American Institutes for Research to Support U.S. Army Efforts to Reduce Harmful Behaviors in Military Communities

Arlington, Va. – The American Institutes for Research (AIR) was selected through a competitive process by the U.S. Army to operate a new center that will guide data-informed actions to build a more robust, responsive, and proactive public health workforce that can better prevent harmful behaviors, boost morale, and create safe, healthier military communities. The Center for Integrated Primary Prevention Innovation and Advancement (CIPPIA) will support the Army’s efforts to reduce harmful behaviors—such as sexual assault, harassment, retaliation, domestic abuse, child abuse, and suicide—within and across commands.  

Through CIPPIA, a five-year, $71.4 million investment by the U.S. Army, AIR’s public health and violence prevention experts will work alongside Army’s Integrated Prevention Division and their partners to select, adapt, implement, and evaluate prevention programs, practices, and policies with the greatest potential to prevent multiple types of harmful behaviors across military communities. Under this contract, AIR will:

• Support capacity-building for the Army’s Integrated Prevention Advisory Group (I-PAG) for research and evaluation. I-PAG members are tasked with making data-driven, research-informed recommendations to Army leaders about prevention strategies and approaches that address harmful behaviors. 
• Create tools, such as an evidence clearinghouse, and a user-friendly statistical query and reporting system to build the evidence base and raise awareness about what works to identify, address, and prevent harmful behaviors in military settings.
• Lead efforts to build the evidence of what works to prevent harmful behaviors in the military, including up to four rigorous evaluations. 
• Strengthen the Army’s integrated primary prevention workforce. AIR experts will provide guidance on recruiting and retaining a high-performing prevention workforce by ensuring they have the knowledge, skills, and ability to support and sustain healthy environments that are highly efficient and free from violence. This includes facilitating the development and sustainment of a community of practice for I-PAG personnel to share lessons-learned, promising practices, and spur collaboration. 

“Building the Army’s capacity to make data-informed decisions, and working alongside them to generate evidence and effective solutions that address urgent public health challenges, presents a unique opportunity to better understand what individuals, families, and communities need to reach their full potential,” said Julie Kochanek, senior vice president of AIR’s Human Services Division. 

AIR’s Katie Ports will serve as principal investigator and Melissa Scardaville will serve the Center director. To complete this work, AIR will coordinate with several key partners, including Banyan, BNL Consulting, Georgia State University, W2 Consultants, and other subject matter experts with an understanding of how to apply a public health approach to violence prevention in military settings.

About AIR
Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of education, health, and the workforce. AIR’s work is driven by its mission to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world. With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit www.air.org.