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Office of Research & Development

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Career Development Program for Biomedical Laboratory and Clinical Science R&D Services

Go to: BLR&D Home | CSR&D Home

View Research Career Development Awardees

The Career Development program is intended to attract, develop, and retain talented researchers working in areas of particular importance to improve the health and care of our nation's Veterans. The Biomedical Laboratory Research & Development Service (BLR&D) and the Clinical Science Research & Development Service (CSR&D) have a rich history of supporting investigators during their early research careers who have gone on to serve as long-standing, independently funded scientists, Center Directors, and research administrators such as ACOS/R, etc. The current Career Development program provides opportunities for clinician and non-clinician scientists, including biostatisticians and clinical trialists.

BLR&D and CSR&D are currently offering the following Career Development award types:

Career Development Award 1 (CDA-1): For applicants who are within two years of obtaining their terminal degree and have not been a PI or co-PI on a post-doctoral or peer-reviewed independent research project supported by a national, public, or private organization.

Applications for the CDA-1 mechanism are limited to investigators and/or research topics in designated high-priority areas.  See the list of active CDA-1 RFAs (instructions below) for more information on current CDA-1 opportunities, which as of April 2023 include:

  • Research on suicide prevention
  • US military Veteran scientists
  • Licensed psychiatrists (more information)
  • Scientists associated with minority serving institutions

Career Development Award 2 (CDA-2): For early-career scientists who have not been a PI or co-PI on a post-doctoral or peer-reviewed independent research project supported by a national, public, or private organization. Eligibility depends on several factors; see the RFAs and guidance documents linked below for more details.

Career Development Enhancement Award (CDEA): For senior investigators seeking to obtain additional research training, acquire new knowledge or skills, and/or enhance their research programs.




Investigators who are interested in applying for a Career Development Award should work with the research office at their local VA Medical Center and refer to section IV. Application Process on this page:  BLR&D/CSR&D Resources For the VA Research Community

Please note that applications for BLR&D and CSR&D Career Development funding require an approved letter of intent.

RFAs may be found on the VA Research Intranet site, located at: https://vaww.research.va.gov/funding/rfa.cfm (copy and paste this link into your browser)

The VA Research Intranet site is not available to the public; VA research funding is available to VA investigators only.



Questions about the R&D website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.