Gulf War

The Research Working Group (RWG) of the Military and Veterans Health Coordinating Board provides oversight for the research portfolio targeted at finding the underlying causes of Gulf War illnesses. Each year the RWG is required to submit an Annual Report to Congress on the results, status, and future directions of research activities. The latest version of the Annual Report is in the production process and should be released in the near future.

The current portfolio of Gulf War related research includes 192 projects. All of the current 192 federal research projects, directly related to Gulf War veterans’ illnesses, are sponsored by the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs or Health and Human Services. The scope of the federal research portfolio is broad, from small pilot studies to large-scale epidemiology studies involving large study populations and major research center programs utilizing significant amounts of appropriated research funds. Currently, the Federal Government is projecting cumulative expenditures of $150.8 million for research from FY’94 through FY’00.