U.S. and Allies Partner on a New Front

Growing trend of partnership beyond the battlefield as allies take lessons from joint military cooperation and apply it to improving veterans’ services.


SYRACUSE, N.Y. and TORONTO, Sept. 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allied forces have been performing joint operations together for decades. The sophistication of these operations has gone to new levels from the early world wars to the current, longest war in United States history. Yet, when dealing with the challenges of their returning war veterans, each country has been acting independently.

Now veteran-focused research institutes in allied countries are taking a page from the military and banding together to work alongside tackling the shared realities faced by post-war veterans no matter their flag.

The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) has signed partnership agreements with the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) representing the U.S. as a Global Affiliate, and with the Veterans and Families Institute (VFI) at Anglia Ruskin University in the U.K. Also, in partnership with the VFI at Anglia Ruskin, Nick Armstrong, Ph.D., IVMF Senior Director of Research and Evaluation, has been selected to join an expert advisory group on a U.K. Ministry of Defense-sponsored effort to develop an outcomes measurement framework to track veteran well-being.

“We are thrilled about the potential these new research collaborations hold to draw new insights and learning in collective support of those who serve our respective nations,” says Nick Armstrong, Ph.D., IVMF Senior Director of Research and Evaluation. “Going back for decades our countries have benefitted from working closely with our allies on intelligence, strategy and operations. This same cooperation when applied to the post-military care of all of our veterans, will strengthen their reintegration to civilian life.”

The IVMF is the first interdisciplinary national institute in higher education in the United States focused on the social, economic, education, and policy issues impacting veterans and their families following military service. The CIMVHR’s announcement comes at its eighth annual conference being held in partnership with the Invictus Games for wounded, injured and sick military and veteran men and women, in Toronto, Canada. The IVMF research team presented at the conference on AmericaServes, a community-based program that aims to enhance veteran well-being through improved access to health and social services in their local communities. They also participated in a select working group to propose new evidence-based research topics on military-to-civilian transition.

Media Contact:
Stephanie Salanger
Director, Communications & Media
Office of Veteran and Military Affairs
Institute for Veterans and Military Families
Mobile: 315.378.8171; Email: ssalange@syr.edu

About the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University
The Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) is the first interdisciplinary national institute in higher education focused on the social, economic, education, and policy issues impacting veterans and their families. Through its professional staff and experts, the IVMF delivers leading programs in career, vocational, and entrepreneurship education and training, while also conducting actionable research, policy analysis, and program evaluations. The IVMF also supports communities through collective impact efforts that enhance delivery and access to services and care. The Institute, supported by a distinguished advisory board, along with public and private partners, is committed to advancing the lives of those who have served in America’s armed forces and their families. For more information, visit ivmf.syracuse.edu and follow the IVMF on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

About the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research
The Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) is an innovative organization that engages existing academic research resources and facilitates the development of new research, research capacity and effective knowledge translation. With a network of academic researchers, CIMVHR serves as the hub for 43 Canadian universities and 8 global affiliates who have agreed to work together in addressing the health research requirements of the Canadian military, Veterans and their families.
CIMVHR: Serving those who serve us.