About NASRI

"Understanding how Americans adapt, so we're ready when it matters."

Mission Statement

The National Adaptive Stress Research Institute was founded on a straightforward premise: that the federal government does not have adequate real-condition data on how civilian populations behave under genuine, sustained life-threatening stress.

Not simulated stress. Not survey responses. Not laboratory conditions.

Real stress. Real environments. Real outcomes.

NASRI fills that gap. We study human physiological and psychological stress response under extreme and prolonged environmental conditions to inform national emergency preparedness doctrine.

Oversight & Ethics

NASRI operates under three independent oversight structures to ensure research integrity and participant welfare:

NASRI Internal Review Board (IRB): Composed of seven members including external academic researchers, bioethicists, and legal scholars. Reviews all research protocols prior to initiation.
HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG): Conducts annual financial and compliance audits of all Institute operations.
Congressional Subcommittee on Civilian Preparedness: Provides legislative oversight and budget review through annual testimony by Director Ellery.

History & Timeline

Year	Milestone
1989	Dr. Charles R. Ellery authors the foundational proposal for a federal civilian resilience research institute while serving as Director of Civilian Research at the Office of Emergency Preparedness, HHS.
1991	Executive Charter 1991-CR-7 signed. NASRI established with an initial staff of 40 and a first-year budget of $47 million. Dr. Ellery named founding director. First field site operational by October.
1992	First NASRI research findings delivered to FEMA in classified briefing format. Second field site established.
1993	First NASRI paper published in an external peer-reviewed journal. Program B (Federal Correctional Transfer Agreement) reaches full operational capacity. Budget grows to $180 million.
1994	NASRI findings cited in National Academies of Science report on population resilience under catastrophic conditions. Program C (Interagency Referral Program) regional intake offices open in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, and Reno.
1995	Third field site established. Annual subject deployment exceeds 700 for the first time. NASRI delivers first briefings to the National Security Council.
1996	Peak throughput year. 847 subjects deployed. Four papers published. 17 partner agency briefings delivered.
1997	FY1998 budget request submitted. Phase III longitudinal research program authorized pending congressional approval.