Acting Chief Research and Development Officer

Grant Huang, Ph.D.
Acting Chief Research and Development Officer

Grant Huang, Ph.D., is the Acting Chief Research and Development Officer (CRADO) for the Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development (ORD).

Dr. Huang assumed his role on Feb. 3, 2025.  He is responsible for developing and executing the strategy for VA's nationwide research enterprise, which encompasses more than 7,200 active projects at more than 100 sites. VA research is supported by a $2.4 billion dollar budget (for fiscal year 2024), which includes both direct VA support and research funding from outside entities such as the National Institutes of Health, other federal agencies, and nonprofit and private organizations.

Grant previously served as the Deputy CRADO for Enterprise Optimization and director of the ORD Cooperative Studies Program. In these roles, Dr. Huang helped lead an enterprise-focused research strategy for planning, integrating, and coordinating VA resources to enhance evidence-based care for Veterans. This enterprise includes field-based research programs at more than 100 VA Medical Centers, empowering pre-clinical and clinical research across multiple fields, such as health services, rehabilitation, informatics, and genomics research. During his VA tenure, he has been part of the design and conduct of over 100 multi-site national and international clinical studies, the establishment of the Million Veteran Program, and the implementation of quality standards.

Dr. Huang has authored more than 150 publications covering clinical, health services, and rehabilitation topics in various scientific journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association. He has served on various committees, including ones sponsored by the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative, Association for Clinical Research Professionals, Office of Science and Technology Policy, and National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

In 2024, Dr. Huang became the first ever research executive to be awarded the prestigious John D. Chase Award for Executive Excellence in Health Care. He has received several other recognitions and awards, including the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the Master Teacher Award from George Mason University.

Dr. Huang holds a Ph.D. in Medical Psychology and a Master of Public Health, from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.