On November 29, 2021, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences held a special National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council meeting to consider an NIH-wide Climate Change and Health Concept.
The proposals were as follows:
NIH is holding a series of listening sessions from December 2021 - February 2022 to learn from external stakeholders about the full range of issues and challenges in advancing racial and ethnic equity in the biomedical research enterprise.
NINR Announcement: NINR is seeking feedback on the framework for its next strategic plan, which will guide NINR’s research efforts and priorities over the next five years. The new strategic plan will build on NINR’s past accomplishments and present a bold, new research agenda to advance nursing science.
To view the Strategic Plan Framework and submit comments, click here. NINR asks for all responses to be sent by Monday, December 13, 2021.
Columbia Nursing has long been at the forefront of innovative, interdisciplinary research
on the disparities in health faced by racial and sexual minorities and underrepresented groups,
and how to reduce these inequities.
In 2021, the school launched three centers demonstrating its commitment to social justice and high-quality health care for all, as well as to prepare the next generation of nurse-scientists to continue this mission: the Center for Research on People of Color (CRPC), the Center for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research (CSGMHR), and the Center for Healthcare Delivery Research and Innovations (CHDRI).
On September 23, AACN joined the 2021 Rally for Medical Research Virtual Hill Day where they emphasized the need for sustained and increased funding for NINR. Along with AACN, more than 400 organizations and individuals joined this year’s event to advocate for continued congressional funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). You can find more information of the rally here.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would offer the Zen precept, “Leap and the net will appear.” Courage is a necessity to create a life of meaning.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. It’s a wonderful mix of spectacular beaches, nature, and many venues where our beloved golden retriever family member is also welcome!
NINR is still in the process of developing their Strategic Plan for 2022-2026. The new strategic plan will build on NINR’s past accomplishments and present a bold, new research agenda to advance nursing science.
NINR worked with the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research (NACNR) to identify strengths, limitations, challenges, and opportunities in nursing science while developing the new Strategic Plan. NINR is collecting input from multiple other sources inside and outside the nursing science community, including NINR staff, NIH colleagues, and external stakeholder groups.
NINR's next Director's Lecture: “Addressing One of the Most Enduring Challenges in Health Care: End-of-Life Decision Making” will be held on September 14 at 10:00 am ET.
Dr. Mi-Kyung Song will present her intervention research to develop and test an end-of-life communication intervention targeting patients with chronic illness and their family caregivers, spanning all stages of the NIH Stage Model of behavioral intervention development research.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Have faith in yourself! Your education and experience have helped you develop valuable expertise to enable you to carve out a successful career. Don't be afraid of new opportunities, even if you're being asked to do something you haven't done before. Also, stretch yourself beyond your 'day' job and volunteer for activities that you are interested in. Seek out a mentor, and take time to listen to others' experience.
NIH is providing a three-day virtual workshop called Food Insecurity, Neighborhood Food Environment, and Nutrition Health Disparities: State of the Science. It will review the state of the science related to food insecurity and the neighborhood food environment, then identify research gaps and opportunities.
This event will include panel discussions, networking opportunities, and poster sessions. Registration closes on September 7, 2021. You can read more information on this workshop here.
The 2021 Boot Camp will explore the impact that Artificial Intelligence has in the evolving healthcare environment to improve the care of all patients and families in an equitable way. The goal is to showcase how AI can improve outcomes and how to avoid unintended consequences that increase disparities.
Registration will be opening in mid-July. You can read more about the content and session dates here.
NINR is in the developing stages of the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan will outline future research goals, objectives, and vision for nursing science.
NINR established a working group under the NACNR to identify strengths, limitations, challenges and opportunities in nursing science and provided a report at the May NACNR meeting. You can watch the recording of the meeting here.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Find an area of clinical interest in nursing that you are both passionate and curious about, further your education and experiential learning in the area. Become curious. Explore unanswered questions that you have or develop in that clinical area, join professional specialty organizations related to that area of focus, and pursue professional networks –all to enable you to become a subject matter expert.
The video of the May 2021 public session of the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research is now available to view. You can view the video here.
