The Friends of VA Medical Care and Health Research (FOVA) has issued an urgent letter to Congress regarding the devastating impact of the federal hiring freeze and recent mass dismissals of VA employees.

The hiring freeze threatens to disrupt not only veteran healthcare but also groundbreaking research at VA medical centers nationwide. Key studies on cancer treatments, opioid addiction, prosthetics, suicide prevention, and toxic exposures are now at risk of suspension or cancellation. 

FOVA has called on Congress and the Administration to immediately halt and rescind dismissals of key medical and research staff and to exempt all roles related to medical care and research from the hiring freeze. Without action, the freeze will not only diminish the quality of veteran healthcare but will also stifle medical innovation that benefits veterans and civilians alike.

NAVREF and our coalition partners stand firm in advocating for policies that ensure VA research continues to improve veteran health and advance medical breakthroughs. 

Today, the FOVA Executive Committee, of which NAVREF chairs, released the following statement: 

The federal hiring freeze and recent mass dismissal of VA employees will immediately and adversely impact veteran care, patient safety, and research at VA medical centers nationwide. Among roles that have been impacted by these actions are physicians, nurses, patient coordinators, clinician-scientists, and other medical personnel – roles that are already experiencing critical shortages within the VA system.  

These terminations will disrupt research projects that are vital to veterans’ health, including studies on cancer treatments, opioid addiction, prosthetics, suicide prevention, and toxic exposures. The sudden halt of these initiatives not only undermines advancements in medical care, but also jeopardizes the safety and wellbeing of veterans who rely on these critical services and on access to life-saving medications and treatments. The loss of essential medical and research staff will only lead to longer wait times, reduced access to specialized care, and compromised patient safety.

We urge the Administration to stop the dismissals of key medical and research staff and exempt all roles related to medical care and research from the hiring freeze.  Ensuring that veterans have access to timely, high-quality care is paramount, and maintaining a robust workforce across VA is essential to fulfilling this commitment.  

We call upon policy makers to engage with FOVA members who represent veterans’ organizations, medical professionals, and research organizations to develop strategies that uphold the health and safety of our nation’s veterans, and prioritize the recruitment and retention of qualified medical and research personnel across the VA.

The sacrifices made by our veterans demand that we provide them with the highest standards of care.  It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the VA remains fully equipped to meet their needs without compromising on quality or safety.

NAVREF is actively monitoring key federal policy developments that impact the VA research community. Below is an overview of the most pressing issues and our ongoing advocacy efforts:

Funding Freeze

On January 27, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a directive pausing federal grants, loans, and financial assistance. This raised legal concerns, leading to lawsuits that resulted in temporary restraining orders from federal judges in D.C. and Rhode Island. While OMB has since rescinded the memo, the administration is exploring alternative ways to restrict funding.

Federal Hiring Freeze

The current hiring freeze continues to affect research-related positions within VA. While ORD has clarified that certain exemptions apply to pending research hires, strict limitations remain:

• New WOCs & IPAs can only be submitted for positions on the exemption list.

• Affiliate badge requests are temporarily on hold.

• No-cost IPAs cannot be used to bypass the hiring freeze.

Positions with firm job offers before January 20 and start dates before February 8 are not impacted. Historically, hiring freezes last around 90 days, but there is no clear timeline for this one. NAVREF is closely tracking VA’s efforts to secure additional hiring exemptions for research staff.

Executive Orders Impacting VA Research

The administration has issued multiple executive orders affecting federal operations, including VA research. Key orders include:

• Hiring Freeze Executive Order – Suspends new federal hires, with limited exemptions, affecting VA research staffing.

• Funding Review Executive Order – Requires federal agencies to assess and align funding with new administration priorities, contributing to uncertainty around grant disbursements.

• Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) (Jan 23, 2025) -- Establishes an advisory council that could shape federal research priorities

• Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs (Jan 20, 2025) --Ends DEI-focused initiatives across federal agencies, including VA
• Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism (Jan 20, 2025) -- Defines U.S. policy on sex-based distinctions in federal programs.
• Regulatory Freeze Pending Review (Jan 20, 2025) -- Suspends new regulations and administrative processes.
• Enforcing the Hyde Amendment (Jan 24, 2025) -- Restricts federal funding for abortion-related research and services.

DEIA Program Rollback

VA has moved forward with implementing the executive order to eliminate DEI initiatives across the department. As a result:

• 60+ DEI-focused employees have been placed on administrative leave.

• DEI-related contracts, totaling over $6.1 million, are being canceled.

• VA is removing DEI-related content from its digital platforms.

Letter to the Transition Team

On January 20, NAVREF submitted a letter to the presidential transition team, advocating for sustained investment in VA research. Our recommendations include:

• Increased funding for veteran-focused clinical trials.

• Expanded resources for advanced research and innovation.

• Strengthened partnerships between VA and the private sector.

Congressional Engagement

NAVREF is actively engaging with key HVAC and SVAC policymakers to reinforce the importance of VA research funding and policy stability. 

NAVREF will continue to provide updates as these issues evolve. If you have concerns or need guidance on how these policies may affect your research program, please reach out to estout@navref.org.

Today, NAVREF submitted the attached letter to the Trump Transition team, outlining strategic recommendations to enhance the future of VA research and development. This letter highlights critical areas requiring attention and support to ensure sustained growth and innovation within the VA research community.

NAVREF's letter emphasizes the importance of expanding resources for veteran-centric clinical trials, boosting funding for cutting-edge research initiatives, and fostering stronger partnerships between the VA and the private sector. The recommendations aim to strengthen the infrastructure for scientific discovery and improve health outcomes for veterans across the nation.

The submission underscores NAVREF's ongoing advocacy for increased federal investment in VA research, which has been instrumental in breakthroughs in mental health, toxic exposure treatments, and precision medicine.

The White House has highlighted NAVREF’s collaboration with the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) in their latest FACT SHEET on the Biden Cancer Moonshot initiative. This partnership is set to enhance the placement of prostate cancer clinical trials across the nation, improving health outcomes for veterans. As part of the $65 million Veterans’ Health Initiative, PCF is contributing $50,000 to help NAVREF pilot a data dashboard that will streamline the identification of communities where veterans can benefit the most from these crucial studies.

Today, we honor the nearly 400 scientists and engineers who received the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest U.S. government honor for early-career scientists! Among these distinguished awardees are several remarkable researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs including:

Lewei Lin
Abidemi Ajiboye
Amy Bohnert
Umamaheswar Duvvuri
Scott Hummel
Paul King
Justine Lee
Miranda Lim
Steve Majerus
Christopher Miller
Amanda Raines
Eric Tkaczyk
Jason Vassy
Aliza Wingo

Our team is committed to supporting early-career scientists as they contribute to research that enhances the lives of Veterans and the American public. These awards emphasize the critical role of VA research, especially as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the VA research program!

Today, the Friends of VA Medical Care and Health Research (FOVA) submitted a letter to The White House, urging the Administration to address the detrimental effects of a recent reinterpretation of conflict-of-interest statutes (18 U.S.C. §§ 203, 205, and 208) by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE).

The reinterpretation, issued in December 2024, has introduced new administrative burdens that threaten the VA's ability to conduct research, recruit and retain expert scientists, and provide cutting-edge care to veterans.

FOVA’s letter outlines:

• The Legacy of VA Research: A long history of groundbreaking medical innovations, including the development of the nicotine patch, the first liver transplant, and the pneumonia vaccine.
• Challenges Facing Dual-Appointed Researchers: More than 90% of the VA’s 6,500 researchers hold dual appointments with academic affiliates, and the new waiver process risks delaying critical research and dissuading top scientists from engaging with the VA.
• Broad Support for Action: Acknowledgments from VA leadership, concerns raised by the National Research Advisory Council (NRAC), and bipartisan legislative efforts to address the reinterpretation.

Call to Action
FOVA is urging the Administration to bring together the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) and the VA’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) to mitigate the adverse impacts of this reinterpretation. Without intervention, the VA’s ability to connect veterans with life-saving treatments and innovative care will be severely compromised.

The full letter is available here.

For more information on FOVA’s advocacy efforts, visit https://www.friendsofva.org/.

In collaboration with 15 other organizations representing biomedical professional societies, nonprofits, veterinary medicine groups, and academic institutions, Americans for Medical Progress (AMP) transmitted a sign-on letter to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees as they work to finalize the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (H.R. 8070). The NDAA specifies the annual budget for the Department of Defense (DOD). Earlier this year, the House passed its version of the bill, which included an amendment prohibiting DOD funds from being used for dog and cat research.

NAVREF proudly endorsed this letter, which encourages Congress to omit this provision from the final bill. The letter highlights the significant advancements the DOD’s animal research program has achieved in human and animal health. These include breakthroughs in cancer treatment and enhanced surgical techniques, benefiting U.S. troops, veterans, and military dogs.

Without adequate support for such research, the U.S. risks losing critical opportunities to develop life-saving medicine for future patients. This could ultimately weaken the nation’s military and biomedical preparedness to address emerging threats.

You can read the full letter here: FY25 NDAA Sign-on_Animal Research_Final.

We have submitted our new Industry Partner Consortium (IPC) Annual report, "Enhancing Excellence: Strategic Recommendations for Optimizing Extramural Research Across the VA," to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees (HVAC, SVAC), the Appropriations Committees, and the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittees (MilCon-VA).

This report, developed in collaboration with our IPC, outlines four key recommendations for advancing clinical trials within the VA. By streamlining processes and expanding partnerships, we aim to ensure that veterans across the country have access to cutting-edge treatments and life-saving interventions.

We are grateful to our partners, including BCG, bioAffinity Technologies, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cognition Therapeutics, Genentech, Johnson & Johnson, MITRE, and Siemens Healthineers, for their contributions.

Today, NAVREF submitted formal comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the draft guidance “Diversity Action Plans to Improve Enrollment of Participants from Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Studies.” This guidance marks an important step in addressing the underrepresentation of diverse populations in clinical trials, which will ultimately improve the safety and effectiveness of medical products for all patients, including veterans.

NAVREF’s response highlighted the unique role the VA’s research programs can play in helping sponsors meet the FDA’s new diversity requirements. The VA serves a highly diverse population of veterans, including individuals from various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. This diversity offers an unparalleled opportunity for medical product sponsors to conduct inclusive clinical trials that reflect the demographics of patients who will use these products in real-world settings.

Read our comments here: NAVREF FDA Comments