Program Spotlight: DOW and NCAA CARE-SALTOS Study

The DOW and NCAA CARE-SALTOS Study

Launched in 2014, the DOW and NCAA CARE-SALTOS Study is the largest prospective study of concussions and repetitive head-impacts ever conducted.

Why Athletics and the Military Teamed Up

Cadets at military academies and college student-athletes share similar physical demands, injury risks, and teamwork environments. By joining forces, researchers can study head injuries across a large, healthy population of over 53,000 participants at more than 30 civilian universities and U.S. Service Academies (West Point, Air Force Academy, and Naval Academy).

How the Partnership Has Grown

  • CARE 1.0 (Baseline to Recovery): Established acute recovery timelines from the initial injury through the first six months.
  • CARE 2.0 (Cumulative Exposure): Measured how repeated impacts during sports and tactical training affect the brain over several years.
  • CARE-SALTOS / CARE 3.0 (Long-Term Outcomes): Follows participants after graduation to study long-term brain health and quality of life as they age.

Real-World Results

Data from the DOW and NCAA CARE-SALTOS Study has already produced tangible breakthroughs:

  • Safer Training Protocols: Objective data helps create clear guidelines for when a student or warfighter can safely return to duty, class, and/or physical activity.
  • Objective Field Tests: Validated blood biomarker tests may help medics identify brain injuries quickly, without relying solely on self-reported symptoms.

Featured Articles

National Collegiate Athletic Association and Uniformed Services University: 10 Years of Sports-Related Concussion Studies Partnership

National Collegiate Athletic Association and Uniformed Services ...

USU and NCAA are a decade into their joint concussion partnership and are expanding research into Defense Health Agency centers.
National Collegiate Athletic Association and Department of War focus on long-term brain health

National Collegiate Athletic Association and Department of War ...

In September 2026, brain health experts convened to discuss vital research investigating long-term brain health outcomes for warfighters and NCAA student-athletes. The “CARE - SALTOS” research project, short for the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education - Service Academy Longitudinal Mild TBI Outcomes Study, seeks to understand the immediate, intermediate, and long-term effects of concussion and repetitive head impacts.