Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, has announced a $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment to support the university’s Military Family Research Institute (MFRI).

The three-year grant includes $3.5 million in funding and $1.5 million in matching funds. MRFI will use the grant to continue its support for military and veteran families by cultivating continuity between military and civilian organizations, building and sustaining linkages among the systems surrounding military families, and promoting synergy in their efforts. The grant will also support MRFI’s efforts to generate knowledge about veteran families; influence programs, policies, and practices used by the community; and assist in the transition for veterans into civilian life, among other things.

“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,” said MFRI director Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, a distinguished professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Health and Human Sciences. “We are excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to expanding our work with partners at Purdue, across Indiana and around the country.”

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