Call for proposals

Dr. Harriet H. Werley, the founder and first director of the Center for Health Research, has endowed The Harriet H. Werley Faculty Research Award to assist faculty in achieving major research funding objectives and to attract additional extramural research funding to the College of Nursing. Funds are available for quantitative and qualitative research on any topic relevant to nursing science.

Amount of award: up to $5,000

Awards may be used to fund:

• Proposal development 
• Pilot projects
• Consultation fees
• Student assistance
• Small equipment
• Data entry
• Tape transcription
• Instrument costs
• Postage and mailing
• Lab costs
• Duplicating costs
• Data collection

Faculty are invited to submit a brief proposal (no more than 3-4 pages) describing: 

Specific Aims/Purpose:  Provide overall objective or long-term goal of the proposed research and the specific aims, the research questions and/or hypotheses to be addressed 

Significance:  Describe the importance of the problem; how scientific knowledge will be advanced; and the effect the study will have on concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services or interventions that drive the field

Innovation:  Describe how the proposed project challenges existing paradigms or how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions 

Approach:  Describe methodology and analyses

Environment:  Describe the resources available to support the research project

Investigative team:  Describe the complementary and integrated expertise of investigators 

Timeline:  Describe plans for completion of the project within one (1) year 

Plans for seeking future external research funds:  Describe the manner in which the support would improve the recipient's opportunity for obtaining extramural funding for research and provide prospective funding agency(ies).

A budget and budget justification are also required.  Only expenses essential to the conduct of the proposed research will be considered for funding. Expenses must be incurred within the one-year grant period. Unexpended funds will be returned to the CHR Werley Award account. Prohibited expenses include principal and co-investigators' salaries, investigator traveling for presentation of papers or conference attendance, and/or purchase of personal computers.

If costs of proposed activities exceed the amount of the award, please indicate how the remainder of the costs will be covered. Monies will be made available once validation of HIC approval has been submitted to the OHR. A brief progress report is due 6 months following the receipt of grant monies and a final project report is due at the one-year project completion.

Proposals will be reviewed using the following criteria.

• Significance: Is the study important to nursing science and/or practice and to the development of nursing knowledge? Does it address a gap in what we know?
• Innovation: Is the study novel or innovative in approach, perspective or line of inquiry?
• Approach: Are study aims logical, appropriately conceptualized? Do study design, sample, instruments, procedures, and data analysis allow specific aims to be accomplished?
• Investigator: Is the study within the applicant's ability? Are consultants, co-investigators or mentors adequate?
• Environment: Are available resources and research environment adequate to support the research?
• Strength of investigator and research team: Is the primary investigator versed in the theory and supported by co-investigators versed in study design and practice?
• Justified budget: Are purchases explained, including the need for particular materials, software and equipment?