Pioneering progress: Research and innovation at VA

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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has long been a leader in research and innovation, from the first decisive trials of effective treatments for tuberculosis in the 1940s to the development of an implantable cardiac pacemaker in the 1960s—and the progress has remained steady since then. Each research study and discovery provides hope for improved health and quality of life for the Veterans who so bravely served.

As a VA health care provider, you could have the opportunity to participate in the cutting-edge research happening at one of our 102 active research sites nationwide. In fact, a majority of VA researchers also provide direct patient care within the VA system, providing insight into each Veteran’s unique needs. Keep reading to learn more about research at VA and be inspired by the future of care.

VA discovery and innovation

VA’s Research and Development program is dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans and all Americans through health care discovery and innovation. VA Research has three overarching strategic priorities:

Increasing Veterans’ access to high-quality clinical trials
Increasing the real-world impact of VA research
Putting VA data to work for Veterans

VA ranks as one of the nation’s leaders in health research and continues to pave the way for improvement in Veteran care. In Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), VA had:

$2.4B total research budget
12,868 published research articles authored or co-authored by VA investigators
6,800 active funded research projects

For more details on VA’s impact in the research space, check out VA Research by the Numbers 2025.

VA research in action

There’s a lot of exciting research coming out of VA that is already having a positive impact on the well-being of Veterans, including:

Studies showing taking over-the-counter magnesium supplements was associated with a 19% reduced risk of hospitalization or death in Veterans with heart failure.
Studies showing Veterans prescribed semaglutide, a GLP-1 inhibitor, in a VA weight management clinic had an average of 10% weight loss and improvements in body mass index, blood pressure, “bad” cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar after one year.

On the horizon, VA researchers at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) received a grant in November 2025 of up to $41.5 million to create a next-generation wheelchair and assistive technology system called the Robotic Assisted Mobility and Manipulation Platform (RAMMP). RAMMP will combine advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, a new operating system, and digital simulation technology to create a powered wheelchair with adaptations, such as a robotic arm, to help users better navigate their environment.