Resources

Research Collaboration

Investigators interested in obtaining further information on collaborative research within the Millennium Cohort Study of Adolescent Resilience (SOAR) are invited to contact [email protected]@health.mil.

The Millennium Cohort Program (MCP) consists of three major Department of Defense-led research initiatives: The Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), Millennium Cohort Family Study (MCFS), and Millennium Cohort Study of Adolescent Resilience (SOAR). The MCP is a strategic research effort primarily supported by the Defense Health Agency. These studies provide critical insights into the long-term impact of military service on force readiness, family resilience, and future service propensity.

The MCP research teams are centrally located at the DoD Center for Deployment Health at the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego, California. However, MCP also includes key research representatives at the Uniformed Services University and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the program maintains strategic collaborations with academic and private research organizations.

Formal guidelines for Collaborative Research within SOAR are available upon request. Briefly, research proposals undergo review by an oversight committee to ensure alignment with study objectives focused on military family resilience and future service pathways. The primary objective of SOAR is to determine how military life influences the long-term success, leadership development, and career aspirations of military-connected adolescents.

Researchers must submit collaboration requests in writing, in the form of a pre-proposal (see pre- proposal application requirements below), to the SOAR Principal Investigator (PI), who serves as the point of contact for all collaborative research efforts. Proposed projects must:

  1. Be feasible and scientifically rigorous
  2. Demonstrate substantial military relevance
  3. Be novel and of strategic interest to military families and force readiness

Additionally, researchers must clearly outline why SOAR data is required over other datasets, and the proposed study cannot duplicate ongoing research. Studies requiring external data collection are rarely considered, as maintaining data integrity is critical to protecting the scientific objectivity of the research.

Once the pre-proposal application is received:

  1. The pre-proposal will be formally reviewed by the oversight committee.
  2. If approved, the applicant will be invited to submit a full proposal (see full proposal application requirements below).
  3. A final decision on the use of SOAR data will be provided. If the full proposal is approved, applicants must complete Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals, data- sharing agreements, and any required funding agreements (e.g., Data Use Agreement, Business Associate Agreement, Memorandum of Understanding).

Additional requirements:

Before research commences, a full proposal must receive formal approval, and all required documentation must be in place. External collaborators will work in partnership with a SOAR investigator and PI as members of the study team. Due to the complexity of the dataset and its national security significance, SOAR investigators must be directly involved to ensure scientific validity and proper interpretation of findings.

All research findings, including publications and presentations, require review and formal approval from NHRC and the Department of the Navy prior to public release.

For further questions, investigators are invited to contact [email protected].

Study Methodology – SOAR Wave 1: 2022/2023

SOAR is an integral component of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), the first and largest U.S. population-based prospective study investigating the long-term effects of military service. Nearly 40,000 Millennium Cohort participants with adolescent children were invited to complete a comprehensive, web-based survey assessing factors critical to family resilience and future service propensity.

Military parents provided referral information for their adolescent child and another primary parental figure, when available, to support a whole-family research approach. This design allows for multi-generational insight into how military life shapes youth development, leadership potential, and career aspirations. Adolescent participants will complete follow-up surveys every two years to track changes through adolescence and into adulthood, ensuring a longitudinal perspective on the military family experience.

Funding

The Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) is one of eight Department of Defense research laboratories under the Naval Medical Research Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Together, these laboratories support military readiness by advancing research and development efforts that enhance force lethality, resilience, and operational effectiveness.

SOAR is conducted with support from The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP), which is responsible for programs that strengthen force retention, family readiness, and service member well-being.