The newly formed “Research and Innovation Advisory Board” within the College of Nursing is helping to connect donor-provided funds with faculty and students who are participating in nursing research. The board, consisting of tenured faculty, non-tenured faculty, grant administrators and other leaders in the college, has helped to award thousands of dollars in research support. These projects aim to advance the nursing profession as a whole and provide a great opportunity for students to participate in research projects. Generous donors have always helped to provide funding for research projects within the college, and this board aims to ensure that these dollars make as much impact as possible.
Over the past year, the board has approved funding for projects ranging from studies into the grief process in women who experienced perinatal loss, to helping to support students who are presenting their abstracts at research symposiums on campus. The board serves as a key conduit to helping donors make a true and lasting impact with their philanthropy.
Faculty and students are encouraged to apply for funding through an application process that compares to national grant funders such as the National Science Foundation. These applications are then reviewed by the board and funding is provided to projects that help advance the college. This process serves as a great learning experience for faculty and students who may not have applied for funding before, allowing them to receive feedback from the board prior to applying for additional funding. The board also serves as an excellent liaison between the faculty and students and the Center for Nursing Research, housed within the College of Nursing.
Currently around five donor-supported funds directly providing support for research exist within the College of Nursing. We are hopeful that the number of research funds will continue to grow in the college, especially as ɫҹ University has recently become an R1 research institution. As the college continues to broaden the reach of the Ph.D. program, research will continue to play a key role.
In addition to providing faculty and students with an opportunity to pursue funding for their research projects, the board serves as a mechanism to encourage and actively fund innovative projects within the college. Faculty and students alike are welcome to apply for seed funding to begin to develop novel and innovative projects that advance the field of nursing. Long term, the goal is to have innovation play a key part in the education of our nurses and for ɫҹ University to play a pivotal role in developing the nurses of tomorrow.
If you are interested in creating a fund to support research or innovation, please do not hesitate to reach out to Corey Hukill, Director of Advancement in the College of Nursing at 330-672-8753 or at chukill1@kent.edu.