Recipient Organization
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
108 M. WHITE SMITH HALL
AUBURN,AL 36849
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The readiness of Service members--and by extension, force readiness--is inextricably tied to the health and stability of their families; thus, it is critical for the United States Department of Defense(DoD) to have timely access to research and data-driven trendsregarding the well-being of military families. This access allows the DoD to make evidence-informed decisions that address the needs of Service members and their families. Our multidisciplinary team, based at Auburn University, has served as the Military REACH team since 2017 and seeks to continue this mission-essential work collaboratively with DoD's Office of Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP)and the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA).Our Research Team, composed of scholars with strong track records of authoring cutting-edge research and engaging with military programs and families via funded grants, is equipped to identify newly published research in real time and create both comprehensive research reports and brief research summaries that highlight action-oriented implications in a time-efficient manner (Objective 1 - Research).Our Outreach Team, composed of experts in library and information science and web development, created and continue to innovate the REACH website (militaryreach.auburn.edu/) and digital library, which currently houses over 11,000 holdings, to ensure that REACH materials are visible and easily accessible for all stakeholders (Objective 2 - Outreach).As producers and consumers of military family research, our team understands the current needs of military families. Given our history of project implementation, we also understand the needs of our partners, MC&FP and NIFA. For these reasons, we are uniquely positioned to accomplish project priorities and rapidly move this work to the next level on day one of the project period.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
100%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
The goal of Military REACH (referred toREACH) is to support military family well-being by facilitating timely access to research and data trends to stakeholders - primarily DoD personnel within the Office of Military Community and Family Policy and service providers who serve and work on behalf of military families - in formats that are easily understood and actionable. This goal will be achieved through the following objectives that align with program priorities:Objective 1 - Research: Deliver timely, quality research reports at the request of the DoD. Given our 8-year tenure of overseeing the REACH program and our staff of experienced social and behavioral scientists, our team is equipped to provide comprehensive research reports, including the synthesis of current literature and the analysis of available data, and research summaries of newly published military family science articles that highlight research implications in a time-efficient manner.Objective 2 - Outreach: Promote access to research by maintaining and marketing a growing web-based repository (i.e., online library) of research related to the well-being of military families. Developed 8 years ago by our multidisciplinary team (engineers, IT specialists, and research librarians), the library is continually updated to expand content and enhance accessibility. It currently houses 11,000+ holdings (e.g., abstracts of peer-reviewed articles, critical reviews of research articles, REACH generated reports). Our team will continue to develop and promote access to the library (e.g., monthly newsletter, social media).
Project Methods
Objective 1 [Research] Action PlanThe Research Team is responsible for developing research reports and research summaries that clearly convey the "state of the science" and offer meaningful implications for our stakeholders.Research Reports. We actively publicize our team's capabilities and scope of work to ensure that MC&FP personnel know how to utilize REACH as a resource. To advance the priorities of MC&FP and support ongoing work of each MC&FP directorate, our team conducts on-demand literature reviews and/or analyzes available data related to issues of military family readiness. Reports are typically delivered within 4 to 16 weeks (average ~9 weeks; <4 weeks for urgent requests), depending on the scope of the report and time required to receive feedback from the point of contact (POC). Our report process includes 6 steps developed from knowledge gained in previous project years:Acknowledge request: Within 1-2 days, the PI acknowledges receiving the report request and arranges a video/phone call with the POC to understand their needs and timeline.Determine course of action: The PI and Research Team leader determine the scope of work, necessary resources, and personnel needed.Mobilize the team for initial draft: The Research Team conducts a literature review or analyzes the data provided and drafts an initial report outline, typically within 4-6 weeks. The outline is sent to the POC for feedback (e.g., Are the main points captured? What else is needed?).Implement feedback: The Research Team integrates feedback from the POC and completes the literature review or data analysis. Relevant program and policy implications are highlighted. The report is finalized, typically within 8-12 weeks, and reviewed by a professional copy editor.Provide briefing package: A professionally produced briefing package that includes the final report and executive summary is submitted to the POC.Disseminate key products: When applicable, the research report is posted on the REACH website in the online library and social media (see Objective 2 - Outreach for more detail).Research Summaries. We have developed and refined artificial intelligence tools that allow us to continuously scan the research literature and identify newly published studies in real time. Relevant military family life studies are summarized by our Research Team into brief, two-page reports called Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) reports. TRIP reports provide an overview of the study's key findings and methodology written in everyday language to promote accessibility. They also provide a synthesis of practical implications for different stakeholders (e.g., families, helping professionals, policy makers, military leadership) to encourage evidence-based practice and decision making.Finally, TRIP reports communicate the merits of a given research study. Our REACH team developed a comprehensive, transparent approach to evaluate research articles inspired from the work of Mårtensson et al. (2016). We utilize a three-pronged assessment to evaluate each article's credibility, contribution to the field, and communicative value. We define these components as follows:Credible: Research that is rigorous, transparent, consistent, and generalizable. This dimension reflects an evaluation of the study's scientific methodology.Contributory: Research that is original, applicable, and has the potential to enhance the well-being of military families. The impact and novel contributions of a study are evaluated.Communicative: Research that is coherent, understandable, and readable. This dimension assesses how effectively the authors convey the study content.Our team evaluates several factors for each component; responses are recorded on a digital rubric we developed to guide and standardize scoring. A score ranging from 0 to 100 is generated for each component. Scores from 0-25 are deemed "Cautionary," 26-50 are "Adequate," 51-75 are "Commendable," and 76-100 are "Exemplary." Scores below 26 are flagged and further investigated to determine the quality and trustworthiness of the study. We notify MC&FP when studies are published that lack credibility.Evaluation and quality assurance for Objective 1. Regarding research reports, our team will continue to track the number of reports created and time required to deliver the briefing package. To continually improve our report process and final products, we request feedback from report POCs to understand what went well and what processes could be enhanced. To date, POCs have appreciated the thorough and application-focused approach of our team and the expedited turnaround time.For TRIP reports, we will continue to monitor the number of reports generated, aiming for 12 each month (January-November). We also disseminate these brief research summaries within MC&FP and to our network of collaborators who subscribe to our monthly newsletter to promote research access and application. To continually improve our TRIP process and final products, December-a month with historically lower user engagement-will be dedicated to reviewing and updating research processes (e.g., our research evaluation tool).Objective 2 [Outreach] Action Plan Ongoing access to military family research and REACH products requires a well-designed and secure web platform. The Outreach Team is responsible for sustaining and enhancing the infrastructure (back end) and user-experience (front end) of our state-of-the-art website and library platform as well as ensuring that our materials are visible and available to stakeholders.Sustain and enhance the REACH website and library. The REACH website, which experienced a 355% increase in users (50,000+ users to date) from FY20 to FY25, is housed in a secure, virtual environment serviced by Auburn University's Office of Information Technology. As part of the website, our digital library preserves research related to military family well-being. The library currently houses 11,000+ holdings and is continually growing; 1,936+ holdings are accompanied by a research summary (TRIP reports), and 65 holdings are REACH-generated research reports (and 40 additional REACH reports for internal use within MC&FP). Priority is placed on ensuring website security and responsivity, meeting accessibility standards, and indexing our website so that search engines (e.g., Google) can accurately index the library content. Continued enhancements to the website scheduled for FY26 include improving the site's search features through artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to enable natural language queries. These advancements will keep our website at the forefront of library and information science.Ensure that REACH materials are visible and easy to access. Developing reports and tools from military family research must be accompanied by strategic outreach plans to disseminate these products. We utilize social media and monthly e-newsletters to engage and educate stakeholders on developments in military family science. We plan to continue keeping stakeholders informed with the latest research as well as featuring research relevant to DoD monthly observances (e.g., Financial Capability Month). Continued outreach efforts include regular social media posts, monthly newsletters, and presentations at research meetings and military events (e.g., a standing invitation at Maxwell AFB to brief new staff at Military and Family Readiness Centers from across the world and encourage them to use research and evidence-based practices in their work).Evaluation and quality assurance for Objective 2. We will continue to track the growth of the library, including the number of new holdings, and monitor the usage of the library and the website more generally. With Google Analytics, we track usage throughout the year and identify spikes following outreach efforts.