By Linda Cook
Getting an early start, the National Institute of Nursing Research is moving to make the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research a reality for nursing research. Recently, Dr. Patricia Grady, NINR director, convened an implementation meeting of interdisciplinary experts from across the country who are known for their creative thinking. At issue were ways to intersect NINR's themes and priorities with those of the Roadmap, as well as suggestions for new Roadmap directions that reflect the goals of nursing research.
Also addressed were strategies for informing those involved in nursing research, a relatively new science, about the intricacies of participating in the NIH Roadmap, and how research within this new framework will both differ, yet sometimes remain the same for nursing. "It is true that the Roadmap initiative diverges from business as usual," said Grady. "Actually, it is business as usual plus." She also pointed out that "from its inception, NINR has always stressed interdisciplinary team research, and as nursing science has grown, we've put emphasis on translation into health care practice. So we're a good Roadmap fit."
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| NINR director Dr. Patricia Grady (l) and new NIH assistant director for roadmap coordination Dr. Dushanka Kleinman (second from l) meet with an interdisciplinary group to discuss potential NINR roadmap activities. |
Dr. Dushanka Kleinman, the newly appointed NIH assistant director for roadmap coordination, participated in the meeting and contributed valuable information and advice. Dr. Lauren Aaronson, the NINR advisor for Roadmap activities, was introduced to the group. Participants in the meeting included Dr. Jay Gershen, executive vice chancellor of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; Rosemary Gibson from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Dr. Pamela Mitchell from the University of Washington; Dr. David Korn of the American Association of Medical Colleges; and Dr. Spero Manson, director of the National Center for American Indian and Alaskan Native Mental Health Research.
Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute on Mental Health, provided an after-dinner talk on New Pathways to Discovery. Dr. Margaret Chesney, deputy director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, provided representation from other institutes and centers at NIH.
A report of the Roadmap implementation meeting will soon appear on the NINR web site at http://www.nih.gov/ninr/.
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