TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT:  NURSING AND BIOLOGY INTERFACE 

PA:  PA-92-35

 

P.T. 44



Keywords:

  Nursing 

  Biological Sciences 

  Clinical Medicine, General 

 

National Center for Nursing Research

 

PURPOSE

 

This program announcement identifies specific research training and

career development support mechanisms for the purpose of integrating

biological theory, measurements, and techniques with nursing research

and practice.  Applicants must focus on basic biological investigations

pertaining to nursing clinical questions, technological and/or clinical

protocols, and nursing research based on biobehavioral theories,

measurements, and techniques.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

 

All policies and requirements that govern the grant programs of the

Public Health Service apply.  Applicants must meet the respective

criteria for the Individual National Research Service Awards (NRSA) or

the Clinical Investigator and Academic Investigator Awards as

stipulated by the National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR) and PHS

policy.  Applications from minority individuals and women are

encouraged.

 

MECHANISMS OF SUPPORT

 

The mechanisms of support for this program will be the Individual

Predoctoral NRSA fellowship (F31); the Individual Postdoctoral NRSA

fellowship (F32); the NRSA Senior Fellowship (F33); training positions

on existing Institutional NRSA research training grants (T32s) funded

by other NIH components; the NCNR Academic Investigator Award (K07);

and the NCNR Clinical Investigator Award (KO8).  The regulations that

govern the research training and career development programs of the

Public Health Service and NCNR will prevail.

 

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

 

An important focus of nursing research in the improvement of patient

care is the interaction of biological and behavioral factors associated

with acute and chronic illness and health promotion and disease

prevention.  NCNR believes that in order to explore this biobehavioral

interface, training and career development resources must be focused on

areas of biological science that underlie nursing practice.

 

Recognizing the rapid changes that are taking place in the biomedical

sciences and the effect these changes will have on nursing research and

practice, the biological content of the NCNR portfolio was analyzed.

Nurse physiologists comprising the Biological Task Force recommended

strategies to integrate nursing research with state-of-the-art

biological science.  These recommendations were approved by the

National Advisory Council for Nursing Research.  A long-range plan for

implementing the Task Force's recommendations includes research

initiatives to increase the interface of biological sciences with

nursing research as a basis for clinical practice and education.  The

first step in this plan is to increase opportunities for research

training and career development in the biological sciences.

 

The specific objectives of NCNR research training and career

development in the biological sciences are:  1) to develop a cadre of

nurse scientists with research training at the predoctoral and

postdoctoral level in the biological science; and 2) to enhance the

knowledge base of doctorally prepared mid-career nurses whose research

involves biological science.  Examples of biological science

disciplines are physiology, pharmacology, anatomy, biochemistry,

molecular biology, genetics, pathology, and/or immunology.  The overall

goal of this training initiative is to increase the number of nurse

researchers in the biological sciences prepared to explore the

biological underpinnings of nursing practice and research.  To

accomplish this goal, it is mandatory for each applicant to include a

nurse scientist as a co-sponsor when the biological scientist does not

have a nursing degree.

 

Opportunities for nurse scientists to collaborate with biological

scientists from other disciplines are encouraged.  Training and career

development programs should provide opportunities for nurses to conduct

supervised clinical and basic biological research with the primary

objective of extending their research skills and knowledge to the

interface between nursing and one of the biological disciplines.  The

academic, clinical, and laboratory environment should facilitate growth

and development for promising students, new research scientists, and

mid-career scientists.  Examples of important training opportunities

include ongoing interactive departmental seminars, a faculty well

published in refereed journals, and an interactive, interdisciplinary

research team with multiple funding sources including an established

sponsor with a funded program of research.

 

Extraordinary advances in scientific knowledge have confirmed the

essential unity of basic biological and behavioral research.

Behavioral research, mental health research, and psychosocial research

can no longer be considered as separate from genetics, molecular

biology, and immunology.  For example, information processing by the

brain is a major factor in behavioral disorders and stress reactions.

The autonomic nervous system can be modified through cognitive

techniques such as biofeedback and relaxation.  New fields such as

psychoneuroimmunology focus on the integral relationships and

reciprocal interactions of the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems

and other systems of the body that affect health and well-being.

 

o  Targeted Predoctoral (F31) and Postdoctoral (F32) Fellowshipships

and Targeted Senior Fellows (F33)

 

The F31, F32, and F33 biological science fellowships will focus on

biomedical science development, advanced clinical science development,

and supervised research training experience.  Applicants must integrate

an area of biological theory with a relevant nursing problem.  For

example, postdoctoral studies in biochemistry targeting gluconeogenesis

would be relevant to the nursing problem of caring for critically

injured multiple trauma patients who experience severe organ failure.

It is necessary that sponsor(s) be either a biological nurse scientist

or a biological scientist with a nurse scientist as co-sponsor.

 

The F31 predoctoral biological science fellowship is designed to

provide predoctoral nurses with supervised clinical and/or basic

biological research training leading to the Ph.D.  Applicants must be

registered nurses.

 

The F32 postdoctoral biological science fellowship, a priority of the

NCNR, is designed to provide postdoctoral research training to nurse

scientists to refine their research interests, initiate independent

research programs, and to gain depth of knowledge in their clinical

and/or basic biological research area.  In order to prepare scientists

to explore the biological underpinnings of nursing practice and

research, applicants must integrate biological science with a nursing

problem or a clinical practice issue.  Priority status will be given to

nurses with doctorates who submit a successful postdoctoral NRSA

application enabling continued training without a time break.  To

ensure maximum growth and development as a research scientist and to

increase the integration of new theories and ideas, postdoctoral

fellows are advised to choose universities or departments other than

the site of their doctoral training.

 

The F33 senior biological science fellowship award is designed to

provide advanced training for experienced nurse scientists (with at

least seven years of relevant research experience beyond the doctoral

level).  These awards will enable nurse scientists to take time from

regular professional responsibilities and to make major changes in the

direction of their research careers or to broaden their scientific

background by acquiring new research capabilities.  This award is

directed at nurse researchers well prepared in biological science who

desire to learn new methodologies and techniques.  For example, a nurse

scientist might combine sabbatical time with F33 funding to investigate

the biobehavioral link between depression and lymphocyte function in

chronically ill patients.

 

Meritorious applications that are responsive to the objectives of this

program announcement will be given high program relevance.

 

o  Training Positions on Existing Institutional Training Grants (T32)

Currently Funded by Other NIH Institutes, Centers and Divisions

 

Existing institutional training grants within NIH may provide nurse

scientists predoctoral and postdoctoral opportunities for biomedical

research training.  These traineeships are designed to place qualified

individuals in biomedical science environments.  Candidates must have

co-sponsors with nurse scientists when mentorship with biological nurse

scientists is not possible.  Nurse candidates are advised to contact

the T32 Principal Investigator directly to discuss potential

predoctoral or postdoctoral opportunities.

 

o  Targeted Mid-Career Academic (K07) and Clinical Investigator (K08)

Award

 

The purpose of these targeted awards is two-fold:  (1) to teach

biological measurements and techniques to accomplished nurse

researchers who have little formal training in biological science but

conduct research in a biobehavioral framework; and (2) to teach

accomplished nurse biological researchers state-of-the-science

biological research, especially cutting edge biological technology and

bioinstrumentation applicable to nursing research and practice.  To

ensure a commitment to nursing research and in order to achieve an

effective interface between the biological and nursing foci, the

candidate must have a nurse scientist as a co-sponsor when the basic

biological scientist or clinically trained scientist is not a nurse.

The objectives of these mechanisms are to interface biological science

with nursing research, with a focus on clinical practice.  These

targeted awards are designed to provide mid-career development in

molecular biology, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, genetics,

pathology, pharmacology, and immunology.

 

The NCNR KO7 mechanism allows promising nursing faculty to take time

from administrative and teaching duties to establish research programs

and mature into independent investigators.  The candidate must be

sponsored by a basic biological scientist who is recognized as an

established investigator in the research area proposed, who has had

experience in training independent investigators, and who will provide

the mentorship required in the respective dimension of biological

science.

 

The NCNR KO8 mechanism enables promising clinically trained individuals

with a doctoral degree to become independent scientists under a

sponsor.   Applicants from institutions that have a GCRC funded by the

NIH National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) may wish to identify

the GCRC as a resource for conducting the proposed research.  A letter

of agreement from either the GCRC program director or Principal

Investigator of the NIH-supported program must be included with the

application.

 

NCNR guidelines for the standard KO7 and KO8 mechanisms have been

published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 20, No. 20,

May 24, 1991.

 

In addition to the established KO7 and KO8 mechanisms, the usual

guidelines of four to eight years beyond the doctorate may be waived

for nurse scientists who have been Principal Investigators in the past

or may be a current Principal Investigator of a research grant (R01).

If a candidates exceeds the eight-year limit stipulated in the

guidelines, an explanation of special qualifying circumstances must be

provided in the application.

 

Meritorious applications that are responsive to the objectives of this

program announcement will be given high program relevance.

 

STUDY POPULATIONS

 

It is the NIH policy that women and minorities must be included in

clinical study populations.  The study design must seek to identify any

pertinent gender or minority population differences.

 

REVIEW PROCEDURES

 

Applications in response to this announcement will be reviewed in

competition with other applications and in accord with the customary

NIH peer review procedures and criteria.  Applications will be reviewed

for scientific and technical merit by an initial review group.  Second

level review for the Career Development (K07, K08) awards will be

conducted by an appropriate national advisory council.  Second level

review of individual fellowship (F31, F32, F33, T32) applications will

be conducted by an appropriate Executive Review Group.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

 

Applicants for individual NRSA fellowships must use form PHS 416-1

(rev. 4/89).  Career Development Award applicants must use PHS 398

(rev. 10/88).  In order to expedite processing of the applications

indicate that this is in response to this program announcement on line

3 of the PHS 416-1 face page; and line 2 of the PHS 398 face page.

Applications must be submitted to the Division of Research Grants in

accordance with the usual receipt dates.  The mailing address is:

 

Division of Research Grants

National Institutes of Health

Westwood Building, Room 240

Bethesda, MD  20892

 

INQUIRES

 

Written and telephone inquiries concerning this program announcement

are encouraged.  The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions

from potential applicants is welcome.  Direct inquires regarding

programmatic issues to:

 

Hilary D. Sigmon, Ph.D., R.N.

Nurse Scientist Administrator

National Center for Nursing Research

Building 31, Room 5B03

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-0523

 

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

 

Ms. Sally Nichols

Grants Management Officer

National Center for Nursing Research

Building 31, Room 5B06

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-0237

 

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

 

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

No. 93.361, Nursing Research.  Awards are made under the authority of

the PHS Act, Sections, 301, 483, 484, 485, and 487 as amended by Public

Law 99-158 and 97-219.  Awards are administered under PHS grants

policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 74.

This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review

requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.

 

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