The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF) is a private, not-for-profit organization established in 1983 and authorized by Congress to support medical research and education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU)[1] and throughout the military medical community.The Foundation was named in honor of Washington State Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson, who sponsored the original legislation. Senator Jackson had a long-standing commitment to military medicine and health.
HJF provides scientific and management services, from infrastructure development, financial administration and clinical trials management to staffing, continuing medical education and event planning. The Foundation works with a variety of programs, from large multi-site trials to small, benchtop projects, both nationally and abroad. USU, located in Bethesda, Maryland, is the nation’s only federal school of medicine and graduate school of nursing. It was established by Congress in 1972. The University’s curriculum is similar to that of its civilian counterparts, but it also provides additional specialized education elements geared towards producing career uniformed officers. Today, one in four active-duty physicians are USU alumni. USU was a major focus of the documentary film Fighting for Life, which will be released in 2008.
HJF’s largest program is the U.S. Military HIV Research Program (USMHRP),[2] whose mission is to protect U.S. military personnel and aid the international fight against HIV. Established in 1988, the tri-service USMHRP focuses on HIV vaccine development, prevention, disease surveillance and care and treatment for HIV.
USMHRP is centered at the Division of Retrovirology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR)[3] and works closely with HJF through a cooperative agreement. USMHRP has its headquarters and laboratories in Rockville, Maryland, and also includes six international vaccine development sites, twenty international surveillance sites and seven military medical treatment facilities.
The Foundation supports nearly 1,000 additional research projects at USU and throughout military medicine including the Center for Prostate Disease Research,[4] the Navy Biological Defense Directorate,[5] the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress[6] and the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine.[7] It employs more than 1,600 scientific, medical, management and administrative personnel. HJF also supports more than 80 military medical conferences each year, manages endowments for USU, and promotes private-public partnerships.[8]