Funded Projects

Our faculty members are actively engaged in the advancement of nursing science. The following are currently funded projects organized by faculty members' last name.

Guiding dissemination and implementation of the Future of Nursing: 2020-2030

PI: Ashley Darcy Mahoney 
Funder:  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Award Start: 3/1/22
Award End: 5/31/25
Overview:  The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity extends the vision for the nursing profession into 2030 and charts a path for the nursing profession to help our nation create a culture of health, reduce health disparities, and improve the health and well-being of the U.S. population in the 21st century. The RWJF sponsored National Academy of Medicine report on the Future of Nursing has conveyed a number of important recommendations for nurses as leaders and change agents in driving more health equity in the United States. The potential for the profession to make traction on the report recommendations is enormous given the interest and will. Closing the gap between interest, action and results, however will take strong leadership and strategy development from a number of people and organizations and this role will help facilitate that implementation.


Enhancing Measurement and Characterization of Roles and Experiences of Sexual and Gender Minority Caregivers of Persons living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

PI: Martiza Dowling, Jason Flatt (University of Nevada Las Vegas) and Joel G. Anderson (University of Tennessee)
Funder:  National Institute on Aging
Award Start: 8/1/23
Award End: 4/20/28


Balance Impairment in Non-AIDS Defining Cancer

PI: Kathleen Griffith & Alice Ryan (UMB)
Funder: National Cancer Institute
Award Start: 9/1/22
Award End: 8/31/24
Overview: Our overall objective is to comprehensively assess and compare balance and mobility in older NADC/PLWH (cases) to older PLWH without NADC (controls) of similar socioeconomic background and to test the feasibility of a resistance and balance training program to improve balance, strength and physical activity in each group.


Succession Planning through Disruptive Times: Factors Impacting Turnover among Perioperative

PI: Karen Kesten
Sponsor: CCI Research Foundation
Award Start: 11/1/22
Award End: 10/31/23 (NCE through 5/15/24)
Overview: The purpose of this multi-method study is to determine anticipated and actual turnover among perioperative nurses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 


Expanding and Promoting Alternative Care and Knowledge in Decision-making (ExPAND) Trial

PI: Dale Lupu
Funder: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
Award Start: 7/1/23
Award End: 9/30/29
Overview:  The primary objective of this study is to compare two health system-based approaches for offering kidney failure treatment options to older patients with kidney failure, to ensure they are actively involved in a shared decision making (SDM) process covering a full range of choices and have meaningful access to that full range of choices, including standard in-center or home dialysis (SIHD) and alternative treatment plans (ATPs): active medical management without dialysis (AAMWD), time-limited trial of dialysis (TLT), palliative dialysis, and deciding not to decide (DND).

ExPAND Project


Implementing Advance Care Planning for Dialysis Patients

PI: Dale Lupu
Funder: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
Award Start: 6/1/21
Award End: 6/30/23 (NCE through 12/31/23)
Project Name: Honoring Individual Goals and Hopes: HIGHway
Overview:  HIGHway is an implementation project to train social workers and nurses at 50 dialysis centers across the US to engage in advance care planning with patients who have end stage kidney disease. The project scales up an earlier intervention tested in a previous PCORI funded project with the goal that dialysis organizations will adopt effective advance care planning processes and embed them into the regular dialysis workflow.


Nurse practitioner technology-enhanced community health program 

PI: Christine Pintz
Sponsor: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Award Start: 9/1/19
Award End: 6/30/23 (NCE through 6/30/24)


Impact of simulation versus case-based learning on psychiatric nurse practitioner students’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors related to mental health care for transgender and gender expansive patients

PI: Rhonda Schwindt
Sponsor: National League for Nursing
Award Start: 9/1/21
Award End: 12/31/22 (NCE through 5/1/25)
Overview: This multi-site, mixed-method will compare the impacts of virtual simulation and case-based learning on the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and skills of psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner students related to mental health care for transgender and gender expansive patients. The study will generate data to guide nurse educators in their selection of effective, evidence-based teaching strategies to promote learning and support curricula changes which align with the professions’ commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and health equity.


Effects of State Preemption of Local Tobacco Control Legislation on Disparities in Tobacco Use, Exposure and Retail

PI: Tony Yang and Carla Berg (GWU-SPH)
Sponsor: National Cancer Institute
Award Start: 4/15/23
Award End: 3/31/27
Overview: Our objective is to advance our understanding of whether—and to what extent—enactment or repeal of state preemption on local tobacco control is associated with disparities in tobacco use, SHSe, and retail (sales, retailer density).


Expanding COVID-19 Vaccination Access to Hard-to-Reach Populations in Washington D.C.

PI: Tony Yang 
Sponsor: DC Government – Department of Health
Award Start: 7/1/23
Award End: 5/31/24
Overview:  This project aims to vaccinate the most hard-to-reach populations in the District of Columbia to protect them from COVID-19


Recreational Marijuana Marketing and Young Adult Consumer Behavior

PI: Tony Yang, Carla Berg (GWU-SPH) and Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg (Washington University)
Sponsor: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Award Start: 9/14/23
Award End: 2/28/27