A grant funded by the National Institute for Nursing Research to The University of Iowa College of Nursing
2010 – 2021 (T32 NR011147)

Co-Project Directors:
Keela Herr, PhD, RN, AGSF, FAAN
Ann Marie McCarthy, PhD, RN, PNP, FAAN

Overview:
The Pain and Associated Symptoms T32 provides pre- and post-doctoral research training to prepare a cadre of nurse scholars to conduct nursing research. Pain and associated symptoms research addresses a critically important emphasis of nursing science advancement that impacts the quality of life and quality of end of life care for individuals across the lifespan, from infants to older adults experiencing a wide range of conditions. The focus of the 5-year renewal period (2016-2021) will be to prepare nurses to conduct research on pain and associated symptoms, supported by best practices for use of health information technology (HIT) and translating pain research.

This training program provides opportunities for students to develop or extend knowledge and skills by building on research strengths of program faculty in the areas of:

  • Pain assessment and management
  • Factors associated with pain and its impact
  • Nursing sensitive outcomes
  • Translational research
  • Health Information Technology (HIT)

Eligibility:

As specified by NIH, trainees must be U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals or have lawfully been admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment.

Predoc Application Procedure

Students may be admitted to the CON PhD program either post BSN or post MSN degree. Admission requirements include:

  • completion of an undergraduate degree in nursing from an NLN accredited program;
  • completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GREs), preferably within the past 5 years;
  • completion of at least one graduate level course (3 sh) in research and inferential statistics;
  • current license to practice as a registered nurse;
  • strong letters of recommendation from 3 appropriate professionals;
  • a 2 to 3 page statement describing educational objectives and a focal area for doctoral study;
  • a current Curriculum Vitae.

All students have an interview, either on the phone or in person, prior to the PhD Admissions Committee meeting for admission decisions. 

Deadline: March 1st

Postdoc Application Procedure

All post-doctoral Fellowship Applications should include the following:  

  • a statement of the candidate’s past experience and two-year goals for the postdoctoral experience, including:
    • scholarly activities (e.g, manuscripts from existing data /dissertation, completion of pilot studies, grant writing);
    • training plan (e.g., courses, grant writing assistance);
  • a current Curriculum Vitae;
  • significant relevant publications if available;
  • transcripts of their PhD work;
  • three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's scholarship, achievements, and research potential and commitment.

Deadline: March 1st

Mail application and recommendations to:

Linda Hand, PhD
Office for Nursing Research and Scholarship
The University of Iowa College of Nursing
408 CNB, 50 Newton Road
Iowa City, IA 52242-1121
319-335-7040

For more information on pain and associated symptoms nursing research at Iowa, contact Keela Herr (keela-herr@uiowa.edu) or Ann Marie McCarthy (ann-mccarthy@uiowa.edu).