If a head injury still follows you home, the GRIT Study is looking for you.

Many veterans who had a concussion or blast injury during service also have a hormone shortfall that may be contributing to feeling tired, foggy, and in pain — and most never know it.

The GRIT Study (CSP #2018) is a VA Cooperative Studies Program trial testing whether treating that hormone shortfall eases the fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep, and low mood that can follow a deployment-related head injury.

See if you may qualifyHow it works

Is this legit?

  • No cost to you — the testing and the study visits are free.
  • Completely voluntary — it's your choice, start to finish.
  • Won't affect your VA care or benefits in any way.
  • Leave anytime — you can stop for any reason, no questions asked.

Trust & safety

Is this real, or a scam?

It’s a fair question — you should ask it of anyone asking about your health. Here’s how to know this one is legitimate, and how to check for yourself.

It's a real VA study.

The GRIT Study is run by the VA Cooperative Studies Program — the VA's own research arm. You can confirm it on the U.S. government's clinical-trials registry, ClinicalTrials.gov, under the ID NCT04867317.

We never ask for money or sensitive numbers.

No one connected to this study will ask you for your Social Security number, a bank account, a credit card, or any payment. If someone does, it isn't us — walk away.

You can check it yourself.

Look up NCT04867317 on ClinicalTrials.gov, or call your VA medical center and ask about the GRIT Study (CSP #2018). A real study holds up to a second look — we'd rather you confirm than wonder.

Verify NCT04867317 on ClinicalTrials.gov, opens in a new tab

Is this for you?

Who it’s for

Am I likely a fit?

A 10-second gut check. The short self-check below goes a little deeper, but if most of these sound like you, it’s worth a look.

  • You served in Iraq or Afghanistan (OEF, OIF, or OND).
  • You're between 21 and 55.
  • You had a concussion, blast exposure, or other head injury during service — at least 12 months ago.
  • Since then, you've dealt with things like fatigue, poor sleep, brain fog, low mood, or loss of drive.

You don't need a TBI diagnosis on paper to check. And if you're unsure about the hormone part, that's normal — most people are. The study team can test for it at the VA, at no cost to you.

This isn't about what's wrong with you.

A blast or a hard knock to the head can quietly lower a hormone your body needs to feel rested, think clearly, and hold onto its strength. That's not weakness, and it's not all in your head — it's biology, and it's something a simple test can measure. The GRIT Study is looking at whether putting that hormone back where it belongs helps with the fatigue, fog, and low mood that can linger for years.

Before you decide

What’s involved

How it works, step by step

No surprises. Here’s exactly what taking part looks like, from the first conversation through about six months of check-ins.

  1. A first conversation

    You reach out to the study team using the contact on this page. They walk you through the study, answer your questions, and figure out which VA site is closest to you. No commitment — this is just a conversation.

  2. Brain-health and hormone checks

    At the VA, the team does brain-health assessments and a simple blood test for the hormone. This is how they confirm whether the study is a fit for you — and it's all at no cost.

  3. If you join: a small daily shot you give yourself

    If you decide to enroll, you give yourself a small injection under the skin once a day at home — much like someone with diabetes uses insulin. The team trains you until you're comfortable, and they're there if you have questions.

  4. Half receive the medication, half a placebo

    Because this is a research study, it's decided at random: about half of participants get the study medication and half get a placebo (an inactive version). Neither you nor the team picks, and everyone gets the same full assessments and the same care and attention.

  5. Check-ins over about six months

    You come in for several visits across roughly six months so the team can see how you're doing. You receive a stipend for your time at each visit.

Who runs this

Who runs this study — and what does Research Pro do?

Two different teams, two different jobs. Here's who does what — and exactly where Research Pro stops.

The VA study team

  • Runs the GRIT Study and makes every medical decision.
  • Talks you through the study and answers your questions.
  • Does the brain-health and hormone testing, the informed consent, and the research itself.

Research Pro

  • Built this page and the short self-check on it.
  • Shows your result in your browser — if you look like a possible fit, it hands you the study team's contact so you can reach out.
  • Stops there. Research Pro is a recruitment vendor, not a research enterprise — it never takes part in the study, the testing, or your care.

Where it's running

Participating VA sites

The GRIT Study is recruiting at these VA medical centers now, with more joining. You don't have to live in these cities — the study team will help you find the closest site.

More VA sites are joining — ask the study team about a location near you.

Common questions

Questions veterans ask us

Is this a scam?

No. The GRIT Study is a real VA Cooperative Studies Program trial — you can verify it on ClinicalTrials.gov under NCT04867317. No one will ever ask you for money, your Social Security number, or bank details.

Will this affect my VA benefits or care?

No. Taking part is completely voluntary, and whether you join or not has no effect on your VA benefits or the care you already receive. You can stop at any time, for any reason.

What is the daily injection like?

If you enroll, you give yourself a small shot under the skin once a day at home — much like someone with diabetes uses insulin. The study team trains you first and stays available if you have questions.

Could I get a placebo?

Yes. About half of participants receive the study medication and half receive a placebo, decided at random — that's how the study learns whether the treatment really works. Either way, everyone gets the same full brain-health and hormone assessments and the same attention from the team.

How do you know if I have low growth hormone?

The study team checks with a blood test at the VA, at no cost to you. Most people have no idea either way going in — that's exactly what the testing is for, so an unsure answer is perfectly fine.

Is this the Gulf War illness study?

No — that's a different study. The GRIT Study is for veterans who served after 9/11 in Iraq or Afghanistan (OEF, OIF, or OND) and had a head injury during their service.

What do I get for taking part?

You receive a stipend for your time at each study visit, and the testing is done at no cost to you. The study can't promise the treatment will help — that's what it's trying to find out — but the brain-health and hormone assessments are thorough either way.

Who can I talk to before I decide?

You can reach the study team directly using the contact on this page, look up NCT04867317 on ClinicalTrials.gov, or ask about the GRIT Study (CSP #2018) at your VA medical center. There's no pressure and no obligation.

A few questions, just for you

See if the GRIT Study fits you

  • 8 quick questions — about 5 minutes.
  • Nothing you type leaves your browser. No account, nothing saved. Refresh and it’s gone.
  • At the end you’ll get the study team’s contact, or a kind heads-up that it’s not a match — your choice what to do next. There are no wrong answers here.

Private — your answers run entirely in your browser and are never sent to a server unless you choose to contact the study team yourself.

Questions & contacts

Questions, or want to verify any of this?

The study teamDeane V. Walker
Deane.Walker@va.gov.demo
about the study itself
Verify the studyNCT04867317 on ClinicalTrials.gov , opens in a new tab
the official U.S. government registry
Ethics reviewVA Central IRB · CSP #2018
about your rights as a research participant
If today is hardVeterans Crisis Line
Dial 988, then press 1
you don’t have to be in this study, or in VA care

Recruitment for the GRIT Study is supported by Research Pro. Research Pro helps the study team reach veterans; the VA runs the study and handles informed consent. researchpro.ai is a product of CSM Products and Services LLC.

Participation is voluntary. Whether you take part or not has no effect on the care you receive at the VA or anywhere else. The self-check on this page runs entirely in your browser — your answers are never sent to Research Pro or any server unless you choose to contact the study team yourself.