Veterans Medical Research Foundation Of San Diego

Veterans Medical Research Foundation Of San Diego is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization headquartered in San Diego, California, that acts as the prime recipient of federal research grants supporting biomedical and clinical research conducted in partnership with the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and affiliated academic institutions. The organization operates exclusively as a grant recipient; it holds no federal contracts or contract vehicles and does not compete for procurement awards.

The foundation's award footprint centers on health research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Defense Health Agency (DHA), with the top five funding agencies accounting for 68% of awards by count. The National Institutes of Health is the dominant customer, with 60 awards across its institutes and centers; the Defense Health Agency placed 24 awards focused on clinical trials and implementation research in PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and pain management in veterans. Within NIH, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) are the largest grant sources, each with 19–20 awards. Recent representative work includes a $383,098 NIDDK Project Grant (awarded September 2, 2026) investigating kidney tubule dysfunction in APOL1-associated chronic kidney disease with performance in San Diego through May 31, 2031; a $460,134 National Cancer Institute Project Grant (July 20, 2026) conducting secondary analysis of Veterans Health Administration data on prostate-specific antigen screening benefits and harms in Black men through June 30, 2031; and a $2.48 million Defense Health Agency Project Grant (September 30, 2025) supporting a Phase 2A randomized controlled trial of PT150 in treating PTSD in U.S. military veterans across multiple VA medical centers through September 29, 2029.

The foundation's research portfolio spans clinical trials, implementation science, and basic biomedical investigation. Across recent awards, capability areas include kidney disease pathophysiology and biomarkers; cancer screening and prevention outcomes; PTSD treatment efficacy and clinical delivery methods; HIV/AIDS immunology and viral mechanisms; Alzheimer's disease and neurodegeneration; and aging-related conditions including gut dysmotility and cardiovascular disease. Many awards leverage Veterans Health Administration data infrastructure and electronic health records, positioning the foundation as a specialized recipient for research using VA populations and systems.

The foundation acts as prime recipient on 84% of its awards (167 of 199 total awards). In its subrecipient role, it has collaborated with academic institutions including University of California at San Diego, UCLA, Drexel University, Florida State University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and others on multisite clinical trials and research projects. Fifteen awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing recompete opportunities as grants near renewal decision points. The combined potential value across the portfolio totals $7.7 million, though obligated dollars ($287.2 million) exceed the potential value ceiling, reflecting the foundation's role as a pass-through recipient of mature, multi-year grant awards with substantial cumulative spending across the portfolio's history.