About
Purpose
The goal of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program is to develop the next generation of national leaders in academic nursing through career development awards for outstanding junior nursing faculty. The program aims to strengthen the academic productivity and overall excellence of nursing schools by providing mentorship, leadership training and salary and research support to young faculty.
Eligibility Criteria
Applications must be submitted by the academic institution nominating the proposed scholar. Preference will be given to those applicants who may be either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
To be eligible, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Be a registered nurse with a research doctorate in nursing or a related discipline.
- Be a junior faculty member in an accredited school of nursing in an academic position that could lead to tenure. (Junior faculty are defined as those who are at the instructor or assistant professor level and have been in a faculty position after completing their doctorate for at least two and no more than five years at the start of the program.)
- Identify at least one senior leader in the school of nursing as an institutional mentor for academic career planning and to provide access to organizations, programs and colleagues helpful to the candidate’s work as a Nurse Faculty Scholar.
- Identify at least one senior researcher in the university with similar or complementary research interests. Scholars are encouraged to select the research mentor from a discipline outside of nursing.
Candidates must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its territories
at the time of application and must not receive support from other research fellowships/traineeships at the time they begin the program.
We embrace racial, ethnic and gender diversity and encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.
Selection Criteria
The following factors are considered in the selection process:
- Evidence of the potential for and strong commitment to a full career as an academic nurse leader, with the capacity to achieve rank of full professor.
- Evidence that the nominating institution and its senior leadership are committed to supporting the candidate’s academic career and activities during the program.
- Evidence of the availability and commitment of qualified mentors and academic resources, including space as appropriate, at the candidate’s institution.
- Evidence of the potential to become a national leader in the candidate’s scholarly focus area.
- Evidence of the candidate’s commitment to teaching excellence.
- Evidence of the candidate’s commitment to racial, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity in nursing.
- General merit of the candidate’s research proposal.
- Potential of the proposed research and scholarship area to serve as a foundation for the candidate’s academic career and contribution to: nursing science; interdisciplinary knowledge in a focus area; and improvement of health and health care in the United States.
The NAC will review all applications and supporting letters of recommendation and will select semifinalists for interviews. The NAC will then make final recommendations to RWJF. Neither the NAC nor RWJF provides individual critiques of the applications submitted.
Total Awards
- Up to 15 awards of up to $350,000 each over three years will be available in this round.
Use of Grant Funds
Grant funds cover salary support (60% FTE), plus fringe benefits corresponding to the
level of salary support. The remaining grant funds may be used to support research-related expenses, training workshops and travel to professional meetings. Owing to the nature of this support, RWJF requests that institutions waive indirect costs. Semifinalists will be required to submit a budget and budget narrative.
Grants are made to sponsoring institutions and must follow RWJF funding guidelines. The sponsoring institutions must meet RWJF requirements for the submission of annual financial
and narrative reports, as well as a final written report upon the program’s completion.
How to Apply
Applications and supporting materials for this program must be submitted only through the RWJF Grantmaking Online system at http://grantmaking.rwjf.org/nfs2.
We will require all candidates to submit additional documentation. Accompanying letters of endorsement, including specific information on institutional support, should be provided by the school of nursing dean and the provost or chief executive officer of the university. Letters are also required from the proposed institutional mentors. In addition, one letter of reference is required from a senior leader who is well acquainted with the candidate’s accomplishments, commitment, research, teaching skills and potential for academic leadership. See the program’s Frequently Asked Questions (at www.rwjfnursefacultyscholars.org) for more information.
Interested candidates are encouraged to participate in one of the optional application Web conferences scheduled for December 11, 2008 at 10 a.m. ET and December 17, 2008 at 2 p.m. ET. You must register in advance by signing up on the program’s Web site.
Scholar Profile
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University of California, San FranciscoJill H. Esquivel, Ph.D., R.N., N.P., is working to develop a culturally appropriate intervention to improve self-care and knowledge of Heart Failure in Hispanic patients. She believes this intervention, created specifically for Hispanics, will reduce the risk of re-hospitalization in Heart Failure patients.
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University of Washington School of NursingHow state and local public health systems can be most effective in eliminating health disparities is of keen interest to Betty Bekemeier, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.N., F.A.A.N. of the University of Washington. Dr. Bekemeier is also actively engaged in translational reserach with the national system of Public Health Practice-based Research Networks.
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Columbia UniversityDr. Elizabeth Cohn’s research project focuses on increasing the representation of minorities in genetic, epigenetic and genomic research through community engagement. In addition to teaching at the Columbia University School of Nursing, Dr. Cohn is associate chair of research for the Hip Hop Public Education Center, and has a federally funded academic-community partnership with the Abyssinian Baptist Church of Harlem.
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University of Illinois at Chicago College of NursingShannon N. Zenk, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.N. is Assistant Professor in Health Systems Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing. The foci of Dr. Zenk’s research are understanding social determinants of obesity and identifying environmental and policy approaches to reduce obesity. Of particular interest are contributions of the built and social environment to racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in obesity.
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University of California, DavisElena Siegel, Ph.D., R.N., has a background in business and finance and is applying this knowledge to her research in care systems management and gerontology. She hopes that her research will maximize organizational and workforce capacity to deliver high quality, cost-effective long term care for older Americans. Dr. Siegel is an Assistant Professor and founding faculty member at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis.
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University of Michigan, School of NursingMaria Katapodi, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N. came to United States as a Fulbright Scholar to pursue graduate studies in nursing. Her research integrates oncology genomics, decision-making, and family communication. She aspires to use her program of research and her expertise in meta-analysis, to facilitate the translation of genomics into evidence-based nursing practice.
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Duquesne University School of NursingAs a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Public/Community Health, Alison M. Colbert, Assistant Professor at Dusquesne University, aims to improve the health of recently-incarcerated women. Her RWJF-sponsored research will focus on developing a case management intervention targeting this population.
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University of IowaAndrea Wallace, Ph.D., R.N. is an Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa College of Nursing. Her research interest is in finding means of improving outcomes for those living with chronic illness, particularly for vulnerable patient populations. Her current focus is on examining how interventions aiming to improve diabetes self-management support can be feasibly implemented during routine primary care service delivery.
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University of UtahAlexa Doig, Ph.D., R.N., hopes to develop a human factors training intervention for nurses to acquire the cognitive skills necessary for managing work interruptions. Dr. Doig currently teaches courses in anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology at the University of Utah College of Nursing.
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University of MichiganDr Tsui Sui Kao of the University of Michigan aspires to translate her research with adolescents and their parents to develop strategies to promote positive parent-child interactions, thus bridging the health disparities gap created by socioeconomic inequality and inadequate understanding of diverse adolescents’ behaviors. Read more about Dr. Kao’s research on family collective efficacy and her role as an academic nursing by clicking here.
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University of North Carolina, Chapel HillAnna Beeber, Ph.D., R.N. is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Her research focuses on improving the quality of care for older adults residing in long-term care settings. Dr. Beeber currently teaches clinical care of older adults to MSN students.
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Montana State University, School of NursingLaura Larsson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.N. is interested in environmental health and is currently researching renters as a vulnerable population. Dr. Larsson serves on the Gallatin City County Board of Health. In that role she is working to improve local air quality and promote a prevention agenda to enhance the quality and quantity of years of rural Montanans.
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University of MiamiRosa Gonzalez-Guarda, Ph.D., R.N., M.P.H., C.P.H., is developing a culturally specific Teen Dating Violence prevention intervention, which consists of strategies directed towards the student, their parents and the school. Ultimately, she hopes that this project will be implemented in high schools throughout the world. Click here for more information on Dr. Gonzalez Guarda’s research on violence prevention.
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Wayne State UniversityWhile working as a Nurse Practitioner caring for individuals with dementia, LuAnn Etcher, PhD, GNP observed the negative impact that temporally patterned behaviors can have on the quality of life of those with dementia and their caregivers. As a result of this experience, Dr. Etcher became interested in finding ways to specifically detect and manage circadian based systems associated with Dementia. Dr. Etcher teaches graduate and doctoral level students an assistant professor at Wayne State University School of Nursing.
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University of California, Los AngelesDr. Nalo Hamilton, Ph.D., R.N., W.H.N.P./A.N.P.-B.C., is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing. Dr. Hamilton is interested in the development of breast cancer and its impact on women of diverse ethnic backgrounds. She hopes that the discovery of unique biomarkers for breast cancer development and progression may improve patient screening and treatment outcomes.
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Johns Hopkins UniversityJason Farley, PhD, MPH, CRNP is an assistant professor in the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. His research focuses on HIV and epidemiology, prevention and management of association drug resistant co-infections such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. For his research project, Dr. Farley will conduct a randomized controlled trial of persons living with HIV who are colonized with MRSA bacteria. His ultimate goal is to inform practice among patients living with HIV.
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Ohio State UniversityJodi Ford, Ph.D., R.N. is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Her research focuses on population health, specifically the mechanisms through which contextual disadvantage contributes to health and health disparities among adolescents and young adults in the U.S. and globally. Dr. Ford teaches courses on the social determinants of health and quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
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West Virginia UniversityTaura Barr, PhD, RN is an assistant professor in the West Virginia University School of Nursing and Prevention Research Center. Her program of research is centered on the use of genomic methodologies to identify biomarkers of cardiovascular disease, understand their relationship with post-stroke inflammation and immunity, and define the contributing environmental factors related to health disparity in underserved populations.
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New York UniversityMaja Djukic, PhD, RN is an assistant professor at New York University College of Nursing. Her research interests focus on exploring personal and organizational factors associated with the implementation of evidence-based nurse work environment improvement strategies. As an RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar, Djukic hopes to make important contributions to the inter-professional field of implementation science.
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Saint Louis University School of NursingDr. Kostas-Polston's research goals include developing tools for the detection of persistent Human Papillomavirus infection of the oropharynx as well as identifying strategies which may be used to inhibit the oncogenic activity of high risk HPV genotypes.
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Duke University School of NursingRobin Knobel, Ph.D., R.N. is an Assistant Professor at Duke University School of Nursing. After completing her undergraduate degree in nursing from University of Nevada, she practiced as a neonatal nurse for 13 years and then completed an MSN from East Carolina University as a neonatal nurse practitioner.
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Johns Hopkins University School of NursingSarah Szanton, Ph.D., C.R.N.P., Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University, saw first-hand the psychological stress of living in resource-poor neighborhoods while working as a nurse practitioner at community health sites serving the poor and underserved in Baltimore and Washington, DC. It was there that she found her passion for research -- to discover what was known and what we could do to alter the trajectory of these adults so that they could “age in place” successfully.
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University of California
E. Alison Holman, Ph.D., F.N.P. is Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine. Her research addresses the relationship between acute responses to psychological trauma and long-term mental and physical health. She is currently focused on using genetics to identify early interventions for at-risk populations that decrease the likelihood of developing trauma-related health problems, especially cardiovascular disorders. -
University of MissouriWhile working as a research nurse on a federally funded study on intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy, Tina Bloom, Ph.D., R.N., M.P.H. was dumbstruck by the fact that she and her colleagues in a high-risk perinatal unit had been so ill-equipped to recognize and respond to IPV in pregnant women, one of the most common and serious threats to maternal child health. Transformed by this experience and encouraged by mentors to seek a career in nursing research, Dr. Bloom embarked on a journey to improve access for underserved pregnant to culturally appropriate resources to support IPV victims. Read more about this University of Missouri Assistant Professor.
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University of ArizonaDr. Matthew Gallek’s research focuses on cerebral vasospasm, which is a devastating complication following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, a type of stroke caused when a cerebral aneurysm ruptures and causes bleeding in and around the brain. He is interested in functional outcomes following subarachnoid hemorrhage and ischemic stroke. Dr. Gallek’s long term goal is to identify patients at high risk for developing cerebral vasospasm, in order to facilitate more aggressive treatment.
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University of New MexicoEmily Haozous, Ph.D., R.N. is an Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing. Dr. Haozous studies the relationship between digital storytelling, medical mistrust, and patient intent to receive cancer screening among American Indian/Alaskan Native people. She hopes this research will help to improve cancer outcomes in the AI/AN communities.
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Calvin CollegeAdejoke Ayoola, PhD, RN is an assistant professor in the Department of Nursing at Calvin College. The goal of her RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar research project is to find effective ways to educate low-income women at risk of unplanned pregnancy about reproductive changes related to their menstrual cycle.
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Thomas Jefferson UniversityJennifer Bellot, Ph.D., R.N., M.H.S.A., is an Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Bellot’s passion for policy and health equity helped shape her RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholars research project, which focuses on the integration of Medicare and Nurse Managed Centers.
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University of CincinnatiGordon Gillespie, PhD, RN, FAEN is an assistant professor in the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing where he studies the stressors and stress response of emergency department workers. He plans on using the information from his research project to develop an intervention that promotes the resilience and psychological health of victimized workers. Click here to read more about Dr. Gillespie’s research in workplace violence.
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West Virginia UniversityLaurie Theeke, Ph.D., R.N. will use mixed methods to better understand the phenomenon of loneliness, and to evaluate the efficacy of new interventions on loneliness, its associated psychoneuroimmunological stress response, and quality of life in chronically ill, older, adults.
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Rush UniversitySusan Breiteinsten, PhD, RN is interested in developing innovative ways to deliver evidence based programs targeting young children and families experiencing economic and social hardships. For her research project, Dr. Breitenstein plans to develop and test digital delivery of a parent –training program for low-income, minority parents of young children.
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University of North Carolina at Chapel HillCheryl Giscombé, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Her research focuses on how the social and cultural context of African American women’s lives influences stress-related obesity and diabetes risk. Dr. Giscombé previously developed a conceptual framework called Superwoman Schema (SWS), which suggests that obligations to present an image of strength, to suppress emotions, and to prioritize caregiving over self-care may influence health disparities in African American women.
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The Ohio State UniversityTimothy Landers, PhD, RN, CNP is an assistant professor in the Ohio State University College of Nursing. His research focuses on the epidemiology and prevention of antibiotic resistant infections. For his RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar research project, Dr. Landers is investigating the five most common bacteria causing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) to see if improving hand hygiene reduces these bacteria.
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University of PennsylvaniaDr. Matthew McHugh, Ph.D., J.D., M.P.H., R.N., C.R.N.P., F.A.A.N., is interested in the relationship between policy, nursing systems, and patient outcomes. Through his research, Dr. McHugh hopes to determine if new policies should focus on improving nursing care environments in minority serving hospitals.
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University of WashingtonAndrea Landis, PhD, RN, APRN is an assistant professor in the University of Washington School of Nursing. Her research addresses the relationship between sleep and obesity in adolescents. She is currently focusing on examining the effects of sleep deprivation on body composition, diet, food cravings, physical/sedentary activity, metabolic and endocrine function, and stress in adolescents.
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Vanderbilt University School of NursingTerrah L. Foster, Ph.D., R.N. would like to decrease suffering and enhance life for children undergoing palliative care. Her current research involves developing a legacy-making intervention which will be used to test the effects on suffering in children with cancer who have a poor prognosis and their parent caregivers.
Download the Program Overview (pdf, 105kb)