Developing a Concept of Operations Template to Guide Collaborative Disaster Research Response Between Academic Public Health and Public Health Agencies

Sep 12, 2026

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Research in the setting of a disaster or public health emergency strengthens understanding of both short- and long-term health consequences and improves how response and recovery strategies are implemented and evaluated. Integrated Disaster Research Response (DR2) approaches can address scientific questions while also supporting operational response and recovery needs. The article proposes a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) template to structure collaborative DR2 development and implementation across academic public health and public health agencies, supported by literature, interviews, and practitioner discussions, and it identifies resource requirements for broad adoption.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Evidence-based preparedness and response needs

Challenges in disaster research response

Value of collaboration between academic public health and public health agencies

Concept of Operations (CONOPS) template

Purpose and intended users

Inputs informing the proposed CONOPS

Key components and implementation considerations

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness [www.cambridge.org/dmp](www.cambridge.org/dmp) Concepts in Disaster Medicine Cite this article: Khan AS, Wittenauer R, Patel R, Baseman J, Miller A, Errett NA. Developing a concept of operations template to guide collaborative disaster research response between academic public health and public health agencies. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 17(e39), 1–7. doi: [https://doi.org/10.1017/](https://doi.org/10.1017/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.1017/)[dmp.2021.280](dmp.2021.280.)[.](dmp.2021.280.) Keywords: academic public health; disaster research response; evidence-based practice; public health emergency preparedness and response Corresponding author: Amber S. Khan, Email: [akhan92@uw.edu](akhan92@uw.edu). © The Author(s), 2021 . Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. This isan Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/)[ ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/)[by/4.0/](by/4.0/)), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Developing a Concept of Operations Template to Guide Collaborative Disaster Research Response Between Academic Public Health and Public Health Agencies Amber S. Khan MPH1 , Rachel Wittenauer MPH1,2, Resham Patel MPH3,4, Janet Baseman PhD4,5,6, Aubrey Miller MD7 and Nicole A. Errett PhD1,4 1Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; 2Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; 3Public Health, Seattle and King County, Seattle, WA, USA; 4Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; 5Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; 6Office of the Dean, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA and 7Office of the Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA Abstract Research conducted in the context of a disaster or public health emergency is essential to improve knowledge about its short-and long-term health consequences, as well as the implementation and effectiveness of response and recovery strategies. Integrated approaches to conducting Disaster Research Response (DR2) can answer scientific questions, while also providing attendant value for operational response and recovery. Here, we propose a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) template to guide the collaborative development and implementation of DR2 among academic public health and public health agencies, informed by previous literature, semi-structured interviews with disaster researchers from academic public health across the United States, and discussion groups with public health practitioners. The proposed CONOPS outlines actionable strategies to address DR2 issues before, during, and after disasters for public health scholars and practitioners who seek to operationalize or enhance their DR2 programs. Additional financial and human resources will be necessary to promote widespread implementation of collaborative DR2 programs. Introduction The science needed to develop evidence-based public health emergency preparedness and response practice has been previously described as insufficient.1 Research conducted in the context of a disaster response offers opportunities to improve our understanding of the health consequences of disasters, identify effective approaches to prevent or reduce harm, evaluate response and recovery activities, and identify strategies to address gaps before another similar disaster strikes.2 In addition, research activities implemented in the context of a di

FAQs

What problem does the paper address about disaster and public health emergency research?

The paper addresses the insufficiency of evidence-based preparedness and response science and the need to translate disaster research into actionable operational improvements for response and recovery.

What does the proposed CONOPS template aim to do?

It guides the collaborative development and implementation of Disaster Research Response (DR2) between academic public health and public health agencies, including strategies for issues before, during, and after disasters.

What sources inform the CONOPS template?

The template is informed by prior literature, semi-structured interviews with disaster researchers in academic public health across the United States, and discussion groups with public health practitioners.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Himbo