Funding
for PhD in Nursing Students
Graduate Assistance in Areas
of National Need (GAANN)
The OHSU School of Nursing has a wonderful opportunity to support PhD nursing students as teaching fellows through the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) fellowship. This program is funded by the Department of Education and is designed to address shortages of PhD-prepared faculty in areas or disciplines for which there is a national need. The field of nursing is one of these areas where the limited number of PhD-prepared nurses eligible to teach future nursing students directly effects the critical nursing shortage across the nation.
The GAANN teaching fellowship makes it possible for nursing PhD students to gain advanced preparation in nursing education in addition to their research training in nursing science. The goal of this fellowship program is to enlarge the pool of nurse scientists who are also educated in pedagogical research and theory. It is our expectation that this project will prepare a cadre of graduates uniquely prepared to assume the full academic faculty role that encompasses teaching and conducting research in a School of Nursing. Click here to learn more about what you will learn as a GAANN fellow.
The GAANN fellowship provides tuition and fees as well as a stipend based on financial need (determined by the Office of Financial Aid using federal criteria) for up to 5 years while in the nursing program. Fellows are required to attend school full time and maintain satisfactory progress in the PhD program in order to continue to receive funding. The first year of the fellowship serves as an orientation year where students will take didactic coursework in both nursing science and pedagogy. In the subsequent years, fellows receive teaching assistantships that introduce them to different instructional designs and formats.
Applying for
the GAANN:
To apply for the GAANN teaching fellowship, PhD students must submit a
letter of application describing their interests and goals in teaching
and research as well as their commitment to the full academic role. PhD
students on either the post-baccalaureate and post-masters track may apply.
The letter should be addressed to the GAANN Executive Committee, Attention:
Dr. Gail Houck, Co-Director, and
submitted by February 1st. To qualify for the fellowship, students must
demonstrate financial need as determined under Title IV, Part F of the
Higher Education Act of 1966 as amended, using the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), analyzed according to the Federal Methodology
used in Department of Education Title IV programs. The Director of the
Financial Aid Office will assess financial need for potential GAANN fellows.
Please be sure to complete a FAFSA. In addition to the determination of
financial need, applicants will be evaluated on the basis of GPA (minimum
3.5 on a 4-point scale), GRE scores (competitive), and letter of application.
What you will
do, what you will learn with the GAANN:
While progressing in the PhD in nursing program, the GAANN fellows receive
mentored support for teaching seminars, clinical courses, and theory courses.
During the second and/or third years of the program of study, fellows
are expected to take three nursing education courses selected from four
courses that are currently offered. These options include: N661 Curriculum
and Instructional Design in Nursing, N662 Assessment of Learning in Nursing,
and N664 Clinical Teaching OR N663 Simulation in Nursing Education. In
the subsequent year, another teaching seminar augments a mentored teaching
practicum, in which fellows participate in the course(s) they will teach
during their fourth year. For clinical courses, the mentored experience
includes identifying clinical preceptors and negotiating with the clinical
site, identifying key competencies to be attained, and developing appropriate
clinical learning opportunities. For theory courses, the mentored experience
includes developing the syllabus, selecting textbooks and journal readings,
developing learning activities, developing case studies and/or simulation
scenarios, selecting evaluation strategies, and grading.
The final year of the fellowship includes an independent mentored teaching residency, in which fellows teach or co-teach the courses that they participated in the previous year. In the teaching residency seminar, all aspects of the faculty role will be addressed, including citizenship, faculty governance, and related service. Fellows are assisted in developing a teaching portfolio to document academic experiences in relation to teaching. The intent of the portfolio is to facilitate interviews for academic positions at graduation.
Find our more about the OHSU School of Nursing PhD program and our PhD faculty.