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September 3, 1998

Nursing ranks 8th in research grants

With research grants and fellowships totaling more than $2 million, the School of Nursing ranks eighth in the number of research grants received from the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The school placed ninth in overall NIH funding among nursing schools across the United States for fiscal year 1997.

"This funding is an example of just how research intensive we are at the School of Nursing and what we're doing to increase the knowledge about patients' conditions and their response to illnesses," said Mary Kerr, director, Center for Nursing Research.

Nurse researchers at the School of Nursing have received NIH funding for studies ranging from puberty and early sexual behavior to menopause and various other health care issues, such as urinary incontinence, depression, smoking cessation and cognitive impairments in patients receiving certain treatments for diseases.

According to Kerr, nurses typically apply for NIH funding after completing a series of pilot studies that examine a particular health problem and the nurses' proposed solutions.

There are several criteria that each grant proposal must meet. The problem must have significant importance, be innovative and scientifically sound, and the applicants must have the appropriate resources along with the proper background to conduct their research. If peer reviews from NIH determine that the solution could work, they provide the funding to test the effectiveness of the solution. If there is a problem with certain aspects of the proposed project, the reviews from NIH will ask for some modifications to the study, and the investigator may resubmit the grant application.

Filed under: Feature,Volume 31 Issue 1

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