Advancing Research in Military Populations: Lessons Learned from NIH-DoD Collaborations

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DoD) have collaborated on joint initiatives in recognition of the numerous challenges that our U.S. military Personnel and their Families have endured. Building on a prior session on this topic, this roundtable reviews progress, advances, and new developments underway to advance research with military populations. Panelists represent NIH staff, DoD staff, and grantees funded under a FY 2013 joint NIH and DoD Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to accelerate research on prevention interventions and health promotion strategies to prevent substance use and associated mental health and physical health problems among active duty or recently separated military Personnel, Veterans, and their Families. Three studies will be highlighted: First, a comparative effectiveness study of diverse formats of a parenting program (i.e. telehealth, group, online) for Reserve Component Families. Second, a randomized clinical trial of an internet-based brief intervention that addresses alcohol and/or prescription drug misuse and is testing the usefulness of boosters delivered either electronically or using peers. Third, a pilot study that designed and evaluated a one-on-one educational intervention for physicians prescribing opioids to target populations. Investigators will provide an overview of each study and discuss progress, share insights on unique challenges and opportunities of conducting research with military populations, lessons learned to date, and implications of their investigations for military and civilian populations. DoD and NIH representatives will discuss unique needs of military populations and feasibility challenges of designing studies to address these needs, DoD and NIH relevant research initiatives and priorities, implications and translation of research findings for military practices and policies, important research gaps and future directions, and provide some insight into important considerations and strategies for doing research with military populations. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear about the Military Operational Medicine Research Program’s (MOMRP’s) substance abuse and prevention research portfolios, funding processes, and funding opportunities. This roundtable invites individuals who are performing or have an interest in undertaking research with military populations to participate in an interactive discussion with panelists on strategies and directions for advancing prevention and health promotion substance use and behavioral health research with military populations.