VA Shaken by Plan to Cut Grants, Cultivate the 'Stars'

Anxiety is running high in the more than 1000 laboratories funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). According to VA staffers, agency officials are planning to funnel money out of some basic studies and into "outcomes research" and targeted disease areas more directly related to veterans9 health. Basic research funding--which makes up some 50% of the VA9s $400 million direct research budget--could shrink dramatically under these plans, which also include restructuring peer review.