicians and non-clinicians– to develop into independent VA researchers under the

mentorship of at least one experienced senior VA researcher

• Nominees propose their own research projects and work closely with VA mentors – to publish their research findings– establish a record of funding as principal investigator

• The award may range from three to five years in duration– including salary support and project funds.

CDTA Application Process

Career Development Transition Award (CDTA)

• Open to clinician researchers only

• Supports clinicians in the transition to become independently funded VA researchers

• It provides salary support for up to three years.

Career Development Enhancement Award (CDEA)

• Open to all senior VA clinician and nonclinical Researchers

• Provides up to six months of salary support – for an educational leave to learn new research skills

• Enables investigators to enhance their research skills

• Bring new information back to their VA medical center

How to Apply

• Candidates need not have VA appointments

• Must be nominated by a VA facility

• Identify an appropriate VA mentor

• Open to all researchers MDs and PhDs

• Program guidelines, relevant resources, instructions, application forms, and information regarding deadlines for application are available on our website

How to Apply (Cont’)

• Work closely with their sponsoring VA research office • Prepare a Letter of Intent (LOI)

– the first step in the review process

• If the LOI is approved– the nominee may prepare an application

• The sponsoring VA research office must submit the application on behalf of the nominee

Calendar for application

• April 15 – Letter of Intent due

• June 15 – Applications due

• October 15 – Letter of Intent due

• December 15 – Applications due

• All Career Awards Offer• Protected Time• Salary Support• Travel Awards

• Enter at career level appropriate for you

• All mentors do not have to be with VA

• Must be US Citizens

Career Development ProgramSummary

Requirement for VA Research Support

• VA Employment Status

• At least 5/8 time is required before a research project can be funded.

• PI and Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Research and Development (R&D) must verify acceptance of the 5/8

• Physical Presence at VA.

• VA research must be conducted, principally, on VA premises

• PI must have designated research space within a VA medical center

• Exceptions - To meet special needs of VA, exceptions to the requirements

for eligibility are considered on a case-by-case basis.

LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD RESEARCHERS

Questions ?