The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing reached
new heights in federally funded research when it recently placed 21st in
the research rankings of National Institutes of Health. Research provides
the potential for saving lives and improving health, provides institutions
with more resources and recognition, helps recruit talented faculty and
students, and increases an institutions national and international sphere
of influence.
The NIH, one of the world’s foremost medical research centers which
funds medical and health care research, is the federal focal point for
health research. It was in 2000 that the UNMC College of Nursing first
ranked in the top 90 nursing schools for NIH research funding. There are
more than 600 institutions in the United States with nursing programs.
In Fiscal Year 2000, the UNMC College of Nursing ranked 84th, in FY2001,
the college moved up to 47th and for now for FY2002 its ranked 21st .
The college currently has $8,077,000 in NIH grants.
The college is ranked among Ivy League and institutions like Yale, Vanderbilt
and Ohio State University (ranked 13th , 14th and 19th respectively), institutions
that have a long history of research productivity. The University of Washington
in Seattle is ranked first.
We are very pleased with this jump in rank, said Ada Lindsey, Ph.D.,
dean of the UNMC College of Nursing. Gaining federal research dollars
was one of my goals before I accepted the dean position more than eight
years ago and has been in our strategic plan, she said. To be ranked
21st is a real step up in the right direction for the college — moving
into the national pool of better schools with active funded research programs.
When Dr. Lindsey arrived at UNMC in 1995, the college had no NIH funding.
Increasing research at UNMC is one of the priorities of Chancellor Harold
Maurer, M.D. This is spectacular! My hat is off to the faculty for becoming
a research powerhouse among colleges of nursing in the United States. What
a wonderful benefit to education and patient care.
Dr. Lindsey said she may have been the driving force but it was the
faculty that did the work. Ive facilitated and made it possible for others
to succeed. The faculty have done a lot, she said. Increasing NIH research
became part of our strategic plan.
If youre in a university, you should be generating new knowledge,
Dr. Lindsey said. Research is absolutely essential. Its the major building
block from which education and practice develop. Research sets a university
apart from other higher learning institutions. It takes a while to build
research capacity, Dr. Lindsey said.
To help increase its funding, the college conducts mock reviews of grant
proposals, has a team to assist faculty in preparing grants, literature
searches and retrieval, and enlisted the help of statisticians to collaborate
with faculty in planning projects. Faculty also tapped experts and consultants
to provide feedback. Writing workshops also are held.
Without having done these things, you dont stand a chance in the big
federal pool. Its been a major effort, Dr. Lindsey said. All of the
NIH proposals are reviewed in Washington. It helps strengthen the proposal,
said Dr. Lindsey.
The NIH considers grant proposals on five major scoring criteria: significance
— does the study address an important problem; approach — are the conceptual
framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated,
and appropriate to the aims of the project?; innovation — does the project
employ novel concepts, approaches or methods; investigator — is the investigator
appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work; and environment
— does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute
to the probability of success?
The NIHs National Institute of Nursing Research, which is the source
of the colleges funding, supports clinical and basic research to establish
a scientific basis for the care of individuals. Nursing research involves
clinical care in a variety of settings including the community and home
in addition to more traditional health care sites.
Bernice Yates, Ph.D., who has served as associate dean of research since
2000, is responsible for faculty research development, including locating
funding sources, as well as providing faculty support for grant preparation.
I knew we would be ranked much higher than last year, but I didnt think
wed be in the top 25, Dr. Yates said. The goal now is to move higher.
We have five grant applications primed and ready to submit, with other
faculty working on applications for pilot studies.
Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., UNMC vice chancellor for research, said the College
of Nursing has shown what a determined and dedicated group of researchers
can do. They set an example for all of us at UNMC. I know that Dr Lindsey
and her faculty are proud and pleased by this tremendous recognition of
their growth into a highly ranked, nationally recognized program.