About Us - Program Purpose and Aims

The purpose of the Women's Health Nursing Research Training (WHNRT) program is to increase the number of qualified investigators to further knowledge development in women's health within the context of nursing science. The focus of the program is to:
  1. extend and integrate knowledge of biobehavioral and sociocultural dimensions of women's health, incorporating advances in knowledge of genetics and sex- and gender-differences in health,

  2. expand understanding of health disparities, their causes and means to close the gap, among vulnerable sub-populations of women, and

  3. advance interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts to test interventions to promote, maintain, and restore women's health.
Funding for predoctoral and postdoctoral training in women's health research (T32-NRO7039) was first awarded to the UW School of Nursing in 1987, (Dr. Nancy Woods, former P1 and Core faculty). Since its inception, the WHNRTG has supported research training in the area of women's health for over 50 predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars (Table 1). This grant currently supports six predoctoral and four postdoctoral scholars annually.

Upon completion of this training program, scholars are expected to:
  1. Apply creativity and diversity in thinking about women's health including frameworks for studying women's health problems, research design and methods, and interpretation and translation of study results for women's health care;

  2. Demonstrate skill in appropriate methods (design, measurement, and analysis) for studying biobehavioral dimensions of and sociocultural environments for women's health.

  3. Demonstrate skill in designing studies, including clinical trials, to test therapeutic strategies to improve women's health.

  4. Conduct specific research investigations in women's health.

  5. Collaborate with investigators in nursing and other disciplines and with communities to advance women's health.

  6. Disseminate research findings through publications and presentations for scientific, professional, and public audiences in a sound, critical, and appropriate manner.

  7. Demonstrate respect for and commitment to the principles of scientific integrity- in research.
The desired long-term outcome of the program is commitment to a research-intensive career trajectory, development of interdisciplinary collaboration, and eventual development of a cadre of nurse scientists in women's health to address the health care needs of the population.

University of Washington School of Nursing