National Institute of Nursing Research

Nursing Research and Role of  National Institute 

    What Is National Institute of Nursing Research,10th Anniversary and Revitalization, Nursing Research and Other Profession Researches,Mission of National Institute of Nursing Research,First Directors' Steps,Employees Level Division,Advisory Council,Mechanisms And Categorization, NINR Opportunities, NINR Support Areas

What Is National Institute of Nursing Research

    The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) is one of 24 institutes, centers, and divisions that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is one of eight health agencies of the Public Health Service in the US Department of Health and Human Services. 

    Headquartered in 75 buildings on more than 300 acres in Bethesda, Maryland, the NIH is the steward of biomedical and behavioral research for the nation. Its mission is to improve the health of the American people through increased understanding of the processes underlying human health and the acquisition of new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease. 

    Approximately 80% of the annual NIH investment is made through grants and contracts to support extramural research and training in more than 1,700 universities; medical, dental, and nursing schools; hospitals; and other research institutions throughout the United States and abroad. 

    About 10% of its budget goes to the more than 2,000 projects conducted in its own intramural laboratories.

10th Anniversary and Revitalization

    In 1996 the NINR celebrated the 10th anniversary of its establishment at the NIH. Originally designated as the National Center for Nursing Research by Public Law 99-158 in 1986, it attained institute status through the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993. 

    Its budget of $16 million in 1986 had grown to $139 million in 2005. The original staff of 9 members has increased to over 50 people, including scientists, administrators, and support staff.

Nursing Research and Other Profession Researches

    Nursing research is a relative newcomer to the scientific community. Unlike other health-related disciplines, nursing began as an occupation in hospital settings, not as a discipline in academic institutions.     

    Although there is a history of nurses receiving advanced degrees in many different academic fields, it has been only within the past 25 years that doctoral preparation has been available in the field of nursing, paving the way of nursing research to grow and flourish at universities and research centers.

Mission of National Institute of Nursing Research

    The mission of the NINR supports basic and clinical research to establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals across the life span from management of patients during illness and recovery to the reduction of risks for disease and disability and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.     

    With this broad mandate, the institute seeks to understand and case the symptoms of acute and chronic illness, to prevent or delay the onset of disease or slow its progression, to find effective approaches to promoting good health, and to improve the clinical settings in which care is provided. 

    The NINR supports research on problems encountered by patients' families and caregivers. It also emphasizes the special needs of at risk and underserved populations. These efforts are crucial in translating scientific advances into cost-effective health care that does not compromise quality.

First Directors' Steps

    The first NINR director, Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw, who held the position from 1987 to 1994, is widely recognized for her contributions to teaching, nursing research, and academic administration.     

Under her leadership the institute was established as an active participant within the federal research community and achieved national recognition for nursing research. 

    The current director, Dr. Patricia A. Grady, an internationally recognized stroke researcher, was appointed in 1995, following positions as deputy director and acting director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Employees Level Division

    The NIH employs a two-level system for reviewing grant applications. At the first level, panels of extramural experts evaluate the scientific merit of the proposed research. The second level of review is carried out by national advisory councils, which consider scientific merit as determined in the first level of review, program relevance, and appropriate allocation of resources. 

    Councils also advise on policy development, program implementation, evaluation, and other matters of importance to the missions and goals of the NIH institutes and centers. Advisory councils are composed of scientific and law representatives who are noted for their expertise or interest in issues related to the missions of the institutes and centers they serve.

Advisory Council

The NINR's advisory council the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research is composed of 15 members. Ten are leaders in the health and scientific disciplines relevant to the activities of the NINR, and five public members are leaders in health care, public policy, law, and economics.     

The advisory council also includes six ex officio members: the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the NIH director, the chief nursing officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the assistant secretary for health affairs of the Department of Defense , and the director of the Division of Nursing, Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS.

 Mechanisms And Categorization

    NIH award mechanisms are divided into three categories: grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. The primary mechanism used by the NINR is the investigator-initiated grant. 

    This mechanism supports research and research training projects for which the applicant develops the protocol, concept, method, and approach. It includes research projects (R01s), First Independent Research Support and Transition (FIRST) awards (R29s), and Research Scientist Development awards (K01s). 

    In certain instances, the NINR may solicit applications for special mechanisms such as core center grants (P30s) and small research grants (R03s). The NINR uses the cooperative agreement mechanism, which supports the recipient's activities and provides for substantial involvement of the funding agency during the period of performance. 

    The NINR also supports research training through individual and institutional National Research Service awards (F31s, F32, F33s, and T32s).

NINR Opportunities

    As the NINR identifies new opportunities for research, nursing researchers are moving to the forefront of many innovative areas of scientific exploration. 

    For example, the NINR is responding to the clinical implications of genetics discoveries with research programs in the clinical management of conditions associated with genetic disorders, including genetic screening and counseling. clinical decision making, and bioethical considerations. 

    Nursing researchers are also taking the lead in the remediation of cognitive impairment, the prevention and control of pain, and the management of side effects associated with medical treatment.     

    In addition, nursing research focuses on methods to stem microbial threats to health through improved approaches to prevention and adherence to treatment. NINR-funded research also links biological and behavioral approaches to health care. A further area of research interest is the role of cultural sensitivity as a factor in health research and health care.

NINR Support Areas

The NINR research portfolio is broad, invites collaboration among many disciplines, and is sponsored by most of the other NIH research institutes and centers. The NINR supports research across six major areas: 

(1) neurofunction and sensory conditions.

(2) reproductive and infant health.

(3) immune, infectious, and neoplastic diseases.

(4) cardiopulmonary and acute illnesses.

(5) metabolic and other chronic illnesses.

(6) human development and health risk behaviors. 

    Individuals who are interested in submitting applications for grants to conduct research in areas of interest to the institute are encouraged to contact the NINR program staff at the following address and telephone number to discuss research opportunities and proposed areas of research before embarking on the application process. 

    Division of Extramural Activities, National Institute of Nursing Research, NIH, building 45, Room 3AN-12, 45 Center Drive, MSC 6300, Bethesda, MD 20892-6300; Telephone: (301) 594-6906.     

    General questions regarding the NINR may be addressed to Office of Science Policy and Information, National Institute of Nursing Research, NIH, building 31, Room 5B13, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2178, Bethesda, MD 20892-2178; telephone: (301) 496-0207.