Innovation, rigor, scalability, interprofessional teamwork –all  describe faculty's research at the OHSU School of Nursing. Consistently ranked  in the top half of NIH funding to schools of nursing, the School has been long  known for its stellar clinical research programs in such areas as cancer,  cardiac, and palliative care, as well as in symptom management and caregiving  for families and frail elders. The School is also known as an innovator in  educational and pedagogical innovation, for example, in seamless educational  progression, simulation, and interprofessional education.

The research engine  of the School is driven by faculty investigators with a passion for discovery  and a commitment to the highest standards of scientific inquiry. Doctoral  students and postdoctoral fellows are embedded in faculty's research programs  and thereby learn firsthand the art and science of research and grantsmanship.   Faculty research  clusters in several crucial scientific areas: integrative bio-behavioral  research; health equity research; transformational learning research;  implementation science; and improvement science. I invite you to scroll through  the following pages to learn about the areas and to note the faculty working in  these areas.

Supporting faculty  and doctoral student research is an Office of Research Services that provides  grant writing mentorship and consultation, biostatistics support,  and grants services at both the pre- and  post-award stages of funding. The School offers an intramural Innovations Small  Grant Funding program with funding of up to $25,000 a year for competitively  reviewed studies with high promise for impact and sustainability. At the  University level, faculty research is supported by the many services and small  grant funding of the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute  (OCTRI) with its coordinated infrastructure of core research tools that serve  clinical investigators and research staff.

Faculty's extramural funding  from federal, foundation, and professional organization sources reflects the high  esteem that research peers around the country hold the faculty and the School.  But award dollars are only one measure of  success. The real measure of this work is the demonstrated improvement in the  lives of people –patients and students –in Oregon and beyond.

News

Oregon Health & Science University announces the recent award recipients of the School of Nursing Innovations Small Grants Program.

The Innovations Small Grants Program, funded by the Dean and by the Betty Gray Rural Health Development Program, reflect the School's Commitment to Faculty research and innovation.

Supporting faculty's innovative pilot studies that hold promise for advancing nursing science, education, and practice is a high priority of the School. Applications for funds are reviewed by national peer reviewers with matching expertise who set high standards for rigor and quality. Proposals are evaluated for significance, innovation, methodological approach, sustainability, and synergism with School and University priorities. The qualifications of faculty investigators and the feasibility of studies are considered carefully to maximize the probability of long-term success. Interprofessional collaboration is highly encouraged as it reflects both the University's and the nation's value of team science.

According to Dean Susan Bakewell-Sachs, "OHSU School of Nursing is well-known for innovation. Supporting pilot work across our missions of research, education and practice is essential to continuing this tradition. We are proud of our faculty and hopeful for their future successes and breakthroughs. This cycle of awards will facilitate development of innovative ideas and improvements for education and patient care."

According to the Senior Associate Dean for Research, Virginia Tilden, "In this challenging climate for research funding, supporting faculty's innovative studies, both in clinical and educational research, is the right thing to do. Highly talented faculty of the School brim with innovative approaches for improving care to patients and education to students. This small grants program helps launch the creative work of junior faculty and complement the on-going work of senior faculty. I am thrilled at the array of studies and passion for innovation displayed by the awardees, who so deserve these awards."

For more information, press only:

Tracy Brawley, OHSU media specialist, brawley@ohsu.edu or 503-494-7009