Support for nursing science

Background: The mission of the Department of Health and Human Services is to enhance the health and well-being of the American people. It does this by providing oversight for more than 1,000 grant programs across 26 federal agencies at an annual cost of approximately $500 billion. The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one institute originated to support health care research from a nursing perspective. However, funding of nursing research from federal agencies has remained relatively flat for more than a decade, despite increases in total NIH funding. Purpose: The purpose of this report is to describe the types of funding support provided by federal government agencies (including the NIH) to schools of nursing. Method: The NIH's Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool, Expenditures and Results system from 1988 to 2014 was accessed to collect information on the grant recipient institutions as well as the source, number, type, and dollar amounts of grants. Discussion: The funding level and its implications for the future of nursing science are considered.