Building academic-military research collaborations to improve the health of service members

Background: Academic-military research collaborations are desirable for many reasons; however, little guidance in the literature exists to help researchers understand collaboration requirements. Purpose: To describe the process for establishing academic-military research collaborations. Method: Specific collaboration requirements researchers must be aware of are outlined, two case studies are provided, and opportunities for and challenges with collaborations are discussed. Discussion: Academic-military collaborations made it possible to conduct studies of stigma and barriers with mental health care among military nursing personnel and the utilization of secure messaging for health concerns with service members and healthcare providers. Planning these efforts began in the earliest stages of developing research proposals, and additional time was required to complete regulatory requirements prior to study implementation. Understanding military-specific considerations and establishing clear expectations and responsibilities were essential. Conclusions: Despite the challenges involved, academic-military collaborations improve the quality of the research by enhancing access to funding, expertise, and resources.