WSU College of Nursing continues to gain NIH research funding

WSU College of Nursing Building exterior

The Washington State University College of Nursing is now among the top 20 nursing schools nationally for National Institutes of Health research funding.

The WSU College of Nursing ranked No. 19 among nursing colleges in the United States last year for funding from the NIH, which is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. The rankings are based on the federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

In fiscal 2019 the WSU College of Nursing ranked 23rd on that list, and ranked 27th the year before that.

“This ranking and upward trend represent our college’s commitment to advancing health equity and promoting health,” said Julie Postma, PhD, associate dean for research and associate professor. “For example, our research reflects strength-based and community-centered approaches to improving Native men’s health, preventing suicide, and reducing health risks from wildfire smoke.”

NIH grants in 2020 include:

  • Strong Men, Strong Communities: Cultural Tradition to Improve Native Men’s Health (Associate Professor Ka’imi Sinclair)
  • Promoting risk reduction among young adults with asthma during wildfire smoke events (Associate Professor Julie Postma)
  • A Clinician-in-the-loop Smart Home to Support Health Monitoring and Intervention for Chronic Conditions (Assistant Professor Roschelle Fritz)
  • URBAn Native Elders (URBANE): Risk and Protective Factors for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (Associate Professor Lonnie Nelson)
  • Effective Caregiving for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: Development of an Instructional Mobile Technology Platform for High-Risk Pregnant Women (Assistant Professor Ekaterina Burduli)

The WSU College of Nursing recently refined its research areas of focus to reflect faculty expertise and the needs of the state and region. They are:

  • Advancing health equity for rural and underserved populations and others.
  • Health promotion and risk reduction via family, maternal and child health; sleep and performance; behavioral health and addictions; and environmental health and sustainability.
  • Policy, practice and education on healthcare systems and workforce, such as interprofessional education, learning tools and advance-practice nursing.
  • The growing field of “smart health,” including gero-technology and self-care management.

Mary Koithan, dean of the WSU College of Nursing, said success in research funding reflects alignment with public health needs. “I applaud our faculty for undertaking research that has the potential to improve the health of individuals and communities,” she said.

Research rankings are compiled annually by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.

–Story by Addy Hatch