Learning Objective #1: Describe two strategies for promoting the grant writing activities of nursing faculty

Learning Objective #2: Discuss two barriers to effective grant writing and identify ways to minimize those barriers

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Objective/Purpose: The purpose of the yearlong mentored grant-writing program was to provide discipline specific expertise in revising extramural grant proposals. A series of workshops on grant writing and statistical analysis were offered. Faculty members selected an internationally known research mentor. Additionally a panel of researchers with substantial federal funding critiqued grant proposals. Faculty members used this critique to revise their grant proposals. Student participation in faculty research as well as a commitment to obtaining federal funding was required of faculty who received pilot funds.

Setting/Design/Method: A Likert scale evaluation and qualitative interviews were used to evaluate the mentored grant-writing program. Faculty members who received pilot funding completed the evaluations.

Concept Targeted: Faculty satisfaction with a number of program components were measured. These components included: 1) working with a nationally funded mentor, 2) obtaining pilot research funding, 3) involving undergraduate and graduate students in research, 4) attending grant writing and statistical workshops, 5) receiving critique on draft proposals from a panel of nationally known researchers prior to submitting a proposal. Faculty members also responded to qualitative questions focused on which aspects of the mentored grant-writing program were most helpful and which should be modified.

Findings: Faculty members reported feeling honored to have a nationally recognized expert work with them in refining a proposal. Critique from researchers with a substantial history of federal funding was identified as being valuable to novice grant writers.

Conclusions: The use of a mentored grant-writing program is an excellent way to move a university whose historic mission was teaching toward another level of scholarly excellence.

Implications: Nursing science would benefit from establishing formal mentoring linkages between federally funded researchers and novice faculty members wishing to develop expertise in grant writing.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Extramural Associates Program supported this research.