UArizona College of Nursing Ranks 13th among Public Institutions in NIH Funding Recipients

Feb. 19, 2024

In 2023, the University of Arizona College of Nursing achieved significant recognition, securing the 13th position among public universities and the 19th position overall among nursing schools in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, as reported by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR). The College of Nursing obtained approximately $5.02 million in funding during the fiscal year 2023, marking a notable increase from $3.73 million in the fiscal year 2022. This signifies a $1.28 million increase in grants compared to the previous year, reflecting a remarkable growth of 34%.

“I extend my sincere gratitude to the faculty and staff whose dedication and efforts have led to this significant accomplishment for our college. I would like to express special appreciation for the invaluable contributions of Dr. Judith Gordon, serving as the Associate Dean for Research, and Dr. Terry Badger, in her capacity as the Director of Research Initiatives. Alongside the NIH grants, our faculty have also been successful in securing numerous non-NIH research and educational grants during the fiscal year 2023.” said Dean Hyochol Brian Ahn, PhD, APRN, ANP-BC, FAAN.


NIH awarded College of Nursing professors, including Dean Brian Ahn, PhD, APRN, ANP-BC, FAAN, Judith Gordon, PhD, Terry Badger, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, FAPOS, FAAN, Kathleen C. Insel, PhD, RN, Elise Erickson, CNM, FACNM, Thaddeus Pace, PhD, Rina Fox, PhD, MPH, and Aleeca Bell, PhD, RN, CNM.

The recent rankings underscore the remarkable productivity of our faculty and highlight the significance of their research and scholarship in advancing health and well-being nationwide. Faculty members at the College of Nursing are engaged in pioneering interdisciplinary research and scholarship endeavors aimed at elevating healthcare delivery, enhancing health outcomes, tackling health equity issues, and addressing the nursing shortage.

Below are brief synopses of the projects and researchers that received NIH funding in 2023:

PI Grant # Project Title
Hyochol Ahn R01NR019051 Combination Therapy of Home-based Trans-cranial Direct Current Stimulation and Mindfulness-based Meditation for Self-management of Clinical Pain and Symptoms in Older Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis
Judith Gordon R01AT011500 Testing the Efficacy of A Scalable, Telephone-Delivered, Guided Imagery Tobacco Cessation Intervention
Terry Badger R01CA263714 Adaptive Symptom Self-Management to Reduce Psychological Distress and Improve Symptom Management for Survivors on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Kathleen Insel R01NR020261 Digital Technology to Support Adherence to Hypertension Medications for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment
Elise Erickson R00NR019596 The Clock is Ticking: Epigenetic Age Acceleration as a Biomarker of Uterine Function in Pregnancy
Elise Erickson R01HD111125 Oxytocin sensitivity and postpartum hemorrhage: testing genetic and epigenetic biomarkers for improving maternal morbidity
Thaddeus Pace R01CA264047 Leveraging social connection by including informal caregivers in an internet video conference-based compassion meditation intervention to reduce psychological distress in breast cancer survivors
Thaddeus Pace R21OH012386 Reducing Psychological Distress in Fire Fighters with an Asynchronous App-based Meditation Intervention
Rina Fox K08CA247973 Improving sleep in gynecologic cancer survivors
Aleeca Bell R01NR018828 A Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve Mother-Infant Synchrony Among Women with Childhood Adversity