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EDITORIAL Vol. 24 No. 1 2008
In October 2007 the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) awarded a grant of $2.7 million (incl GST) to increase research capability within nursing, health maintenance and primary health care. The grant is part of the TEC’s Building Research Capability in Strategically Relevant Areas (BRCSRA) funding aimed at disciplines identified as of strategic relevance to New Zealand’s development, yet which had scored poorly in the 2003 Performance Based Research Funding (PBRF) quality evaluation (TEC, 2004; Smith, 2006). The main focus for the $2.7 million grant was nursing with the more recent inclusion of allied health disciplines.
Nursing was identified as having strategic relevance not only for the crucial contribution nurses make to providing health services and thus realising the Government’s health goals, but also to ensure that undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research training are underpinned by high quality research.
A consortium of five universities worked together over a period of two years to determine how best to build research capability in nursing. The consortium included nurse researchers from: the University of Auckland, the University of Otago, Victoria University, Massey University and the Auckland University of Technology. In October 2007 the University of Auckland was asked by the TEC to lead the project and the consortium group was expanded to represent allied health disciplines.
The project, known as the STAR (Strategy To Advance Research) Project, is focused on developing new and emerging researchers; a critical mass of experienced researchers who will be connected with international research and scholarship; leadership within nursing and allied health research; and a sustainable research culture that will benefit the people of New Zealand. These aims will be achieved by funding two competitive rounds of research projects and two rounds of PhD scholarships and post-doctoral fellowships, developing a visiting scholar programme, and strengthening communication networks between the collaborating universities. The details for the competitive rounds can be found on the website: www.starproject.ac.nz. Each consortium group member is responsible for championing the Project within their own institution and networks, and for encouraging the development of a mentorship programme for academic staff within their own departments. The website has details of the consortium group members.
The theme for the STAR Project is “to reduce the burden of chronic conditions”. This theme was selected to support a synergy of existing research interests within nursing and allied health in the consortium universities and has particular relevance for the predicted demands of the ageing, ethnically diverse population in New Zealand.
The STAR initiative provides opportunities for both the active nurse and allied health researchers and new researchers in these fields. A key tenet of the research project funding for scholarships and fellowships is the development of sustainable, collaborative and interdisciplinary teams that include a mix of experienced and new and emerging researchers. Research teams are expected to demonstrate dynamic mentorship for new and emerging researchers, along with the ways in which they will continue to collaborate and work towards attracting external funding grants thus building funding track records. The ongoing
development of teams and their collaborations with international researchers will go some way towards building the critical mass of experienced researchers needed in nursing and allied health disciplines.
STAR’s long term vision is, by 2020, to have improved the wellbeing of New Zealand’s ethnically diverse aging population through a consolidated research programme focused on reducing the burden of chronic conditions. Key to this is the development of a research culture that values interdisciplinary research and the transfer of knowledge through good research practice and prolific publication. To ensure sustainability of the strategy and realisation of the long term vision, the consortium group will pursue further funding opportunities during the two and a half years of the STAR Project.
It is imperative that nurse researchers recognise the critical role they have in providing research-based knowledge to inform patient care and the delivery of health services. The role brings with it responsibility to ensure a sustainable research workforce. This outcome requires the development of research leadership, new and emerging researchers, and the creation of effective research teams that will break down the traditional silos and build research capability across the sector.
Associate Professor Mary Finlayson
RN, PhD, MCNA(NZ)
Director, STAR Project
School of Nursing
The University of Auckland
References
Smith, T. (2006). Editorial. Nursing Praxis in New Zealand, 22(1), 2-5.
Tertiary Education Commission (2004). Building capability in strategically relevant areas
(BRCSRA). Wellington: Author.
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