Introduction The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) offers intramural Career Development Awards (CDAs). The purpose of this research was to investigate if completing a VHA CDA influenced the funding success rate for subsequent VHA Merit Review award applications in rehabilitation science.

Methods A retrospective cohort study of all applicants who submitted a VHA Merit Review award application to the Rehabilitation Research, Development, and Translation (RRDT) Broad Portfolio from fiscal year 2020 to 2025 was performed. The factors of experience as a prior CDA recipient and the number of application submissions on the success of funding was evaluated in early investigators and mid-career/senior scientists.

Results Early-career investigators with prior VHA CDAs (n=14) submitted 32 new/revised applications for VHA Merit Review award funding. While early investigators with prior VHA CDAs had a numerically higher percentage of funding across the three application submission cycles (34.4% vs 25.0%), this factor was not statistically significant. Mid-career and senior investigators with prior VHA CDAs (n=78) submitted 180 new/revised applications and demonstrated an overall 30.0% funding success across the three-application submission cycle. Mid-career and senior investigators with prior VHA CDAs had a statistically significant increased odds of funding across the three-application submission cycle (30.0% vs 26.4%; ORunadj:1.62; ORadj: 1.54).

Discussion While investigators with prior VHA CDAs did not have a significant advantage when applying for VHA Merit Review awards from ORD’s RRDT Portfolio during the early-career phase, there was a statistically significant benefit observed in mid-career and senior scientists on the initial application submission or overall.

Conclusion Based on the potential benefits of the mentored research experience within the VA Medical Centers observed in the current study and in preceding studies, early-career scientists interested in working with Veterans are encouraged to apply for these awards following completion of the terminal degree or post-doctoral fellowship.

Dr Fraser reports grants from Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs and the Office of Naval Research, outside of the submitted work. In addition, Dr Fraser has a patent pending for an Adaptive and Variable Stiffness Ankle Brace, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63254,474 and provides consulting for Luna Laboratories. The authors are employees of the U.S. Government and this work was prepared as part of their official duties. Title 17, U.S.C. SS105 provides that copyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the U.S. Government. Title 17, U.S.C. SS101 defines a U.S. Government work as work prepared by a military service member or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person's official duties. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Veterans Affairs, nor the U.S. Government.

This study did not receive any funding.

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The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

The study protocol was approved by the VA Central Institutional Review Board as non-human subjects research.

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All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors.