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DHA Research Resources

The DHA Research and Engineering Directorate's Research Support Division supports and enables enterprise-wide scientific studies, research activities, and analyses to advance research priorities. The division performs research support functions in joint clinical investigations, research protections, and implementation science, and translates the latest research to inform clinical practice and policy.

RSD has gathered the following resources to help investigators navigate the DHA research process in the areas of surveys and questionnaires, human and animal research review, data sharing agreements, funding, general resources, database resources, and medical library resources. This list is not all inclusive as there may be other information needed for specific types of medical research such as animal and laboratory. To request updates or changes to this information, please contact the Clinical Investigations Program Office at dha.ncr.j-9.mbx.cip-office@health.milEmail CIPO.

R&E RSD Points of Contact

R&E Centers of Excellence

Established to provide the Department of Defense with the ability to speed the advancement of scientific knowledge and evidence-based practices for diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions that impact military personnel and their families with the help of a “critical mass” of experts.

Surveys and Questionnaires

Surveys and questionnaires may need to be reviewed and approved for use by the Information Management Control Officer. Human subjects research protocols (such as drug, vaccine, or procedures research that uses a survey initially or in follow-up to assess subjects’ facts or opinions) are exempt from PRA review and approval by DoDM 8910.01 Vol 2goes to WHS as well as DoDI 3216.02goes to WHS.

Information Management Control Officer: Oversees the management, control, approval processing, and tracking of DOD Internal website and Public Information Collections. Surveys and questionnaires may need to be reviewed and approved for use by the IMCO in accordance with DoDM 8910.01 “DoD Information Collections Manual: Procedures for DoD Public Information Collections” Volume 2Opens DOD directive.

Human and Animal Research Oversight Offices

Human Subjects Review

Research protocols are required to be submitted through an electronic institutional review board for either an IRB review (non-exempt research) or an EDO review (exempt research or private investigator/quality improvement/evidence-based practice). The five DHA Institutional Review Boards include:

  • Brooke Army Medical Center Institutional Review BoardOpens BAMC site: Located in San Antonio, Texas, BAMC IRB provides IRB services to Darnall Army Medical Center (TX), William Beaumont Army Medical Center (TX), Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (TX), 81st Medical Group (MS), 55th Medical Group (NE), and Naval Hospital Pensacola (FL).
  • Naval Medical Center Portsmouth IRB: Located in Portsmouth, Virginia, NMCP IRB provides IRB services to Martin Army Community Hospital (GA), Naval Hospital Jacksonville (FL), Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (KY), Eisenhower Army Medical Center (GA), Keller Army Community Hospital (NY), Womack Army Medical Center (NC), and Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune (NC). 
  • Naval Medical Center San Diego IRB: Located in San Diego, California, NMCSD IRB provides IRB services to Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms (CA), Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton (CA), Mike O’Callaghan Military Medical Center (NV), 96th Medical Group (FL), Evans Army Community Hospital (CO), and 375 Medical Group (IL). Contact the Human Protections Administrator, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92134, Telephone: 619-532-8125
  • Madigan Army Medical Center IRBOpens MAMC site: Located in Tacoma, Washington, MAMC IRB provides IRB services to Naval Hospital Bremerton (WA), David Grant USAF Medical Center (CA), and Tripler Army Medical Center (HI).
  • Walter Reed National Military Medical Center IRBOpens WRNMMC site: Located in Bethesda, Maryland, WRNMMC IRB provides IRB services to the Joint Pathology Center, 11th Medical Group (MD), Naval Health Clinic Annapolis (MD), Naval Health Clinic Quantico (VA), Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (VA), and Wright-Patterson Medical Center (OH).

Data Sharing Agreements

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act issues are handled through the Privacy Office, which is a two-step process. If you are going to be using DHA medical data that is collected from a patient, step 1 is to either obtain authorization from the patient to access their data, or obtain a waiver of HIPAA from a Privacy Board (most often this is an IRB). The Data Sharing agreement is step 2 of this process that follows the authorization or waiver of authorization determination.

Funding

In most military treatment facilities, funding for the actual execution of research comes from either the specific department that you see the patient in or through another funding source. Larger institutions may have Grant Managers with an office to assist you with getting funding. Below are some resources you can use to locate funding for your research.

  • Clinical Investigations Program OfficeOpens CIPO page: Facilitates research and training to support Graduate Health Sciences Education and other allied health programs of the military services, to further enhance patient care in the MHS, and to contribute to medical readiness solutions.
  • Grants.govOpens Grants.gov site: The mission of Grants.gov is to provide a common website for federal agencies to post discretionary funding opportunities and for grantees to find and apply to them. (Search “12.420” - keyword for military medical research)
  • U.S. Army Medical Research and Development CommandU.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command: Manages and executes research in five basic areas: military infectious diseases, combat casualty care, military operational medicine, chemical biological defense, and clinical and rehabilitative medicine. MRDC is program coordinator for DOD medical research programs focused on the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of blast injuries as well as the manager for the Joint Trauma Analysis and Prevention of Injury in Combat program which informs solutions that prevent or mitigate injury during the full range of military operations, by collaborative collection, integration, analysis, and storage of data from operations, intelligence, materiel, and medical sources. MRDC funding opportunities include:
  • Advanced Medical Technology Initiative:  Facilitates bottom-up technology innovation while simultaneously informing top-down acquisition throughout Military Medicine. Program execution encompasses small funding investments at the facility/individual level in two distinct categories: Rapid Innovation Funding (RIF) and Extended Innovation Funding (EIF) for which the period of performance for each category is limited to 6 and 18 months respectively.
  • U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command Broad Agency AnnouncementOpens USAMRAA site: USAMRDC BAA is a competitive solicitation procedure intended to solicit extramural research and development ideas. Research funded through the USAMRDC BAA benefits and informs both military and civilian medical practice and knowledge. Research proposals and applications are sought from national, international, for-profit, non-profit, public, and private organizations. The USAMRDC BAA is a continuously open announcement; pre-proposals/pre-applications and proposals/applications may be submitted at any time throughout the 5-year period. (Must register at https://ebrap.org/ to apply).
  • Congressionally Directed Medical Research ProgramsOpens CDMRP site: Fills research gaps by funding high impact, high risk, and high gain projects that other agencies may not venture to fund. CDMRP receives about $1.5 billion of congressionally directed medical research dollars for a large variety of medical problems each year. It is encouraged to check here first for research opportunities in specific areas of interest. 
  • Military Infectious Diseases Research ProgramOpens MIDRP site: Plans, coordinates, and oversees for the DOD requirements-driven medical solutions that prevent, predict, and treat infectious disease threats to the total force maximizing warfighter readiness and performance.Opens CCCRP site
  • Combat Casualty Care Research ProgramOpens CCCRP site: Reduces mortality and morbidity resulting from injuries on the battlefield through the development of new life-saving strategies, new surgical techniques, biological and mechanical products, and the timely use of remote physiological monitoring.
  • Military Operational Medicine Research ProgramOpens MOMRP site: Develops effective countermeasures against stressors to maximize health, performance, and fitness. MOMRP’s mission is to protect the soldier at home and on the battlefield.
  • Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium: A public-private partnership that is managed by the Department of Defense and serves as an Other Transaction Authority to promote the development and delivery of innovative medical technologies to improve the health and safety of military personnel, veterans, and civilians. MTEC research is focused on technologies that can prevent injuries and accelerate the development of revolutionary medical solutions.  Telephone: (843) 760-4083
  • Military Health System ResearchMilitary Health System Research: Supports research projects with potential to innovate and improve the military health care system through annual grant awards. Each funding cycle MHSR publishes a Notice of Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov seeking rigorous intramural and extramural health systems research based on MHSR and clinical research priorities.
  • National Institutes of HealthOpens NIH site: NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. Information on grants and funding, such as due dates and how to apply, is provided.
  • Small Business Innovation Research Program and Small Business Technology Transfer ProgramOpens SBIR site: Supports scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy.

General Resources

Database Resources

  • Defense Manpower Data Center Reporting System:Opens DMDC site Reporting website that provides authorized users with the ability to view standard reports or to make custom data requests. The self-service data within this system is based on summarized personnel information from DMDC's data holdings. DMDCRS is designed for use by the U.S. federal government (military and civilian), U.S. federal government contractor, and various other support organization employees. Contact the DMDCRS Help Desk via email: dodhra.dodc-mb.dmdc.mbx.dmdcrs-helpdesk@mail.milEmail DMDCRS
  • Defense Medical Epidemiology DatabaseDefense Medical Epidemiology Database: DMED provides remote access to a subset of data contained within the Defense Medical Surveillance System. DMSS contains up-to-date and historical data on diseases and medical events (e.g., hospitalizations, ambulatory visits, reportable diseases) and longitudinal data relevant to personnel characteristics and deployments experience for all active and reserve component service members. The DMED application provides a user-friendly interface to perform queries regarding disease and injury rates and relative burdens of disease in active component populations. Contact the DMED Administrator via email: dha.ncr.health-surv.mbx.afhs-ea-reports@health.milEmail DMED
  • Defense & Veterans Eye Injury Vision RegistryOpens VCE site: DOD managed clinical health registry that provides the DOD and VA vision care community with DOD and VA ocular clinical and related data to track significant eye injuries of active-duty service members, support coordination of care, and support longitudinal studies and analysis on prevention, preservation, and restoration of the visual system. DVEIVR data and reports offer MHS researchers and medical personnel accurate information which improves eye care in support of a ready medical force.
  • DOD Cancer Registry ProgramOpens DODCR fact sheet: Enterprise data application and repository supporting MHS cancer treatment and research.
  • DOD Trauma RegistryOpens DODTR site: Web-based data collection tool that supports U.S. military performance improvement initiatives with global collection and aggregation of combat casualty care epidemiology, treatments, and outcomes. The trauma data registry captures and documents, in electronic format, information about the demographics, injury-producing incident, diagnosis and treatment, and outcome of injuries sustained by U.S./non-U.S. military and U.S./non-U.S. civilian personnel in wartime and peacetime from the point of injury to final disposition. Contact the Department of Defense Center of Excellence for Trauma, JTS Registry Management Branch via email: dha.jbsa.healthcare-ops.list.jts-trauma-log@health.milEmail DODTR
  • Health Artifact and Image Management SolutionHealth Artifact and Image Management Solution: HAIMS provides the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs health care providers global visibility and access to artifacts and images generated during the health care delivery process.
  • Joint Hearing Loss & Auditory System Injury RegistryOpens HCE site: Combines clinical episodes of care from both DOD and VA audiograms, demographic, deployment, theatre trauma, and non-trauma data. All information is in computable fields to promote analysis, research, performance improvement, and continuity of care. Contact the HCE Information Management Branch via email: dha.ncr.j-9.list.hce-im@health.milEmail HCE IM
  • Military Health Systems Information Platform: Provides clinical information data warehousing modules that enable DHA to monitor, extract, and make available clinical/business data from MTFs. MIP servers contain and process military medial data for use in data analysis and patient care. 
  • Soldier Performance, Health, and Readiness DatabaseOpens SPHERE site: A high-resolution epidemiologic research tool that serves as a significant resource for identifying risk/protective factors and adverse health outcomes and for evaluating intervention strategies in Army personnel. The SPHERE is a vast data repository that combines U.S. Army population data from multiple disparate Department of Defense agencies and is housed and managed within the USAMRDC's U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine’s Military Performance Division by a team of epidemiologists, analysts, and database managers. Contact SPHERE via email: usarmy.natick.medcom-usariem.mbx.usariem-sphere@health.milEmail SPHERE

Medical Library Resources

  • DHA Virtual Medical Library: The DHA Virtual Medical Library provides access to high-quality, evidence-based medical, nursing, and allied health information resources for Military Health personnel. The VML ensures that all personnel have access to core, essential resources regardless of duty station. While on the DHA network, no login is necessary to access any library resources.

 

** Remember, it is a researcher’s responsibility to account for all processes  and approvals in conducting medical research in the military! **

This graphic illustrates how funding, surveys, human subjects review, data sharing agreements, and other agreements are all needed prior to starting research.

Last Updated: June 27, 2024
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