DoD Gulf War Illness Epidemiology Research Award

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The Gulf War Illness Epidemiology Research Award was first offered in FY15. Since then, 11 Gulf War Illness Epidemiology Research Award applications have been received, and 2 have been recommended for funding. The purpose of this award is to support population-based research to obtain a better understanding of mortality, morbidity, and symptomatology over time in Veterans deployed in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War and afflicted by GWI. While individual symptoms experienced by ill Gulf War Veterans can vary from person to person, the types of symptoms reported are comparable and typically include some combination of widespread pain and headaches, fatigue, cognitive impairment, gastrointestinal symptoms, and skin abnormalities. GWI case definitions published to date may be improved through the consideration of additional epidemiological data describing symptom onset, duration, severity, and laboratory findings. The Gulf War Illness Epidemiology Research Award supports hypothesis-driven or discovery-based research into mortality, morbidity, and symptomatology and/or how these have changed or progressed over time in the Gulf War Veteran population compared to rates and patterns of change with time in appropriate control populations. Topic areas of interest under the Gulf War Illness Epidemiology Research Award include but are not limited to:  Mortality (rate and causes)  Descriptors of symptomatology (e.g., duration, frequency, severity) and changes to those associated with GWI  Clinical diagnoses and laboratory findings  Symptom clustering and subgrouping  Gender and racial differences The April 2014 report of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses (available online at http://www.bu.edu/sph/files/2014/04/RAC2014.pdf) notes that Gulf War Veterans exposed to nerve gas release and oil well fires have elevated rates of death due to brain cancer. However, the report also notes, “very little other research has yet been conducted to determine rates at which Gulf War Veterans have been affected by other medical conditions of possible concern, including neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease, other cancers, sleep disorders, adverse pregnancy outcomes or rates of birth defects in Veterans’ children.” Therefore, proposed projects may also address questions related to medical conditions co-occurring with GWI or those related to Gulf War Veteran offspring; however, the primary focus of the study must be epidemiological characterization of the Gulf War Veteran population. The GWIRP intends to fund studies that address broad populations, or comparative populations that can inform one or more of the topic areas listed above. Studies that address small populations, populations associated with very limited catchment, specific military units or geographic areas of deployment, or studies addressing limited symptoms, markers, or effects must be well justified as to why the scope has been specifically limited. Revisiting previously studied cohorts to generate or extend longitudinal data is one example of a reasonable justification. The application should include a clearly articulated statistical analysis plan including statistical expertise and a power analysis reflecting sample size projections that will clearly answer the objectives of the study. The application must also include a data management plan and use of an appropriate database to safeguard and maintain the integrity of the data. Applicants proposing to collect human anatomical substances for laboratory study are encouraged to correlate sample analyses to medical/administrative records.

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