05/25/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/25/2023 07:49
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will provide continued support during the next three years for the work Purdue University's Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) does to improve the lives of military families and veterans.
This grant, which includes $3.5 million in outright funding and $1.5 million in matching funds, will help MFRI enhance its robust support networks. The grant period is from March 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026.
"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. "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."
Specifically, the grant will assist military and veteran families by:
"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. "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."
With guidance from MacDermid Wadsworth, MFRI was created at Purdue in 2000. The organization works to expand opportunities for military members, veterans and their families by providing research to help mental health providers, public policymakers, employers and leaders in higher education better understand the issues affecting the military community. This includes helping civilian leaders see the value of bringing military and veteran families into community leadership roles.
MFRI uses support from Lilly Endowment and other funders to strengthen the capacity of community organizations and systems to promote and build the resilience of military and veteran families. Innovations created by MFRI and its partners are operating across the country in several key areas:
"Veterans and military families have done so much for the benefit of our country," said N. Clay Robbins, Lilly Endowment's chairman and CEO. "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."
Individuals or organizations interested in doubling the impact of their gifts in support of MFRI's efforts to assist veterans and military families should contact Jim Priest, director of foundation relations at Purdue for Life Foundation, at [email protected] to learn about matching opportunities through Lilly Endowment's grant.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today's toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last five years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu.
About the Military Family Research Institute
The Military Family Research Institute was founded in 2000. It is a leading university-based organization in the nation that specializes in research, engagement and outreach with and for military-connected families. MFRI is part of the Center for Families in Purdue's Department of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders' wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. Although the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its founders' hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.
Writer: Aaron Martin
Media contact: Derek Schultz, [email protected]