Examples include…

Assessing how cohesion is created and measured

Interviewing current and former military leaders about their efforts to maintain unit morale

Analyzing indicators of cohesion in administrative data

Identifying barriers and facilitators of inclusive climates

Disparities in recruitment, retention, and promotion by gender, race/ethnicity, and other demographic factors can limit the pool of available talent, undercut DoD’s goal of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and harm civilian-military relations.

Highlights of IDA’s recent work on DEI

• Assessing the potential impact of removing data that may reveal race, ethnicity, or gender from materials evaluated during military promotion and selection boards
• Identifying barriers and facilitators underrepresented demographics face to participation in certain elite military specialties
• Compiling evidence-based and research informed programs and practices to facilitate DEI in military and civilian contexts

To identify previously-unknown trends in officer outcomes across demographic groups, IDA applied the FIFE algorithm to predict retention and promotion for mid-career Navy officers. Analyzing the trained models enabled researchers to understand the predictive value of assignments and career experiences for each demographic group on retention and promotion.

Reviewing literature on factors associated with risk of sexual harassment or assault

Analyzing how alcohol prices on military installations impact incidence of alcohol misuse and other destructive behaviors

Developing statistical models to better understand suicide risks

Creating a framework to identify, select, and deploy evidence-based suicide prevention practices

To help the National Guard Bureau (NGB) decide how suicide prevention funding and programs would best be distributed across the U.S., IDA researchers conducted quantitative analyses of suicide rates in the U.S. Army National Guard (ARNG) and in the general population. The analysis revealed that while the ARNG suicide rate was higher than in the general population, differences in age, sex, and geographic distribution could explain much of the difference. Accordingly, the team recommended a set of prevention programs with evidence of success among the general population.

See our research summary and full report

Sexual misconduct is a significant social problem, both in and out of the military. It can be life-altering for those who experience it, and it can cause significant strain in the communities where it happens. Military policymakers have called for an evidence-based understanding of the individual and contextual factors that may contribute to sexual misconduct. IDA reviewed hundreds of prior studies on risk factors for sexual assault and harassment to help the DOD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) understand the current state of knowledge on sexual misconduct and provide recommendations on how to advance this important area of research.

See our report to learn more