Nurses know that prevention is the key to health, and to address the most pressing challenges to health, we need to pay attention to the root causes. A new training program at NINR is working to ensure that nurse researchers have the skills and expertise needed to incorporate that perspective in their work.
“Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, and age,” said Dr. Shannon Zenk, NINR Director. “It’s important for nurse investigators to include those conditions as part of their research, and for us to explore and intervene on the broader structural factors shaping these conditions. The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Summer Research Institute was developed specifically to help train new nurse researchers to do just that.”
In late July, NINR hosted a cohort of nursing scholars to the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, for the first NINR SDOH Summer Research Institute. Dr. Zenk and the NINR staff, welcomed the 16 participants, whose research interests ranged from disparities in cardiovascular disease to the impact of incarceration on health. The goals of the three-day event were to explore SDOH research, prompt questions and ideas for how to advance nursing science, and connect with colleagues and NIH staff.
“As soon as we announced the event, we saw how great the need is for this kind of training,” said Dr. Courtney Aklin, Deputy Director of NINR. “We had over 240 applicants, all of whom expressed a great interest in learning more about SDOH research.”
SDOH is one of the five NINR Strategic Plan research lenses through which researchers can examine a wide variety of health challenges. NINR supports SDOH research that addresses upstream causes of health outcomes, identifies ways to limit exposure to adverse conditions, and explores methods to limit biological effects of SDOH.
Over the three-day event, a variety of SDOH research experts presented on the impact of neighborhood factors on health, natural experiments in community engaged research, and racial health justice in nursing research. Participants also received practical advice for launching a career in SDOH research, including tips for grant writing and insight into the NIH grant review process. Participants also had opportunities for networking and meeting with NINR program officers.
“We at NINR were thrilled with how the event turned out. In addition to all the important content, it was an amazing opportunity to spend a few days with really smart folks who are deeply committed to addressing some of the most complex health issues we face as a nation,” said Dr. Zenk.
NINR remains committed to providing opportunities to train the next generation of nursing science researchers, and the SDOH Summer Research Institute is one of many career development opportunities available at the Institute. For more information on additional training opportunities, please visit the NINR Training Funding Opportunities page.
