The Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) have been working to increase collaborative efforts on many topics. To facilitate collaborative research, the agencies have produced a mutual VA/DoD Guidebook.
The guidebook provides suggestions for identifying collaborators with common research interests/goals, summarizes administrative and funding mechanisms, and identifies procedures for collaborative endeavors.
Recommendations for proposals, examples of successful research collaborations, a list of commonly used acronyms, and links to additional resources are included. The authors also provide tips from experienced researchers on how to maximize available resources and offer recommendations for future consideration.
Collaboration is also accomplished partially through efforts of the DoD/VA Deployment Health Work Group (DHWG), which was established to maintain, protect, and preserve the health of Armed Forces personnel. The DHWG focuses on the health of active-duty and reserve members and veterans, both during and after combat operations and other deployments. The primary emphasis is on Service members returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The DHWG coordinates initiatives related to Veterans of all eras, going back to the 1940s. The DHWG shares health surveillance information, tracks research initiatives related to deployment health, and collaborates on health risk communication.
The following are key initiatives:
- Health Surveillance and Follow-up Care of Military and Veteran Populations
- DoD and VA Research Related to Deployment Health
- DoD and VA Health Risk Communication Related to Deployment Health