Summary
The Department of Veterans Affairs administers the fourth-largest research budget in the federal government, funding over $900 million annually in VA-specific research through its Office of Research and Development. Beyond research, the VA distributes hundreds of millions in grants and cooperative agreements to community organizations serving homeless veterans, state veterans homes, rural veteran health programs, and veteran service organizations. In 2026, the PACT Act's expansion of toxic exposure benefits is driving increased research and service funding for veterans affected by burn pit exposure, Agent Orange, and other hazardous materials.
VA Office of Research and Development Grants
The VA Office of Research and Development (ORD) funds research across four services: Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development (BLR&D), Clinical Science Research and Development (CSR&D), Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D), and Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D). ORD funds only VA-affiliated investigators — researchers must hold a VA appointment (typically a part-time without compensation or paid appointment) at a VA medical center to be eligible for VA research funding. This distinguishes VA grants from NIH and NSF grants, which are open to any qualified investigator at an eligible institution.
VA Merit Review awards (the VA's equivalent of NIH R01 grants, CFDA 64.025) provide four-year funding of approximately $400,000–$600,000 direct costs per year for investigator-initiated research addressing veteran health priorities. In 2026, priority research areas include traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), polytrauma, suicide prevention, women's veteran health, aging and dementia, chronic pain, and toxic exposures under the PACT Act. VA also funds Career Development Awards (CDAs) for early-career investigators and Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) clinical trials — large, multi-site trials of interventions for veteran populations. Researchers interested in VA funding should contact their nearest VA Medical Center's research office and apply through the VA's electronic Research Application Portal (eRAP).
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)
The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program (CFDA 64.033) is the VA's primary grant program for community organizations working to prevent and end veteran homelessness. SSVF distributes approximately $400 million annually through competitive grants to nonprofits and consumer cooperatives that provide rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention services to very low-income veteran families. Grantees provide outreach, case management, assistance with obtaining VA and other benefits, and temporary financial assistance for rent, utilities, and moving expenses.
SSVF grants are awarded through competitive NOFAs published on grants.gov, with multi-year awards (typically two to three years) ranging from $200,000 to over $3 million annually depending on the geographic scope of the program. In 2026, SSVF grantees are expected to coordinate closely with their local HUD Continuum of Care, VA Medical Center homeless program, and coordinated entry system. Organizations operating in high-need geographic areas — particularly those with high veteran homelessness rates relative to the local CoC's capacity — are most competitive. The VA also funds the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program (CFDA 64.024) providing capital grants for construction and renovation of transitional housing facilities for homeless veterans, with per diem payments for operational costs once facilities are open.
State Veterans Home Construction Grants
The VA's State Home Construction Grant Program (CFDA 64.005) provides federal grants covering up to 65% of the cost of constructing or renovating State Veterans Homes — nursing home care facilities, domiciliary (residential care) facilities, and adult day health care programs operated by state governments for eligible veterans. The remaining 35% must come from state or local matching funds. Individual state home construction grants can range from $5 million to over $50 million depending on the size and scope of the facility.
Applications are submitted through each state's Department of Veterans Affairs to the VA's Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care. States that receive construction grants must maintain VA-recognized standards of care, provide services at or below VA-established per diem rates, and submit to regular VA inspections. The VA also pays a Per Diem (CFDA 64.014) for each eligible veteran receiving care in a recognized State Veterans Home — in 2026, the VA per diem rate for nursing home care is approximately $145 per day, and for adult day health care approximately $79 per day, providing ongoing operational support for state homes after construction grants are used.
VA Rural Health and Community-Based Programs
The VA Office of Rural Health (ORH) administers grants and programs to extend VA health care access to the approximately 4.7 million veterans living in rural and highly rural areas. ORH's Veterans Access to Care through Community Hiring (VA-CATCH) program funds rural community organizations to hire and train community health workers and peer specialists who connect rural veterans to VA services and community resources. ORH also funds rural-focused telehealth expansion, mobile health units, and rural residency programs through cooperative agreements with state and local health care systems and universities.
The VA's Community Access to Recovery Services (CARS) grants fund organizations providing peer support, substance use disorder treatment, and recovery housing to veterans in under-served communities. The VA Community Reintegration Services program funds vocational rehabilitation and employment services for veterans with service-connected disabilities through grants to state vocational rehabilitation agencies and nonprofits. Additionally, the VA's Caregiver Support Program partners with community organizations to provide respite care, mental health services, and peer support for caregivers of veterans — organizations can access VA partnership funding through their regional VA Caregiver Support Coordinator. CFDA numbers 64.009, 64.019, and 64.028 cover various VA community service programs.
PACT Act Research and Service Funding
The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 is the most significant expansion of veteran benefits in decades, extending VA health care and disability benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation, and other toxic substances. The PACT Act authorized significant new research funding for toxic exposure conditions, with ORD receiving additional appropriations for burn pit, contaminated water (Camp Lejeune), and radiation exposure research. In 2026, VA Merit Review solicitations include multiple priority areas specifically tied to PACT Act conditions including constrictive bronchiolitis, rare respiratory cancers, and neurological conditions associated with toxic exposures.
Beyond VA research, the PACT Act expanded the VA's Community Care Network, which pays community providers to deliver VA-covered services to eligible veterans. Nonprofits and academic medical centers can partner with the VA through the Community Care Network as authorized providers, which is a revenue-generating pathway (not a grant) but creates organizational relationships that support future research and service grant opportunities. The Department of Defense also funds toxic exposure research through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), with the Gulf War Illness Research Program and Burn Pit Research Program issuing annual solicitations open to independent researchers and institutions — not just VA-affiliated investigators.
Veteran Service Organization (VSO) Federal Grants
The VA funds a range of programs through partnerships with Veterans Service Organizations. The VSO Transportation Network grant program funds VSO-operated volunteer driver networks providing transportation for veterans to VA medical appointments in rural areas. The Vet Center program, operated by the VA's Readjustment Counseling Service, funds over 300 community-based Vet Centers staffed by combat veteran counselors, but also partners with community mental health organizations through subcontracts for specialty services. The VA's Veterans Justice Programs fund partnerships with criminal justice and court systems to divert justice-involved veterans into treatment rather than incarceration.
Organizations working with veteran populations but not receiving direct VA grants should be aware that multiple other federal agencies fund programs that serve veterans. The Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) administers grants for veterans' employment programs through the Jobs for Veterans State Grants (JVSG) program (CFDA 17.801) and the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP, CFDA 17.805), which funds nonprofits providing employment services to homeless veterans with awards of $200,000–$400,000 per year. HUD's VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) program combines HUD housing vouchers with VA case management services for chronically homeless veterans and represents a major federal investment — over $40,000 per voucher per year — in veteran housing stability.
Key Takeaways
- VA Merit Review grants (CFDA 64.025) require VA-affiliated investigators; researchers must secure a VA appointment at a VA Medical Center before applying — contact the nearest VAMC research office to explore affiliation pathways.
- SSVF (CFDA 64.033, ~$400M annually) is the primary federal grant program for nonprofits addressing veteran homelessness, providing rapid rehousing and prevention services; awards range from $200,000 to $3M+ annually.
- State Veterans Home Construction Grants (CFDA 64.005) cover up to 65% of construction costs for state-operated veteran nursing homes and domiciliaries — states apply through their state veterans affairs agency.
- The PACT Act has significantly expanded VA research and community service funding for toxic exposure conditions in 2026; VA ORD Merit Review and DOD CDMRP both have active burn pit and toxic exposure program elements.
- DOL's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP, CFDA 17.805) provides $200,000–$400,000 grants to nonprofits for veteran employment services — a strong complement to SSVF for organizations serving homeless veterans.