VA Cooperative Studies Program (CSP)
About INVESTD-R
Recognizing that VA data is a rich resource for the research community, the Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) is working to expand public access to VA research data while keeping in place strong safeguards on Veterans’ privacy and data confidentiality. This goal serves the VA’s continuing efforts to respond to the 2013 White House Office of Science and Technology memorandum calling for Federal agencies to support increased public access to the results of Federally-funded research.
The Integrated Veteran Epidemiologic Study Data Resource (INVESTD-R) is an open science initiative developed and supported by CSP. The initiative is managed by two CSP Epidemiology Centers, the Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center (ERIC) and Durham CSP Epidemiology Center (Durham CSPEC).
INVESTD-R aims to facilitate the sharing of Veteran-focused research resources among qualified investigators both within and outside of the VA. Our mission is to contribute to the health and well-being of Veterans and their families by:
- Making Veteran-focused study information and results more accessible to the broader community of researchers interested in Veteran health through the INVESTD-R information clearinghouse of Veteran-centric research studies.
- Maintaining a curated list of CSP studies and a transparent research resource request (RRR) process to connect investigators interested in Veteran data, biospecimens, or contact information with the data stewards of participating CSP studies. Some resources may also offer opportunities for additional data collection.
- Providing a VA-approved research data repository, biospecimen repository, and participant registry for VA researchers to deposit, share, and use VA research resources.
Benefits of sharing data
INVESTD-R helps researchers collaborate on analysis of existing data and begin new data collection. By sharing data, we hope to increase the return of public investment in scientific research and broaden the impact of VA research. New research generated through INVESTD-R can lead to improved planning of services, more evidence-based interventions, and ultimately better care for Veterans and their families.
Contact
Email INVESTDR@va.gov for more information.



















