Research

Mi Ja Kim, PhD , RN, FAAN, Funded Projects

Bridges to the Doctorate for Minority Nursing Students

Funding Source: National Institute of General Medicine

Dates: 5/1/03 – 8/31/14

Co-Investigators: Beverly McElmurry, Constance Dallas

Website: www.uic.edu/nursing/research/bridges

Abstract: The long-range goal of this competing continuation grant application is to increase the pool of doctorally prepared minority nurse scholar leaders. In 2003, the number of underrepresented nursing doctorates who were U.S. citizens was less than 10% of the total U.S. doctorally prepared nurses, of which 7.3% (n = 25) were African Americans, 2.3% (n = 8) Hispanics, and 0.3% (n = 1) American Indians (2004). Underrepresented minority doctoral students represented 14% of the total doctoral students in the U.S. (AACN, 2005). This is in contrast to a 25% underrepresented minority population in the total U.S. population. The 2004 U.S. Census that predicted that by 2050 the Hispanic population will nearly triple and the African American population will almost double supports persuasively the need for increasing minority nurse scholar leaders. Increased diversity will improve the overall health of the nation, as culturally sensitive health care will benefit the entire population (Sullivan Report, 2004). The overall purpose of the proposed program is to prepare master's students at partner schools (DePaul University and Purdue University Calumet) for admission to the PhD program of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing (UIC CON) and to advance research in biomedical and/or behavioral nursing research.

Specific aims of the program are to: (1) Enroll 5 master's students yearly in UIC Bridges to the PhD; (2) Provide coursework for master's students preparing for admission to UIC PhD program; (3) Provide mentoring and administrative support for Bridges students in UIC PhD program; (4) Strengthen research curricula and collaborative research among partner schools; (5) Advance student knowledge of global leadership; and (6) Demonstrate institutional change by increasing the numbers of minority students who complete PhD study.

A total of five master's students from 2 partner schools will be recruited each year for admission to the UIC PhD program. UIC CON has excellent wet and dry laboratories and community resources, with federally funded research and training grants totaling $12 million, of which $9.2 million are from NIH. Fourteen UIC faculty members have committed to be Bridges Faculty Sponsors and collaborators for this Bridges program. Campus housing and study space for students will be provided. Financial support will be provided for the full-time Bridges students for their doctoral study for 2 years by traineeships, scholarships, or research assistantships with stipends. UIC faculty will sponsor predoctoral fellowship applications to NIH as soon as the students are ready. An increased number of minority students in the UIC PhD nursing program will enrich the learning environment that promotes the full range of intellectual discovery, and their research will help minimize health disparities among minority populations.