The University of Kentucky Sports Medicine Research Institute (SMRI) received a $3.6 million research contract from the United States Department of Defense (DOD) and Office of Naval Research to expand research focused on determining optimal physical and mental fitness among elite U.S. military members.

Optimal preparation for tactical training and deployment requires high levels of physical and mental performance. “This award will support the development of a tool that can be used by special operations forces command to determine this overall preparedness of their personnel and respond with earlier interventions for injury prevention,” said John Abt, PhD, ATC, FACSM, director of the SMRI and principal investigator of the research.