HILO » The University of Hawaii at Hilo is researching the effects of deployment on military families.

The university of announced Friday the Department of Defense is funding the Ohana Heroes Project with $2.7 million.

Project principal investigator Charmaine Higa-McMillan says the goal is to understand the effects of military deployment on families in order to develop support programs.

The project is looking for families on the Big Island and Oahu with at least one child. Families will complete interviews and surveys. They’ll undergo non-invasive physical measures of street over the course of one week. Families will be compensated $100 cash for a time commitment of four to five hours.

The university is teaming up with the University of Central Florida and University of Houston on the project.