Institutional infrastructure necessary to support NP clinical scholarship

In the discussion of ‘what is scholarship’ for Nurse Practitioners (NPs), institutional infrastructure needed to support scholarship must not be left out. Academic and clinical institutions can reap enormous benefits from funded research projects; thus, externally funded scholarship, or ‘clinical research’ is highly encouraged. Yet, not all institutions may have the appropriate infrastructure to support NPs in their successful acquisition and completion of  a funded research project. This may be especially problematic when a NP who is committed to seek competitive funding has the appropriate training and their subsequent promotion and tenure depends on external funding.

This session will be led by a ‘senior’ and ‘junior’ federal funded NP clinical researchers.  Key components of institutional infrastructure and responsibilities will be identified so participants can better evaluate if their settings can really support the scholarship/clinical research that they and their direct supervisors may be expecting from them. Funding agencies (federal and most foundations) give funds to the institution, not the Primary Investigator (PI) and strict regulations regarding oversight exists. Institutional oversight begins pre-award and continues throughout the funding period. For NPs making the transition from clinician to scholar, choosing an institution with insufficient infrastructure and resources can potentially hinder, and even damage, the NP’s scholarly development, especially if post-award support to ensure compliance with federal regulations is absent. What the NP can expect from direct supervisors, departments and central offices of research will be delineated.