$5 million grant to go towards Purdue Military Family Research Institute

Margaret Christopherson, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·3 min read

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. − Purdue recently received a $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. that will go towards the university's Military Family Research Institute.

This grant includes $3.5 million in outright funding and $1.5 million in matching funds, according to a release from Purdue. This grant will help "enhance (MFRI's) robust support networks." The grant period will last until June 30, 2026.

The Focus Forward Fellowship program, which provides mentorship for female student veterans, is one of many programs offered by the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University. MFRI recently received a $5 million support grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
The Focus Forward Fellowship program, which provides mentorship for female student veterans, is one of many programs offered by the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University. MFRI recently received a $5 million support grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

“We at MFRI are honored and humbled by this funding,” said Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, MFRI director and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science in Purdue’s College of Health and Human Sciences in the release.

“Over the past 16 years, support from Lilly Endowment has made it possible for MFRI to deeply understand the vulnerabilities – and the resilience – of military and veteran families and to quickly develop and test new ways to help them confront the challenges and barriers placed in their way. We are excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to expanding our work with partners at Purdue, across Indiana and around the country.”

According to the release, the following is how the grant will assist military and veteran families, verbatim:

  • Supporting their military communities by cultivating continuity between military and civilian organizations, building and sustaining linkages among the systems surrounding military families, and promoting synergy in their efforts.

  • Strengthening the motivation and capacity of their civilian communities to support military and veteran families through improved preparedness and coordination.

  • Generating important new knowledge about their needs and circumstances.

  • Assisting veterans as they transition to civilian life.

  • Influencing pertinent programs, policies and practices by initiating, building and sustaining productive working relationships with existing and potential partners, while also raising awareness and shaping the thoughts and actions of the broader community.

  • Growing and sustaining vibrant learning across all focus areas, with the goal of enhancing professional opportunities for veterans and military families.

“MFRI has demonstrated scholarly excellence for more than two decades, conducting groundbreaking studies that influence programs, practices and policies,” said Mung Chiang, Purdue University president, in the release. “Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth has earned an international reputation as a scholar who has led MFRI in developing innovative research and programs that have received numerous awards at Purdue and nationally. We are proud to serve as such an important resource for supporting the quality of life for military and veteran families.”

Created in 2000, MFRI was created to help expand opportunities for military members, veterans and their families.

"...research (is provided through the MFRI) to help mental health providers, public policymakers, employers and leaders in higher education better understand the issues affecting the military community."

N. Clay Robbins, Lilly Endowment’s chairman and CEO, commented on the endowment's involvement with MFRI.

“Veterans and military families have done so much for the benefit of our country,” Robbins said in the release. “Their challenges and aspirations are much better understood because of MFRI’s outstanding research and analysis, which helps government and military leaders and concerned citizens know how to help veterans and their families lead more satisfying lives. Lilly Endowment is pleased that its support will help MFRI continue and enhance its important research efforts as well as the programs it has developed for the benefit of veterans and military families.”

Anyone interested in supporting MFRI should contact Jim Priest, director of foundation relations at Purdue for Life Foundation, at jcpriest@purdueforlife.org.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Funding to go towards Purdue Military Family Research Institute