Category: Notes on Innovation and Research

Research funding is having a moment. The future state of our research enterprise has dominated discussions in many Schools of Nursing nationally. However, in talking with early and mid-career researchers I have been struck by how paralyzing the related anxiety has been to many. While understandable, this paralysis is not insurmountable.  There is always a degree of uncertainty with research funding, however it’s also important to lean into the other, less prominent side of research – disseminating our results.

I’ve written a few manuscripts during my career, and I know it can be tempting to think that scientific writing comes easy to full professors. When I hear this sentiment from my mentees, I often share with them the story of my undergraduate thesis defense. After defending the thesis, I spent two years researching and writing, my committee told me I indeed passed and would graduate with honors. Then they kindly, but firmly, told me that my writing needed work and I needed to focus on developing it if I was ever going to have a scientific career. As painful as it was to hear that at the time; it was a fair critique and one that forced me to learn how to write. It was hard process, and I want to share a few tips that I’ve learned to help me write better scientific manuscripts.

Don’t start with a blank page. Staring at a blank page can be intimidating—even for experienced writers. Instead of diving right into drafting your manuscript, start by outlining your ideas, writing a clear purpose statement, copying over your methods section (which you should edit later), and mocking up your tables and figures. These guideposts provide structure and motivation, making the writing process less overwhelming. As your manuscript evolves, revisit and revise these elements often to improve its clarity and focus.

Read. A. Lot.  – Making time to read can become increasingly difficult as academic demands grow. More meetings, more courses, more travel, more emails. While cliff notes have been around for decades, with technology it’s easier than ever to just ask the computer to summarize the literature on a given topic, rather than reading the systematic reviews and original sources yourself. But the process of reading and thinking about the literature is what allows one to engage in the most important thing in science- ask questions that lead to answers to help improve the human experience. Protect time to read and explore widely.

Write with friends. One of the best parts of being a nurse scientist is writing with friends. Collaboration brings fresh energy, new ideas, and broader perspective—and when it’s working well, that generosity flows both ways. Whether drafting a manuscript or revising a grant proposal, writing alongside trusted colleagues makes the process more productive and enjoyable. If you have not experienced this yet, consider forming a writing group, building cross-disciplinary partnerships, organizing a writing retreat, or setting up regular writing accountability calls. Invite constructive feedback, share your drafts early, and be open to critique. Scholarship and scientific progress thrive in community—and writing with friends is one of the best ways to keep momentum strong.

Train your writing muscle. Writing is a discipline—one that grows through practice, feedback, failure, and persistence. With so many demands and distractions during the workday, carving out time to write isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. Protecting regular time to write is how we build the muscle that sustains scholarly productivity.

Many of us became nurse scientists because we’re energized by the process of thinking deeply about complex issues that impact human health. Writing, revising, resubmitting, and revising manuscripts again and again are not just tasks to be checked off a list—they are a form of intellectual engagement. It is the process by which ideas sharpen, arguments evolve, and science moves forward. Schedule your writing. Block the time needed and fiercely protect it. Writing is where your science will find its voice.

There are many great resources to help nurse scholars with writing manuscripts. A few that we often refer people to are the Writer’s Camp by legendary nurse scholar Leslie Nicoll , The American Journal of Nursing’s 2017 writing resource series, and The American Nurse’s Dissemination 101 article.

We would also love to hear, and share, some of your favorite tips and tools for writing manuscripts. Please send those to us and reach out any time to propose new services or programs that the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation can provide to help you disseminate your science.

“The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.” – George Eliot

Start now. Because your science, your words, and your ideas can be the force that helps move the world forward.

 

Preterm birth—when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy—is one of the leading causes of newborn illness and death around the world. In  fact, more than 25% of all preterm births happen in sub-Saharan Africa.

As more babies survive thanks to better care, researchers are now asking a new question: What happens to the health of these babies—and their mothers—later in life?

In high-income countries, studies have shown that preterm birth can raise the risk of serious health problems like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. But we still don’t know much about these risks in low- and middle-income countries, where most deaths from heart disease occur.

Our research team at the University of Washington is working to change that. With support from the UW School of Nursing Research Intramural Funding program, we’re studying how preterm birth might be linked to early signs of heart disease in mothers and infants in Kenya. We’re focusing on two key biomarkers: telomere length and C-reactive protein (CRP). Telomeres are tiny protective caps on the ends of our DNA that get shorter as we age. CRP is a marker of inflammation in the body. Both are connected to heart health and may help explain how early life stress affects long-term wellness.

To explore these questions, we’re using dried blood spots—small samples collected from a simple finger prick—from over 4,000 mother–infant pairs in an ongoing study in Kenya. For this pilot project, we’re analyzing samples from 50 mother-infant pairs (25 preterm, 25 full-term) at six weeks postpartum. Our lab partners at the UW Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology will measure telomere length and CRP using advanced testing methods designed for these small samples.

Our goals are simple but important: First, we want to describe telomere length and CRP levels in Kenyan mothers and babies. Second, we want to see if these levels are different in families who experienced preterm birth. We believe that preterm birth may be linked to shorter telomeres and higher CRP—signs of more inflammation and faster biological aging.

This study is the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. It brings together experts in heart health, global maternal-child health, and epidemiology from the UW School of Nursing and the CSDE. The results will help us build a stronger case for future research—and ultimately, better care for families affected by preterm birth.

Lab testing begins soon, and we’re excited to see what the data reveal. Tiny beginnings can raise big questions, and we’re committed to finding answers that matter.

 

October is National Overdose Awareness Month—a time to honor lives lost, support those affected, and reflect on how research can better serve communities facing the overdose crisis. While recent CDC data shows a nearly 24% drop in overdose deaths nationwide, overdose is still the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 44. Opioids are involved in more than 76% of these deaths. These numbers show both progress and the urgent need to keep going.

Overdose research has changed over time. It used to focus mostly on individual behaviors, but now it looks at bigger issues like housing instability, racism, criminalization, and lack of access to healthcare. Researchers are starting to understand that overdose isn’t just a medical problem—it’s also a social one. That shift has opened the door for community-based research that centers lived experience and focuses on fairness and equity.

Another exciting direction is using harm reduction in research design. Instead of treating harm reduction as a separate tool, we can build its values—like dignity, compassion, non-judgment, and empowerment—into how we ask questions, collect data, and share results. This approach makes research more relevant and helps build trust with communities that have often been left out. By respecting the experiences of people who use drugs and focusing on their safety and choices, harm reduction-informed research can better reflect real life.

At the University of Washington, our team created READU (Research with Expert Advisors on Drug Use), a group made up of researchers, clinicians, and people with lived and living experience of substance use. Our model is built on shared decision-making, two-way learning, and real engagement. We aim to make research more useful and build trust and growth among team members.

One of our biggest projects is the ORCID study—Overdose Response Centering Inequity and Diversity. This study looks at changes in emergency medical services (EMS) in King County, Washington. We’re following up to 500 people who survived a non-fatal overdose and doing interviews to learn how EMS programs—like leave-behind naloxone, trauma-informed care, and warm hand-offs to treatment—affect outcomes. We’re also linking data across EMS, public health, and legal systems to build tools for long-term equity tracking. The study is co-led by community researchers from READU, making sure lived experience guides every step.

Looking ahead, overdose research must continue to challenge power imbalances. That means funding community-led studies, supporting researchers with lived experience, and pushing for policy changes based on evidence. It also means being honest about the limits of academic institutions and working to make them more accountable.

As we mark Overdose Awareness Month, we feel hopeful. The field is shifting toward more inclusive, responsive, and justice-focused research. There’s still a lot to do, but together, we can move from documenting crisis to building real solutions.

On Tuesday, October 7 we kicked off our 2025–2026 Voices in Nursing Innovation Fireside Chat series with energy, laughter, humility, and inspiration. Held in the Peterson Room at Suzzallo Library, this fall’s Fireside Chat brought together students, faculty, and community partners for a powerful conversation about nurse-led entrepreneurship and digital health.

A Journey from Bedside Nurse to CEO. Our featured guest was Jo Masterson, RN, MBA who is the CEO and co-founder of 2Morrow, a Kirkland-Based digital health company that helps people change health behaviors through app-based programs. In conversation with Dr. Oleg Zaslavsky, Director of the UW School of Nursing Digital Health Innovation Hub, Jo shared her journey from bedside nurse to tech entrepreneur.

In reflecting on what sparked the initial idea for what would become 2Morrow, Jo described something common to all nurses and entrepreneurs- how a moment of frustration in her daily clinical practice inspired a creative problem solving. That spark, coupled with a pragmatic problem-solving approach inherent in almost all nurses, grew into a company that now partners with the Washington State Department of Health, employers, and health plans—and has helped over one million people.

Lessons in Innovation and Leadership. Jo’s story was full of practical wisdom. She talked about blending behavioral science, education, and technology to close gaps in healthcare. She shared how NIH-funded research helped build credibility for her products, and how she learned to scale  those products responsibly while staying true to her mission of working to improve the healthcare all people.

One of the most memorable takeaways? Jo’s reflection on what it takes to lead and innovate: “Big ears, thick skin, and an open mind.” That phrase stuck with many of us in the audience—especially our students—because it captures what nurse-led innovation really requires: empathy, resilience, and a willingness to learn.

Building Bridges and Creating Space We’re grateful to Jo for her honesty, humor, and insight—and to Oleg for guiding such a thoughtful conversation. We also extend a heartfelt thank-you to Jessica Roberto and the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship for co-sponsoring this event and helping us build bridges between nursing, healthcare, and entrepreneurial leadership.

Explore the Digital Health Innovation Hub. If you haven’t yet explored the UW School of Nursing Digital Health Innovation Hub, now is the time. Our Digital Health Innovation Hub is a collaborative space where nurse scientists, students and entrepreneurs can create, test, and scale digital health solutions. It’s designed to support bold ideas and practical tools—because innovation in nursing isn’t just possible, it’s already happening and improving healthcare locally and globally.

Looking Ahead. As we look forward to our winter Fireside Chat, we carry the energy and insights from this one with us. Thank you to everyone who joined us—and stay tuned. We’re just getting started.

 

 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month—a time to raise awareness about a serious issue that affects millions of people and to explore ways we can help. Domestic violence (DV) isn’t just physical harm. It can also include sexual, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse. Most often, it is committed by a partner. Nearly half of women and over 40% of men in the U.S. experience DV at some point in their lives. And it often starts young: more than 70% of survivors first experience DV before they turn 25.

DV can have lasting effects on survivors’ physical and mental health. It can also impact families, communities, and even future generations. Research can help us better understand DV, find ways to prevent it, and support survivors.

At the University of Washington, we have been studying how laws and policies—including those in schools, workplaces, and legal systems—can go beyond short-term fixes and make a real difference. For example, most states have passed laws that require K–12 schools to take action against DV. These laws can mandate schools to write policies, teach students about healthy relationships, train staff, and involve families. But just having a law isn’t enough. Our research shows that how schools actually put these policies into practice matters. If schools don’t follow through, even strong laws may not help as much as they could.

We’re also studying other policies that support survivors who are experiencing DV. One example is “safe leave,” which lets people take time off work to deal with DV-related issues, like going to court, seeing a doctor, or finding a safe place to stay. Another policy allows survivors to ask courts for protection orders that can stop abusive partners from having firearms. Research shows that these polies can lower the number of DV-related deaths. While policies can positively shape experiences of violence, how they are carried out in practice makes a big difference.

Our research is most meaningful when it centers survivors and the communities most affected by DV. Using trauma-informed approaches, we try to respect the experiences and honor the needs of those who’ve experienced abuse. Ending DV isn’t just about responding to violence—it’s about preventing it before it starts. To find solutions that work across systems, we must bring together experts from different fields like law, education, healthcare, and social services.

As we recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we want to highlight the role research plays in creating real change. By studying what works and where improvements are needed, research can help build safer communities and stronger support systems for survivors.

 

 

 

 

Imagine a bridge between being a student and becoming a leading scientist. That’s what postdoctoral training is—a time when nurse scientists take everything they’ve learned in their formal education and begin building their research careers that will shape healthcare for years to come. It’s a chance to ask bold questions, test new ideas, and work closely with mentors and research teams. At the University of Washington School of Nursing, we’re proud to support postdoctoral fellows who are passionate, curious, and ready to make a difference. This year, we’re excited to welcome five outstanding postdocs whose work spans chronic illness, global health, sleep science, and even the connection between humans, animals, and the environment.

Bethany Armentrout, PhD

Dr. Armentrout is a nurse scientist with a PhD in nursing from Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. Her research examines at how circadian rhythms—our body’s natural sleep and wake cycles—affect health in young adults with Type 1 Diabetes. She’s especially interested in how these rhythms impact blood sugar levels. Before becoming a researcher, Bethany worked as a neurocritical care nurse and earned awards for her excellent care and teaching. Her goal is to connect research and clinical practice to help people with chronic illnesses live better lives.

 

Nanyombi Lubimbi, PhD

Dr. Lubimbi is a global health nurse leader with 20 years of experience in clinical care and teaching. She earned her PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Dr. Lubimbi has worked in medical-surgical nursing and led health programs in countries with limited resources. Her research focuses on building strong and lasting global health partnerships. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Rwanda, where she studied what makes global health programs sustainable. At UW, she works on HIV prevention research, especially looking at long-acting HIV treatments for pregnant women. Dr. Lubimbi is sharing her findings through conferences and publications and plans to use implementation science to guide her future studies.

 

Caeli Malloy, PhD

Dr. Malloy earned her PhD from Indiana University School of Nursing and is now part of the Biology to Society T32 Program. Her dissertation research focused on symptom clusters like sleep problems, pain, anxiety, depression, and fatigue in adolescents with IBD. For her postdoctoral training, Dr. Malloy has focused on sleep and symptom management interventions for individuals with IBD, including adolescents. Dr Malloy is passionate about helping people manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. In her free time, she enjoys knitting and hiking with her miniature poodle, Bellatrix.

 

 

Natalie Rejto, PhD

Dr. Rejto is an interdisciplinary nurse researcher who uses the One Health framework to study how human, animal, and environmental health are connected. Her current work looks at trauma-informed care for people experiencing housing insecurity, including how to provide care for both humans and animals. She also works with a team studying how to prevent infections—especially those that spread between animals and humans—in farming and agriculture settings.

 

 

 

Linda Yoo, PhD

Dr. Yoo is a postdoctoral fellow in the Biology to Society T32 Program. She earned her BSN from the University of Texas at Austin and completed her MSN and PhD at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on helping adolescents and young adults manage inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Linda’s earlier work looked at sleep-wake cycles in adults with IBD. She is also the head research assistant in the Gastrointestinal Health and Wellness Lab, where she shares her passion for IBD research with others.

 

 

These five postdoctoral fellows bring fresh ideas, strong skills, and a deep commitment to nursing science. We’re proud to support their work and excited to see how they will help shape the future of health and healthcare. Welcome to UW School of Nursing!

With so many awareness months in healthcare, it’s easy for meaningful observances to get lost in the shuffle of emails, ribbons, and reminders. But October stands out—it’s Patient-Centered Care Awareness Month, a time dedicated to honoring healthcare that truly listens to and respects the needs, values, and choices of patients across every setting where nurses lead. At the heart of nursing research and scholarship is this very commitment: advancing knowledge that improves patient outcomes and centers the human experience. Whether we are nurse scientists, DNP or PhD students, or faculty shaping the next generation of care, our work is often powered by clinical data. That’s why we’re excited to highlight recent updates to UW Medicine’s use of clinical data for research purposes — changes that will help fuel innovation, collaboration, and impact across our academic community.

What’s Changing?

All research related data sets involving UW Medicine Identified and/or De-Identified Clinical Data must be checked by a Neutral Intermediary or ‘Honest Broker’ to ensure the data set matches the approved IRB and the data set is accurately de-identified when applicable (see the definition of an Honest Broker below).

Honest Broker Options

• • Research IT can pull the data set and/or review an already pulled data set to ensure compliance with the approved IRB for a small fee
  • Affiliated Developers or Analysts who have completed annual Honest Broker training and attested to the rules of the road can pull and/or check data sets for research

Two new Compliance Policies

307 Honest Broker Policy

• • • • Outlines the rules of the road for anyone acting as an Honest Broker
      • Describes core principles, annual training requirements, and duties & responsibilities to assure compliant release of UW Medicine Clinia Data to researchers.

306 Release of Clinical Data for Research Purposes

• • • • Describes the circumstances when UW Medicine may disclose Protected Health Information (PHI) for research purposes.
      • Introduces the concept of “clinical data” that is broader than the definition of PHI and describes the centralized and values-based approach for reviewing and responding to requests to use or share UW Medicine clinical data for research.
      • Describes research data stewardship obligations that fall outside patient privacy and security requirements, including UW Medicine institutional standards, the requirement to execute data use agreements, and how to report unforeseen events that involve data.

Why Is This Changing?

Over the past few years, UW Medicine has closely examined how its clinical data is managed across the system. These assessments revealed opportunities for improving policies and processes that will improve data security and consistency. In response, UW Medicine launched the Honest Broker Program—a new initiative designed to strengthen data stewardship and reduce risk, while making it easier for researchers to access clinical data responsibly.

What is an Honest Broker? 

An “Honest Broker” is a Neutral Intermediary—whether a person, software system, or team—who helps researchers access clinical data from UW Medicine patient records in a secure and compliant way. Acting under approved protocols and IRB authorization, the Honest Broker provides either identified or de-identified data in alignment with UW Medicine policies and privacy standards. Serving as a Neutral Intermediary between the clinical data system and the research team, the Honest Broker plays a critical role in maintaining HIPAA privacy and security while enabling responsible data use for research.

Honest Broker Toolkit for Researchers

Research IT has been working on developing an accessible repository for the research community including Data Use Agreement (DUA) templates, a how-to library with guides and checklists, registry lists (owners and data stewards), and language to include in new proposals. A specialized Epic integrated instance of REDCap is under development along with a growing tool library for a self-service option. More details about the Honest Broker Program can be found here UW Medicine Honest Broker Program, questions can be directed to Research Data Services ritdatahelp@uw.edu.

We hope this overview helps clarify the updated process for accessing UW Medicine clinical data and highlights the role of the Honest Broker Program in supporting secure, streamlined research. We’d like to also note that nurse-led research at UWMC should loop in the Supporting Practice Advancement, Research and Knowledge (SPARK) committee, led by Dr. Nancy Wiederhold who directs UWMC Clinical Nurse Research. As always, the Office of Nursing Research & Innovation is here to assist you in navigating these systems and advancing patient-centered research. Whether you’re exploring new questions, building interdisciplinary collaborations, or translating findings into practice, we look forward to partnering with you every step of the way.

One of the hardest parts of conducting research as a student is figuring out how to pay for the related expenses (e.g., survey license fees, participant incentives). But you are not alone. The UW School of Nursing has fantastic mentors and research professionals who have successfully navigated MANY student grant applications.

But the most important part of any grant application is knowing your why. Why apply for this grant and how does your why align with the sponsor’s priorities. Certainly, applying for a research grant as a student offers benefits that extend far beyond financial support of a research project. Some research grants (e.g., NIH F31 applications, AHA Predoctoral Fellowships) can help cover essential costs such as tuition, stipends, supplies, and travel for conferences. In addition, funded research projects often lead to opportunities for publication and presentation, allowing students to raise their professional visibility through published manuscripts, posters, and conference talks. These experiences not only build academic credibility but also connect students with faculty mentors and research teams, helping to foster valuable professional collaborations.

Grant-funded student-led research offers more than academic enrichment- it’s a gateway to professional development and long-term career connections. Students involved in funded projects gain experience in research design, data analysis, writing, and project management- valuable skills across nursing and healthcare roles. Just as important, working under the close guidance of a dedicated research mentor provides tailored support, expert insight, and a model for professional growth. Having a strong research mentor helps students navigate challenges, refine their ideas, and build confidence as emerging nurse scholars.

No matter your nursing program or track, exploring research funding opportunities early can be a game-changer for those interested in advancing nursing science. It allows budding nurse scholars to start building a research portfolio, further refine their academic interests, and access exclusive programs tailored for future leaders in the field.

Scholarship vs. Scholarships: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters

Sometimes navigating the grant funding ecosystem can feel more complex than decoding an ECG at 3:00 a.m. Perhaps you’ve already encountered terms like  scholarships,  grants, and sponsored programs, sometimes used interchangeably. While they may sound similar, they’re not the same. Understanding the difference can save you time, frustration, and missed opportunities.

Let’s start with the basics. If you’re applying for something called a scholarship, it’s easy to assume it’s just that- a scholarship. But at the university level, the term “scholarship” has a specific meaning tied to how the funding flows and what obligations come with it.

• Scholarships typically refer to funding awarded directly to an individual student. These are often merit or need-based, and you can usually submit these without institutional approval. Think of them as personal awards: you apply, you receive, and you report only if the funder asks you to. Questions about scholarships can be sent to the Office of Student and Academic Affairs (OSAA) at sonscholarships@uw.edu.
• Sponsored Programs, on the other hand, include grants and contracts that support your Scholarship. Here, the funding is awarded to the University, not the individual. These applications often require institutional sign-off, so your proposal will need to go through a formal review and approval process which can take three or more weeks. These proposals receive support from ONR&I grant managers to help with:
  • Interpreting the request for applications (RFA)
  • Navigating UW and sponsor policies
  • Completing required sponsored forms

A great example is Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), which offers both scholarships and grants. Depending on which one you’re applying for, the process and the level of institutional involvement can look very different.

So how do you know which path you’re on? When in doubt, reach out to ONRHelp@uw.edu. We can help determine whether institutional sign-off is needed and guide you through the appropriate steps.

Understanding these distinctions isn’t just academic, it’s practical. It helps you plan your timeline, gather proper documents, and connect with the right people. And most importantly, it ensures your application gets the attention and support it needs.

ONR&I Pre-Award Support- We’ve Got Your Back

Now that you’ve identified your first research grant, work with the ONR&I pre-award services for comprehensive support throughout the proposal development, budgeting, and compliance process. We coordinate with institutional offices, especially the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), to ensure that your submission is properly authorized and timely. For a successful proposal, students should start early, ask questions, and tailor their applications to the funder’s mission. Clarity, conciseness, and storytelling are key to making a compelling case. And most importantly, students should lean on the support systems available to them – to craft polished, fundable proposals that reflect both their passion and potential.

Post-Award Support- Keeping you on Track

Once your research proposal is funded, you will work with a member of the ONR&I post-award professional team (Cheery, Tessa, Ron or Renée).  As your post-award grants specialist, we will initiate set-up of your budget in the official systems.  Then we’ll work with you to track your grant spending by providing monthly reports and forecasting.  We encourage regular planning discussions so any purchases you need can be accomplished in plenty of time and using official UW financial channels (rather than with your own personal funds).  We’ll also review reporting requirements and sponsor deadlines with you and help you navigate any required changes to your grant.

The Office of Nursing Research & Innovation (ONR&I) is here to support you in preparing strong, competitive research proposals. We’re enthusiastic about partnering with you and committed to being a resource in your academic and professional success. Whether you’re just getting started or refining your ideas, don’t hesitate to reach out to ONRhelp@uw.edu for general questions; we’re here to help!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome Back Husky Scholars!

We hope your summer was filled with well-earned rest, inspiration, and maybe even a little adventure. Now that the academic year is in full swing, we’re thrilled to welcome all of our new subscribers to Weekly Research Roundup to our vibrant community of nursing scholars!

For those returning, you might notice that our research enterprise has evolved since spring quarter wrapped. This edition of Notes on Nursing Research & Innovation highlights key updates from the UW School of Nursing, the broader university, and federal research funding agencies over the past three months. Let’s dive in.

University of Washington School of Nursing

Spring Research Intramural Funding Program (RIFP) Awardees: the most recent cycle of RIFP reviews awarded more $100,000 to UW School of Nursing Faculty Members. These four incredible projects are truly pushing the boundaries in nursing science—read more about them here. The Fall 2025 RIFP cycle will be released early October and be sure to ready the Weekly Research Roundup for this, and all other requests for research proposals.

University of Washington Digital Health Innovation Hub (DHIH): This summer the DHIH was busy with three new initiatives. We’d like to encourage faculty, students, staff and friends to apply for the new seed funding, attend the fall quarter Voices in Nursing Innovation Fireside Chat featuring celebrated nurse innovator Jo Masterson on Tuesday October 9^th (register here), and to save the date for the AI Advancement in Nursing: Education, Research, and Practice Symposium to be held on Friday May 15, 2026 from 9-3pm.

Transitions: This summer we said goodbye to two longtime ONR&I team members Ken Pike and Kaletra Welch. We are grateful for all of their contributions to the UW School of Nursing and their steadfast dedication to supporting our community in our shared mission to elevate nursing science.

We are also excited to welcome two new team members to our unit. Warren Szewczyk is a Research Scientist who is available for statistical consultation and Ron Craig has joined our post-award management team. Please extend a warm welcome to both Warren and Ron and don’t forget to check out Warren’s Lunch and Learn Session on Monday October 13, 2025.

ONR&I Lunch and Learn: Our Lunch and Learn seminar series is back with a stellar lineup of nine of our colleagues to share their incredible work. From best practices in sample size estimation to research collaboration opportunities at Seattle Children’s Hospital to using AI to determine when a patient is at risk for pneumonia this year’s speakers are bound to inform and inspire all in attendance. View the full calendar and register here.

University of Washington Office of Research

Required Training for Principal Investigators: All funded PIs at the University of Washington are required to complete several research trainings including, Good Clinical Practice, Financial Conflicts of Interest, Grants Management for Investigators, and Research Security Training. Please double check your training transcript to make sure these are up to date.

Grant Proposal Submission Deadlines are Changing: Federal changes are increasing sponsor demands and regulatory requirements, prompting earlier and more detailed proposal reviews. To meet these evolving expectations, the UW School of Nursing is updating its internal deadlines: final business elements are due 14 business days before the sponsor’s deadline, and all final documents must be ready 7 business days prior. ONR&I pre-award staff will begin adjusting timelines with investigators this fall, with full implementation effective for proposals due on or after January 1, 2026.

Workday Finance Tools for the Research Community: Stay on top of your research grant spending with ease by getting familiar with the PI dashboard in Workday. This 19-minute video will provide you with clear instructions for how to access and navigate the PI Dashboard to get answers to specific questions about your award.  The dashboard offers a clear snapshot of your research portfolio, start-up funds, and RIFP expenses all in one place and lets you drill down into the details that matter most.

New Diversity in Clinical Trials Requirements (Effective January 1, 2026): A new University of Washington policy requires researchers to submit a Diversity Plan for all research that meets the definition of a clinical trial where UW employees or agents are responsible for or engage in recruitment or consent activities. This policy is aimed at improving enrollment of underrepresented groups in clinical trials. Key components might include culturally tailored recruitment strategies, translation and interpreter services, e-consent options, and tracking enrollment metrics. Investigators should plan for associated costs during their proposal development. Resources to support compliance include the UW Health Sciences Library, ITHS Recruitment Support Service, and UW Translation & Interpreter Services. For other guidance, contact HSD at hsdinfo@uw.edu or visit their planning and budgeting guidance.

Federal Funding Changes

Mandatory Manuscript Deposits in Pubmed Central: Starting July 1, 2025, all NIH-funded peer-reviewed publications must be freely available immediately upon publication. No delays. No embargoes. No excuses. Read more about these new changes, and your responsibility as the Principal Investigator here.

NIH Grant Submission Cap: Beginning September 25, 2025, NIH will limit each PI—whether applying solo or as part of a multiple PI team—to six new, renewal, resubmission, or revision applications per year. Read more about what this new cap means for investigators here.

New Application Structure for NIH-Funded International Collaborations: NIH has introduced new activity codes (PF5 and UF5) for complex international applications. Recent updates include information on the new PF5 and UF5 activity codes for multicomponent or complex applications. If you are planning to submit an NIH proposal with a foreign component please reach out to the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation as soon as possible.

We know, it’s a lot and we’re sure you have questions. Please know that the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation is here to help you navigate these changes. Throughout the year we’ll be working with Faculty Council, our Departments and others to make sure that you are kept up to date on these- and all future- sponsored project updates. From everyone at the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation we wish you a wonderful academic year.

 

There are few phrases more familiar- or feared -by those of us in higher education than publish or perish. Our professional success is often built on a sustained track record of high-impact, peer-reviewed, published scholarship (in addition to excellent teaching of course). And as nurse scientists, our scholarship is rooted in service—to our patients, our communities, and our broader mission to improve the health of all. That’s why the NIH’s updated Public Access Policy, NOT-OD-25-048, matters more than ever. Starting July 1, 2025, all NIH-funded peer-reviewed publications must be freely available to the public upon publication. No delays. No embargoes. No excuses.

What’s New?

The NIH now requires that your Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM)—the version of your article that’s been peer-reviewed and accepted—be deposited in PubMed Central (PMC) and made accessible to the interested public immediately. This ensures that the knowledge we generate through our research reaches the people who need it most: nurses, healthcare providers, patients, caregivers, advocates, and community health leaders.

What’s an AAM?

It’s the version of your manuscript that includes all revisions, figures, and supplemental materials, but not the publisher’s final formatted PDF—unless it’s published open access with a license that allows reuse (often called Gold Access now).

What Costs Are Allowed?

NIH will cover Article Processing Charges (APCs) for open access publishing, as long as they’re reasonable and tied to a publicly available product. However, fees for peer review services or depositing your AAM in PMC (which is free) are not allowable. For details, see the NIH’s explanation in NOT-OD-25-048.

If a publisher tries to charge you a “NIH compliance fee,” all investigators can confidently say, “That’s unallowable under 2 CFR 200.403(c).”

What Do Publishers and Institutions Say?

• Lippincott (LWW) provides guidance and may offer APC discounts through institutional agreements. See their NIH open access policy here.
• University of California outlines compliance steps and support here.
• University of Florida provides a searchable list of journal policies here.
• University of Virginia offers a practical guide for NIH open access compliance here.
• University of Washington has a help guide and outlines the university’s support for some Article Processing Fees here.

Tips for University of Washington School of Nursing Investigators

• Use My NCBI to track your publications and ensure compliance.
• Include your PMCID or NIHMSID in biosketches and progress reports.
• Use and Regularly Update your ScienCV
• Protect your rights with a copyright addendum when signing publisher agreements.
• Partner with our UW library colleagues—they’re great allies in navigating open access and compliance.

Why This Matters for Nursing

Nursing research often addresses real-world health challenges that center our most vulnerable citizens—chronic disease management, health equity, symptom science, and patient-centered interventions. Making our findings immediately accessible means frontline nurses, community health workers, and patients themselves can more quickly benefit from the evidence we work so hard generate. This new policy is not just about compliance—it’s about real-life impact.

Final Thoughts

This policy shift is a call to action and it will help to make our science open, accessible, and actionable. By embracing public access, we’re not just meeting NIH requirements—we’re advancing the health of the communities we serve. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation as we navigate these new opportunities together.

 

 

 

 

 

Disclosure: Allison Webel also serves as Editor in Chief of the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care published by Lippincott publishing who had no part in developing this article.

You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

While I am certainly not a hockey player, I am a child of the 90’s and like many households in my generation, my parents had motivational art in their office. On my dad’s desk was a little statue of a basketball that said “you’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t make”. In hindsight, seeing that empowering message every day influenced my approach to my own work in myriad ways. Submitting grant proposals is hard, time consuming and deliberate work, with the peer review process often feeling capricious. However, a strategy many investigators – including myself – have adopted to increase our chance of funding is to submit many grants a year; in other words taking as many shots as we can.

That strategy must now change. Amongst the flurry of new announcements from the National Institutes of Health recently released, one stood out that may impact our UW School of Nursing scholars broadly. In a significant shift, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will limit the number of grant applications a Principal Investigator (PI) can submit each year. Effective September 25, 2025, each PI—whether applying solo or as part of a multiple PI team—will be limited to six new, renewal, resubmission, or revision applications per calendar year.

Why the Change?

The NIH frames this policy shift as a move to protect the integrity of the peer review process, and to ensure a level playing field. The surge in high-volume submissions, perhaps aided by AI tools, has created an imbalance among investigators. The new cap is designed to encourage thoughtful, high-quality proposals rather than a quantity-driven approach.

What’s Included—and What’s Not

The six-application limit applies to all standard NIH research grant mechanisms, including new submissions, renewals, resubmissions, and revisions. It covers both single and multiple PI applications. However, T-series training grants and R13 conference grant applications are exempt from the cap

Importantly, the policy is not retroactive. Applications submitted before September 25, 2025, will not count toward the 2025 total. The full-year cap will apply starting January 1, 2026.

Implications for UW School of Nursing Investigators

For most investigators, this change may have little practical impact. But for those who have relied on a high-volume strategy—submitting numerous variations of similar ideas, designs and methods across multiple institutes—this is a major shift. It will require a different approach to strategic planning, prioritization.

What Should PIs Do Now?

1. Review your submission plans: Review your pipeline for 2026 and beyond and ensure you’re not exceeding the submission cap.
2. Focus on quality: With fewer chances to submit, each application must be strong, original, and responsive to the funding opportunity.
3. Use Artificial Intelligence wisely: It is clear from the announcement that NIH is watching for use of AI. Applications “substantially developed” by AI may be deemed non-compliant and could trigger misconduct investigations.
4. Coordinate with collaborators: Multiple PI applications count toward each PI’s total, so communication is key.

This policy shift is an opportunity for investigators to think deeply and submit NIH grant proposals with purpose and demonstrable value for the health of all.  There’s another Gretzky quote that feels applicable to this shift, “a good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” As we navigate this changing research funding climate, we must proceed strategically, thinking about not only where we are currently, but where we want to be. Please feel free to reach out the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation if you have any questions about this change. We’re here to help support your scholarship at each stage of the research lifecycle.

In higher education these days, it’s not very often we get to give money away – even to the most impactful and innovative projects. But, thanks to the generous support of our longstanding and generous donors (and our incredible peer reviewers), this past spring the University of Washington Office for Nursing Research & Innovation was able to award $100,000 to four rigorous research projects from UW School of Nursing investigators.  

The Research Intramural Funding Program (RIFP) is designed to enhance the research environment within the School of Nursing by providing faculty with seed funding to initiate innovative studies and collect pilot data that will lead to advancements in our understanding of clinically relevant issues. These foundational efforts aim to support future applications for extramural funding and foster a culture of scholarly excellence within the UW School of Nursing.

We are proud to recognize the 2025 RIFP Awardees for their visionary projects:

 

Maria Bleil, PhD, Associate Professor, Child, Family and Population Health Nursing
Research Study: Does exposure to air pollution accelerate pubertal development in girls?
Supported by: Suzanne E. VanHooser Endowed Nursing Research Fund

 

 

 

 

Omeid Heidari, PhD, MPH, ANP-C, Assistant Professor, Child, Family and Population Health Nursing
Research Study: Development of a nurse-led implementation strategy to reach individuals at high risk of an opioid overdose with high-quality treatment services
Supported by: Dean’s Nursing Research Fund

 

 

 

 

Jerusha Mogaka, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics
Research Study: Monitoring biomarkers of metabolic health among mother-infant pairs using novel dried blood spot assays
Supported by: Suzanne E. VanHooser Endowed Nursing Research Fund

 

 

 

 

M. Rebecca O’Connor, PhD, RN, Associate Professor, Child, Family and Population Health Nursing
Research Study: Rapid Redesign of IBIAS™ Implementation to Support Adoption in an Evolving Higher Education Climate
Supported by: Troop Endowed Nursing Research Fund

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we celebrate and look forward to supporting these outstanding scholars, we’re equally eager to explore the insights emerging from the recently concluded RIFPs. We invite you to join us throughout the academic year for our ONR&I Lunch and Learn series—where members of our vibrant research community will share their findings, discuss their impact, and chart the path forward for research that improves the health and well-being of Washingtonians and beyond.

There is a resonant rhythm to life in higher education—one that I’ve always cherished. Fall arrives full of energy in the air, as campuses come alive with the excitement of new beginnings: New Student Convocation, homecoming festivities, and the roar of our Husky community cheering on our football, soccer, and volleyball teams. Winter settles in with its short, dark days, where classrooms glow with learning and late-night study sessions are fueled by hot drinks with friends. Then comes the whirlwind of spring, a season of transformation as students wrap up final projects, dream about the future, and walk across the stage at their commencement ceremonies. Amid this joyful, fast-paced academic cycle, we often lose the quiet moments needed to reflect on, prepare, and write about the science we’re so passionate about.

For faculty who have summer salary, the summer months offer an opportunity for them to step back from the academic year’s hustle and invest in the long-term growth of their research programs. Whether you’re an early-career investigator or an established scholar, the following ten strategies can help you make the most of the summer months and return in the fall with renewed scholarly momentum.

1. Invest in Research Training

Summer is an ideal time to hone your research skills or explore new methodologies. We post internal and external training opportunities in our Weekly Research Roundup and encourage you to enroll in workshops, webinars, or online courses that align with your research goals. In addition, this can be a great time to update required research trainings, including Good Clinical Practice, Financial Conflicts of Interest, Grants Management for Investigators, and Research Security Training. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about these trainings that are required for all funded UW School of Nursing principal investigators.

2. Update Your SciENcv

Planning to apply for federal research funding? Now’s a great time to create or update your SciENcv—a streamlined, electronic CV system used by agencies like NIH and NSF (distinct in purpose and form from Interfolio). It saves you from re-entering the same info for every grant or report, and a polished profile not only preps you for future applications but also helps you track your professional growth.

 

3. Articulate Your Impact

Potential investors and collaborators want to know the “so what” of your work. Use the summer to reflect and craft a compelling narrative about the significance of your program of research on the lives of our community members. What problems are you solving? Who benefits from your findings? A clear, concise impact statement can strengthen proposals, publications, and public-facing materials.

 

4. Set Up Your Workday PI Dashboard

Stay on top of your research grant spending with ease by getting familiar with the PI dashboard in Workday. This powerful tool helps you track your grants, gifts, deadlines, sponsored staff, and budget projections—all in one place. The dashboard offers a clear snapshot of your research portfolio expenses and lets you drill down into the details that matter most.

 

 

 

5. Stay Informed on Open PAs, RFAs, and Policy Changes

Keep an eye on open Program Announcements (PAs), Requests for Applications (RFAs), and any changes in funding agency language or priorities. Sign up for, and review, the UW School of Nursing Weekly Research Roundup for new grant opportunities, subscribe to newsletters from major funders in your field, and set alerts for keywords relevant to your field. When you’re tuned into the next opportunity early, you will be better prepared to submit a successful proposal.

 

6. Plan for Fall Grant Deadlines

Many major grant deadlines fall in the early fall (e.g., NIH, RRF, RIFP). Use the summer to map out your submission calendar, gather materials, and begin drafting. Early planning reduces last-minute stress and improves the quality of your proposals. Remember to submit your planned proposals to the ONR&I Grant Proposal Intake Form as soon as possible!

 

 

 

 

7. Draft a One-Pager on Your Next Research Step

Clarify your vision by writing a one-page summary of your next big research or scholarly program idea. This exercise helps you distill your goals, identify gaps, and communicate your plan to mentors, collaborators, and funders. It can also serve as a foundation for diversifying future proposals.

 

8. Stay Connected to ONR&I

The UW School of Nursing Office of Research and Innovation (ONR&I) is a valuable resource throughout the year. Reach out to learn about internal funding, proposal development support, and strategic initiatives. Building a relationship with ONR&I can help you navigate the research landscape more effectively.

 

9. Explore International Research Opportunities

Global collaboration can open new avenues for funding and innovation. As the federal government updates their policies on funding global collaboration, use the summer to identify potential international partners, understand relevant regulations, and explore funding mechanisms that support cross-border research.

 

 

 

10. Read Widely and Voraciously

Finally, make time to read beyond your area of scholarly expertise. Reading broadly can inspire new ideas, uncover emerging trends, and spur interdisciplinary connections. Whether it’s journal articles, white papers, lay articles, books, or poetry, reading is a powerful way to nourish your intellectual curiosity.

By engaging with some or all of these ten strategies, faculty can use the summer not just to recharge, but to strategically advance your program of research. The quieter months offer a chance to reflect, recalibrate, and invest in your research goals—so that when the academic year resumes, you’re not just prepared for the new academic year, you’re ahead

Across multiple settings and throughout history, established norms tend to be pretty closely adhered to – perhaps nowhere more so than higher education. I’d venture a wager that there is not a nurse alive who has not had a supervisor, instructor or mentor in the clinical setting tell them “that’s just the way we do it.” While norms serve valuable societal functions, they often limit ingenuity, innovation and, ultimately, progress. 

On May 21, 2025, the hallowed halls of the Smith Room at the University of Washington’s Suzzallo Library buzzed with energy as nurses, students, researchers, and community members gathered for the inaugural Voices in Nursing Innovation: A Fireside Chat. Hosted by the UW School of Nursing’s Digital Health Innovation Hub and the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation, this event marked the beginning of a quarterly series designed to spotlight nurse-led innovation and its transformative potential in healthcare.

The heart of the event was an intimate and inspiring conversation between Dr. Oleg Zaslavsky, Director of the Digital Health Innovation Hub and Aljoya Endowed Professor in Aging, and Dr. Elena Bosque, a seasoned neonatal nurse practitioner at Seattle Children’s Hospital and award-winning inventor. Their conversation offered a rare glimpse into the personal and professional journey of a nurse innovator.

Dr. Bosque, who has spent four decades blending academic and clinical practice, shared how her early experiences helped to shape her path. From her beginnings as a BSN student at the University of San Francisco to earning her PhD at UCSF, she spoke candidly about the adventures and misadventures spanning her career as an innovator. During her time as a PhD student, her passion for improving neonatal care led her to develop a prototype alarm system for pulse oximeters using fuzzy logic—an early example of her commitment to combining clinical nursing expertise with technological innovation that improves the lives of our most vulnerable patients.

When asked what inspired her to invent, Dr. Bosque credited both necessity and intuition. “Nurses are content experts,” she explained. “We see the problems firsthand every single day. That gives us a unique – and highly valuable- perspective that can enable us to create elegant, effective solutions.”

Throughout the discussion, Dr. Zaslavsky guided the conversation, drawing out insights that resonated deeply with the audience. He emphasized the importance of iteration in the innovation process, noting how Dr. Bosque’s multiple patents reflected a commitment to continuous improvement. “Innovation isn’t a one-and-done,” he said. “It’s a journey of learning, testing, and evolving.”

One of the most memorable and quietly powerful moments of the evening came when Dr. Bosque was asked what advice she would offer to future nurse innovators and entrepreneurs. Rather than providing a list of tips or strategies, she shared a story—simple, personal, and revealing. She recalled a moment from her undergraduate years, during the high-stress final exam period. Her roommate, seemingly unfazed, was curled up with a novel—reading for pleasure. Dr. Bosque, focused on the academic grind, challenged her: “But we don’t do that,” she said, echoing the established norm that finals week was for studying, not reading for pleasure. Her roommate looked up and replied, gently but firmly, “Of course we do.”

That moment stayed with her. It was more than a comment—it was a quiet rebellion against the idea that discipline and creativity must be at odds. It was a reminder that innovation doesn’t come from following the rules—it comes from questioning them. If ever there was a call to action for nurses to dream, to create, and to innovate, that was it.

Whether by choice, curiosity, or necessity, nurses have always been—and always will be—the best innovators.

In support of their work, and inspired by Hewlett-Packard’s “Rules of the Garage,” the vision of the UW Digital Health Innovation Hub is to dismantle barriers to innovation like bureaucracy, isolation, and self-doubt that often hinder nurses from scaling their innovations. As attendees mingled afterward, many expressed excitement about engaging with the Digital Health Innovation Hub and the promise of nurse-led innovation and entrepreneurship. With a focus on equity, evidence, and empowerment, the University of Washington Digital Health Innovation Hub is poised to become a national leader in transforming healthcare through nursing research and innovation.

The UW School of Nursing Voices in Nursing Innovation fireside chat series has officially launched—and if this first event is any indication, the future is bright, bold, and nurse-led.

In a significant shift aimed at improving fairness, clarity, and scientific focus in peer review, the NIH rolled out its Simplified Review Framework (SRF) for most research project grants submitted on or after January 25, 2025. This shift is the result of years of community input, advisory council deliberations, and pilot testing. For our UW School of Nursing applicants, understanding what’s changed—and what your reviewers are now being asked to prioritize—is essential to crafting a competitive research proposal.

Why did the NIH make this change?

The Simplified Review Framework was designed to address prominent concerns in the peer review process. These included:

• Overemphasis on technical minutiae in the research approach.
• Inadequate attention to significance and innovation.
• Bias toward well-known investigators and institutions, which may have disadvantaged new or less-established applicants.
• Review fatigue from administrative and compliance-related distractions.

By streamlining the criteria and refocusing the reviewers’ attention on core scientific questions (see below), the NIH hopes they will be able to better identify high-impact research that improves the health of all Americans.

Focus on the Three Core Factors

Previously, NIH reviewers scored applications based on five criteria: Significance, Investigator(s), Innovation, Approach, and Environment. Under the Simplified Review Framework, these have been consolidated into three core factors:

1. Importance of the Research – Should this research be done? If so, why?
2. Rigor and Feasibility – Can it be done well? If so, How?
3. Expertise and Resources – Are the right people and tools in place to do it?

Each of the first two factors is scored on a 1–9 scale. The third is evaluated as either “appropriate” or “additional expertise/resources needed,” with comments required only if gaps are identified.

What This Means for Applicants

Make the Case for Importance

The first and arguably most critical question reviewers will ask is: Should this research be done and why? Applicants must clearly articulate the scientific importance of their work—not just its relevance to public health. This means:

• Framing the research question in a compelling way.
• Demonstrating how the work addresses a significant gap in knowledge.
• Avoiding jargon and making the case accessible to a broad scientific audience.

A clear, persuasive rationale for the study’s importance can set the tone for the entire review.

2. Demonstrate Rigor Without Getting Lost in the Weeds

Reviewers are being encouraged to avoid nitpicking and instead focus on whether the proposed approach is rigorous and feasible. Applicants should:

• Present a well-structured, logical plan.
• Anticipate potential challenges and describe how they’ll be addressed.
• Emphasize methodological soundness without overwhelming the reader with excessive detail.

The goal is to instill confidence that the research can be executed effectively, even if every contingency isn’t fully mapped out.

3. Show That the Team and Resources Are Ready

The third factor—Expertise and Resources—is no longer numerically scored, but it still matters. Reviewers will flag weaknesses only when they’re significant. Applicants should:

• Clearly describe the qualifications of the team as they relate to the project.
• Highlight access to necessary facilities, equipment, and institutional support.
• Avoid over-relying on reputation; focus on relevance and readiness.

This change is designed to reduce reputational bias and level the playing field for newer investigators and institutions.

Additional Considerations: Less Is More

The Simplified Review Framework also reduces the burden of additional review criteria. While issues like human subjects protections use can still affect the overall impact score, others—such as budget and resource authentication—no longer do. This allows reviewers to stay focused on their science.

Final Thoughts

The NIH’s Simplified Review Framework represents a cultural shift in how grant applications are evaluated. For all of our investigators, the message is clear: focus on the science. Make a strong case for why your research matters to science and people, show that it can be done well, and demonstrate that your team is the best equipped to do it. By aligning your application with these priorities, you’ll be better positioned to succeed in this new era of NIH peer review. Please remember that the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation is available to partner with you as design and write (and re-write) your proposals. Feel free to reach out to us at any time to assist you in your grant writing journey.

 

Curiosity is inherent to humanity. Indeed, it is curiosity about others – their ailment, their treatment, and particularly their lives outside of the healthcare setting – that draws many of us to nursing. Yet, aspects of professional nurse training can often make it seem that the nursing profession, and the settings in which we work and learn, do not value this essential curiosity.

I did not pursue nursing school to become a nurse scientist; however, during a two-year experience as an undergraduate honors student, I learned to love the process, potential, and discipline of research. Under the dedicated mentorship of my advisors (most of whom are still dear colleagues and friends), I learned how to ask a discrete research question that would improve the health of patients living with heart failure; create a survey to collect data; analyze that data; and transform numbers on a symptom scale to clear recommendations for improving nursing care. While most of my cohort of undergraduate honors students did not go on to pursue scientific careers, undoubtedly, they learned how our practice can, and should be, guided by high-quality, rigorous, patient-centered evidence.

Each year, approximately one dozen of the UW School of Nursing senior class students elect to participate in a year-long honors research program. They engage in a weekly seminar and work in nurse-led research laboratories where they contribute to a variety of research activities – all tailored to their unique academic interests. This work culminates in a public presentation of their year’s work at the University of Washington Undergraduate Research Symposium.

This event was most recently held on Friday, May 16, 2025, where 16 senior honors nursing students presented 11 posters alongside more than 1,000 other graduating seniors. On this joyful occasion, I spoke with a few of these graduating seniors to learn how their yearlong research immersion impacted their time at the University of Washington.

Janna Putnam embarked on a timely research project under the mentorship of Dr. Omeid Heidari, exploring how social media shapes dietary habits. Her study, Curating Diets: A Thematic Analysis of Eating Behaviors in “What I Eat in a Day” TikToks, delved into the subtle yet powerful ways digital content influences food choices and perceptions of health.

What made Janna’s journey notable was the independence she was encouraged to take on from the very beginning. Dr. Heidari challenged her to design and lead a completely new research project—an ambitious task for someone new to qualitative methods. Learning how to connect thematic analysis to broader research aims was no small feat, but Janna rose to the challenge with determination and curiosity.

Through this process, she not only developed a strong foundation in qualitative research but also deepened her understanding of the intersection between media, behavior, and health. Reflecting on the experience, Janna shared:

The [important] role of research in healthcare sparked a stronger interest in evidence-based practice. It also reinforced my goal of becoming a nurse who actively integrates research into clinical decision-making.

Janna’s work highlights the growing relevance of digital literacy in healthcare and the importance of equipping future nurses with the tools to critically evaluate the media-driven narratives that shape patient behaviors and expectations.

Jun Heo undertook a powerful and emotionally resonant qualitative research project under the mentorship of Dr. Anita Souza, exploring the differences in healthcare access, social integration, and aging-related needs between older veterans and non-veterans living in permanent supportive housing. Jun describes the experience as “tough, but inspiring”—a phrase that captures both the emotional weight and transformative nature of the work.

Interviewing older adults with histories of chronic homelessness presented unique challenges. Many participants shared stories marked by trauma, isolation, and deep-rooted distrust in systems meant to support them. Navigating these conversations required not only sensitivity, but also a commitment to ethical and trauma-informed research practices. Jun and Dr. Souza grounded their approach in trauma-informed interviewing, engaged in regular debriefing sessions, and maintained reflexivity through detailed field notes—ensuring that participants’ voices were honored with care and respect.

This experience profoundly shaped Jun’s understanding of what it means to provide care. Listening to how housing instability, system navigation, and long-term marginalization impacted participants’ well-being shifted their perspective from bedside care to a broader, structural view of health. Some participants even described the interviews as therapeutic—an unexpected reminder of the healing power of being heard.

Reflecting on the experience, Jun shared:

I now see myself working not just at the bedside but also in roles that address structural determinants of health, especially in gerontology, trauma-informed care, and housing-based healthcare solutions for older adults.

Jun’s journey illustrates how research can be a catalyst for empathy, advocacy, and a reimagined vision of nursing—one that bridges clinical care with social justice and systems change.

Antonia Cai made a meaningful contribution to the ongoing PROSPER-HIV study, which explores how physical activity and diet quality influence symptom experiences among older adults living with HIV. Under the guidance of Dr. Vitor Oliveira, Antonia conducted a secondary data analysis examining how lifestyle factors—such as daily step count, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and diet quality (measured by the Healthy Eating Index)—correlate with symptom burden in this population.

One of the most significant challenges Antonia faced was navigating complex statistical methods with limited prior experience in quantitative research. Learning to interpret regression analyses and control for covariates like age and sex initially felt daunting. However, with Dr. Oliveira’s mentorship—including a tailored data analysis workshop and hands-on practice with statistical software—Antonia steadily built her confidence and competence.

Despite the steep learning curve, Antonia emerged from the experience with strengthened analytical thinking, enhanced data literacy, and a deeper appreciation for evidence-based reasoning. She reflected on the value of this opportunity, stating:

As a future nurse, especially one interested in critical care or research-based roles, these skills will be essential. They will help me evaluate interventions critically, contribute to quality improvement, and advocate for patient-centered care that includes both medical and lifestyle-based approaches.

Antonia’s journey highlights the transformative potential of research engagement in nursing education—equipping future clinicians with the tools to bridge science and practice in meaningful, patient-centered ways.

Curiosity carefully nurtured can be transformative. A core mission of higher education is to inspire students to cultivate their curiosity and experience transformative learning that contributes to building a healthier society for all. The undergraduate honors program at the UW School of Nursing helps us fulfill this goal. We are so fortunate to have remarkable undergraduate students who will undoubtedly become remarkable nurses. In their words,

Research taught me how to listen more deeply, think more critically, and hold space for complexity—all of which directly support the kind of nurse I want to be.

 

Women comprise half the U.S. population, own approximately 40% of American businesses, educate most of our nation’s children, lead 10% of Fortune 500 companies, establish a growing number of startup companies, and provide more than 75% of both paid and unpaid care to our seniors. While we clearly have a detailed understanding of women’s demographic characteristics and their significant economic contributions, we still know relatively little about their health.  When most people think about women’s health, they think of pregnancy and childbirth and breast, ovarian and uterine cancers. This is understandable, because the most evident differences between women and men are these reproductive organs; yet it is also an oversimplification of the range of health issues impacting women every day.

In 2018, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, pulmonary disease, stroke, and lung cancer were the leading causes of death and disability among American women; yet few people outside of the healthcare industry realize just how prevalent these diseases are in women. Women’s health is not mysterious or inexplicable; rather, at best, it has been rigidly compartmentalized and at its worst, woefully ignored.

This week, we continue our Investing in Women’s Health series by profiling the work of three University of Washington School of Nursing investigators who are dedicated to examining how to prevent and mitigate often overlooked health conditions in women.

Puberty is not a topic many people enjoy thinking or talking about, but Dr. Maria Bleil has spent decades trying to demystify how and what happens to girls during puberty, and the impacts to their health over the course of their lives. Maria discovered that girls who experience earlier puberty are more likely to face certain health issues such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even early death. These problems can be triggered by factors such as being overweight or having difficult experiences during childhood.

Maria leads a research team that aims to help all women, by identifying ways to support girls before they enter puberty. Focusing on targeting these prepubertal risk factors, her goal is to discover new ways to ensure a healthy pubertal transition, which will contribute to better health for women in the long run. Her work is supported by research grants from major health organizations, including four of the National Institutes of Health.

Though this is difficult work under the best of circumstances, Maria and her team are motivated by the importance of developing new knowledge that improves women’s health. Although women tend to live longer than men, they often suffer from more health problems and disabilities. She believes her research can make a difference for all women, helping them live healthier lives.

Looking ahead, Maria hopes that healthcare providers and institutions will consider puberty as a key factor when treating girls and women. By assessing early puberty signs and assisting girls who experience accelerated pubertal maturation, long-term health issues including heart disease and stroke may be prevented. Through her groundbreaking work, Maria strives to ensure that women not only live longer, but also enjoy better quality lives.

Tackling research on neglected health conditions is hard and often thankless work, but Assistant Professor, Kendra Kamp has never been daunted by the unknown. Dr. Kamp’s program of research is focused on making gut health better for everyone, especially for people living with inflammatory bowel disease (like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) and irritable bowel irregularities. Using funding from the UW School of Nursing Research Intramural Funding Program and the National Institutes of Health, her team has discovered that symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, and fatigue are worse during menstruation. They also found that women with inflammatory bowel disease go through menopause earlier than those without the disease. By studying menstrual cycles and menopause, Dr. Kamp hopes to understand how reproductive hormones, symptoms, and biomarkers interact and affect all women.

Dr. Kamp is motivated by her experiences as a wife, mother, granddaughter, and caregiver. She has seen how women’s health affects the whole community and has witnessed friends and family suffer in silence because of cultural taboos and stigmas around discussing bowel problems or vaginal pain. She and her team are working to change this and ensure all women receive compassionate, evidence-based care. Looking ahead, Dr. Kamp envisions a future “where there is a strong focus on investing in women’s health. Women no longer have to suffer in silence”.

Last, but certainly not least, Associate Professor Oleg Zaslavsky is pioneering ways to support caregivers of older adults. Dr. Oleg Zaslavsky’s research is creating and testing novel digital tools to support cognitive, emotional, and physical wellbeing in older adults, particularly women who face greater risks of emotional disturbances and caregiving burden. By combining behavioral science, user-centered design, and technology, Dr. Zaslavsky and his team aim to promote healthy aging by creating accessible, evidence-based tools that support aging well and resilience in older adults. Dr. Zaslavsky’s work has received over $2 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations. This support helps his team develop novel, evidence-based tools that are easy to use and accessible to many people.

The breadth of work highlighted in this series covers pivotal moments across the lifespan of women. From advancing HIV and STI prevention and treatment during pregnancy, supporting early development in childhood (Drs. Oxford, Bleil) to developing technological solutions to supporting healthy aging in older adults. As the leading funder of Research & Development in the United States, the Federal government has been instrumental in the discoveries described in this series. However, continued slowdowns in NIH and other federal funding are likely to threaten future progress. Despite these challenges, the knowledge generated by our passionate investigators will significantly improve women’s health– but this knowledge must be understood within the broader social, historical, economic, community contexts of women.

With the future funding in question, the University of Washington School of Nursing remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing women’s health research. Our vision is a future where all women – across all communities – have access to high-quality healthcare. We will continue to seek out bold, mission-driven partners who will work with us to support research that enables women to live their entire lives with prosperity, independence, dignity and liberty. Our dedicated faculty, staff and students are united in their efforts to generate high-quality evidence and innovations that advance science and transform this vision into reality.

~Allison R. Webel, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Dean for Research & Innovation

In case you missed the first part, you can find it here.

 

I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. … We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.

Investing in women’s health has countless benefits to families, communities and society as a whole. Organizations often cite the increases in economic productivity (up to a $ 1 trillion increase annually) and the high return on investment (every $1 invested in women’s health has the potential to return $3 in economic growth). While these numbers are certainly impressive, the rationale for investing in women’s health extends well beyond the economic benefits.

Yes, women are daughters and mothers, but they are also critical innovators, creators, caregivers, community leaders, consumers, chroniclers, and hold so many critical societal roles that underpin humanity’s progress and overall state of being. When women are healthy, we are all healthier; yet research into the holistic health of women has often lacked the same focus, resources and attention as men’s health. For over 40 years, the unwavering commitment to enhancing women’s health has driven UW School of Nursing scientists to pursue groundbreaking research — a mission that remains core to the forefront of our efforts today.

The breadth and depth of our collective women’s health research in the UW School of Nursing is so vast; to do this work justice, this anthology will be split into two parts. Building on the Go Global event last month, Part 1 focuses on our research to improve childbearing- becoming, during, or just after a woman gives birth- and childrearing. Next week, part 2 will continue to explore our research focusing on chronic diseases that differentially effect women.

Childbearing and Rearing

American women who seek to become, are in the process of becoming, or have recently become mothers, face shocking disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality compared to other similarly resourced countries around the globe.

Two of our nurse midwifery faculty members, Dr. Clare Sherly and Dr. Ellen Solis, are leading the HEALING Midwifery Together project. This transformative initiative examines the current state of midwifery practice and education in the United States through qualitative, community-driven research. By building relationships and fostering repair within and between midwifery professions, this project will create a more inclusive and supportive midwifery education system. Such efforts are critical for improving the health of women everywhere, ensuring that midwives are well-equipped to care for women, newborns, and all patients needing sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Generously funded by the Skyline Foundation, which provides $200,000 per year for three years, the project underscores the importance of the UW School of Nursing’s dedication to supporting midwives and will ultimately translate to better women’s and family care. Looking ahead, this project will co-create an implementation plan for an educational program that supports all midwifery professions, sharing knowledge and healing wounds to better support patients and families. This work is about more than just education; it’s about creating a sustainable profession that will make a profound impact on women’s health and overall well-being.

Another champion in this field, Associate Professor, Dr. Jillian Pintye’s path to becoming leading women’s health researcher began in Botswana. While serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer, she witnessed the devastating effects of HIV and STIs on women and children. This experience ignited her passion for research focused on these vulnerable populations. Determined to make a difference, Jillian became a nurse scientist, channeling her experiences into advancing health for all women. Her international research team develops new evidence-based tools that improves access to effective HIV and STI prevention and treatment, particularly for young women and pregnant populations. Their focused and united efforts tackle health issues that affect women hardest, amplifying the impact and reach of their work.

Supported by more than $14M in grants from NIH and the Gates Foundation, Jillian’s research is backed by distinguished sponsors. This funding not only advances HIV and STI prevention and treatment but also trains the next generation of bold, innovative women’s health scientists. Despite current challenges, Dr. Pintye is optimistic. Advances in HIV science bring the possibility of ending the HIV epidemic within our reach. She hopes her research will inform health policies and clinical practices, creating an HIV-free generation.

Many women face significant barriers to attending critical post-natal appointments, including socioeconomic challenges, lack of transportation, and cultural or language barriers. Assistant Professor Kaboni Gwonde, was recently awarded LHS E-Star funding to address these barriers. This new grant will enable her to generate valuable knowledge that will enable healthcare providers to understand the factors contributing to disparities in maternal and infant outcomes, particularly focusing on how social determinants of health and systemic factors impact access to quality post-natal care. By identifying and addressing these obstacles, Dr. Gwonde’s team can develop targeted interventions to improve post-natal care and support for women across Washington State. Funded by Kaiser Permanente, this project seeks to uncover the reasons behind the low uptake of post-natal care and develop solutions to ensure that all birthing people have a positive and supportive experience during the perinatal period. Dr. Gwonde’s ultimate goal, like many of our UW School of Nursing investigators, is to create a more equitable healthcare system that provides safe and effective care for all women post-birth.

The health of women, and their families, does not stop at postpartum care. For decades, Barnard Center for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Director, Dr. Monica Oxford, has been focused on trauma-informed, strength-based approaches to support parents, especially mothers, who have faced adversity. At the Barnard Center, Dr. Oxford’s team bridges research, clinical practice, and policy to ensure that the voices of parents with trauma histories are centered and prioritized in family interventions and support systems. Her efforts have garnered nearly $25M in funding from the NIH, philanthropy, and workforce development contracts with state and local entities over the past decade.

As she describes it, Monica’s dedication stems from decades of research showing that early relationships shape our brains, bodies, and futures. Her team works to support all caregivers in fostering deep emotional connections with their children, laying the foundation for lifelong health and wellbeing. Looking ahead, Monica envisions a future where human connection is prioritized, enhancing emotional bonds not just between parents and children, but also between providers and clients, students and teachers, and leaders and communities. Her work is pivotal in shaping a supportive and connected society for all families.

Together, the collective work of these scholars is a testament to the power of passion and dedication, transforming women’s health and inspiring future scientists. In reviewing this body of work, it becomes clear that this science embodies the nursing code of ethics, which includes a provision that the nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient. Today, as in the previous four decades, UW School of Nursing scientists are dedicated to using every available tool of science to ensure that women around the globe are no longer held back by gaps in scientific knowledge.

At the University of Washington School of Nursing, fostering innovation and supporting our researchers at every career stage remains a cornerstone of our mission. Over the years, the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation has sought to mature our philanthropically supported funding mechanisms to better support the unique needs of our pioneering research community. One such effort was expanding the eligibility pool of our Research Intramural Funding Program (RIFP) to include postdoctoral scholars—a move intended to create more opportunities for early-career investigators to grow and thrive. 

Our initial attempts at better supporting these early-stage nurse scientists were promising, with several postdoctoral scholars leveraging their RIFP funding to embark on cutting-edge research. For example: 

• Jon Auld explored “Caregiver Needs and Health Outcomes After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation in the Patient,” which led to critical insights into improving support systems for caregivers in medical settings. [Auld JP, Streur MM, Thompson EA, Beckman J, Mahr C, Dougherty CM. Caregiver Challenges, Needs and Health Outcomes after Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation. Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. (2023). (in preparation)] 
• Kendra Kamp  used pilot funding (CISSM) to conduct a feasibility study on “Sleep Symptom Science in Inflammatory Bowel Disease,” advancing knowledge in symptom management and patient care. 

A result of the RIFP’s supportive, yet rigorous, review process led to improvements of their research protocols. Both Dr. Auld and Dr. Kamp exemplify the vast potential of UW School of Nursing postdoctoral scholars when provided with resources to address pressing research questions. Their success exemplifies the impact of pilot funding in advancing both individual careers and the broader research community. 

Building on these successes and lessons learned, we are excited to launch a new Post-Doctoral RIFP Award, supported through the Dean’s reinvestment funds. This pilot initiative, approved for one year, is designed to better address the unique needs of postdoctoral researchers in the current funding environment and will enhance our research community’s funding mechanisms. 

The Post-Doctoral RIFP Awards will augment the current Research Intramural Funding Program (RIFP) and provide a tailored funding opportunity that aligns with the career stage and research goals of our postdoctoral colleagues. 

Key Details of the Program: 

• Duration & Funding: Awards are limited to a one-year duration with funding ranging from $5,000 to $7,500. 

• Process: The program follows the same familiar call, submission, and review structure as the standard RIFP. 

• Investment: The Office for Nursing Research & Innovation expects to fund 2–3 awards annually, totaling up to $20,000 during this pilot phase. 

This program underscores our unwavering commitment to supporting postdoctoral researchers by providing targeted funding to advance their work and foster their growth as independent investigators. We encourage all of our UW School of Nursing postdoctoral scholars to take advantage of this opportunity, and we look forward to seeing the innovative contributions this program will inspire. 

Stay tuned to the weekly research roundup for further details on application deadlines and guidelines in the coming weeks! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Death. Taxes. Change. These, among the few certainties in life, that at best can evoke feelings of discomfort and at their worst, finality. Over the past few weeks, in response to the whiplash changes directed to federal sponsors, many members of our research community have reached out expressing emotions from across the spectrum. As nurses, and nurse allies, we are trained experts at helping people manage transitions associated with change. Hard change. Existential change. Permanent change. Though much remains to be adjudicated, we at the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation have no doubt that the federal research landscape is undergoing a permanent transformation.

Mourning what used to be, and experiencing anxiety and fear of what might become, is a normal response in times of great change. What remains steady in the wake of this shift is our unfailing commitment to continuing to pull together and support the research needs across our communities. Indeed, President Cauce’s message on Monday, detailed a number of resources to support our Principal Investigators which we encourage everyone to take advantage of.

As we continue to navigate this evolving landscape, know that the Office for Nursing Research & Innovation is working closely with the UW Office for Research. We will continue to monitor all federal administrative developments for implications affecting the School of Nursing research portfolio. At this time, we have no evidence that our portfolio is being impacted; however, if that changes, please know that we are here to work with your research teams to navigate that change. We will reach out directly to investigators (please, please read your emails) as we have evidence indicating impact on the School of Nursing; but also encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns about any aspect of your current or hoped for future research. To this end, we are launching weekly Open Zoom Offices to help you navigate the ongoing federal administrative changes that impact the research lifecycle of your projects. Please join us each Thursday 2-2:45pm, and there is more information in the newsletter below.

We know many of you have an urge to do something, anything during times of tumult. While it might be challenging due to the distractions arising daily, to the extent possible, we encourage you to stay focused on conducting your approved research. Completing high-impact, quality science and communicating how your study advances the public’s health is the single best action we can take at this moment. As scholars, nurses, and community leaders, it is up to us to define our scientific impact and not let us others define it for us.

Another certainty in life is that the sun will rise. From the darkest point of night, the sky gradually transitions through twilight, eventually yielding as dawn arrives in spectacular and predictable fashion.  As we transition to the dawn of a new era of research, please know that we are here to support you, your research teams, and the diverse communities our research serves, every step of the way.

~Allison R. Webel, PhD, RN, FAAN