The School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Dundee has just secured its largest research grant of £1 million for a collaborative project with other universities and the NHS aimed at bolstering the research infrastructure in nursing and midwifery and allied health professionals in Scotland.
The University of Dundee along with the Universities of Aberdeen, Stirling, Robert Gordon University and Dundee and St Andrews' Social Dimensions of Health Institute teamed up with the NHS in Tayside, Fife and Forth Valley to put together the winning bid to fund six PhD studentships and six post doctoral positions in the consortium.
The money was awarded to the Dundee led consortium for the strengths of the collaborative partnerships they had formed with the other universities and the strong alliances with the NHS. Under the academic leadership of Professor Sheila Hunt, Dean of Nursing and Midwifery, the consortium was brought together and the bid put in place to secure the NHS focused research positions.
Professor Sheila Hunt said that she was delighted to win this award. "This prestigious award funded by the Scottish Executive Health Department, NHS Education Scotland and The Health Foundation will make a real difference in our task of upgrading the research capacity of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to an internationally acceptable level of quality. This funding will provide the opportunity to begin the development of a new generation of clinical academic researchers who will make significant contribution to the provision of better health and social care in a modernised NHS."
Positions for the twelve researchers will be advertised in the national press and journals. Students will benefit from studying at all the universities involved where they will take courses and carry out research at the institution with strengths in their chosen field. With partnership from the NHS the research will be focused on issues that the health service needs to address in nursing and midwifery.
By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk