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!