National Institute of Health (NIH) funding patterns in Schools of Nursing: Who is funding nursing science research and who is conducting research at Schools of Nursing?

Abstract

Background: Developing the next generation of nurse researchers must be a priority to advance the discipline's science. A comprehensive description of the current federally-funded research is useful for understanding the research enterprise in Schools of Nursing.

Purpose: To describe the past 5 years of National Institute of Health (NIH) funding patterns in US Schools of Nursing.

Method: Data were extracted from NIH RePORTER for years 2014-2018. The total number of award types (F, K, R, U, P and T) granted to a School of Nursing in the US was summarized and organized by Institute. Grants were then characterized according to whether the Principal Investigator had a nursing degree (yes or no). Finally, the total funding from each NIH Institute/Center that was awarded to a School of Nursing was assessed.

Findings: Nearly 50% of the National Institute of Nursing Research's (NINR) extramural budget is awarded through grants to Schools of Nursing in the US. NINR funds 80% of training grants and >70% of Center grants, which support the education and infrastructure for research, respectively, at Schools of Nursing. Among top ranked research-intensive Schools of Nursing, awards to non-nurse Principal Investigators (PIs) averaged 34.5% across all years. The percentage of NIH funds awarded to non-nurse PIs ranged from 0% at 3 Schools to as high as 97% at 1 School of Nursing. Over the past 5 years, the following Institutes have consistently been the largest funders (total dollars) to Schools of Nursing: NINR, National Institute of Aging, National Institute of Minority and Health Disparities, National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Conclusion: These findings highlight the current funding streams for Schools of Nursing as well as opportunities for expansion. Preparing a cadre of nurse scientists who can generate new knowledge to advance our health care is critical to the success of our profession and to ensuring the health of the people for whom we provide care.