Research Retreat

The George Washington University School of Nursing Research Retreat is a one-week intensive research-mentoring program designed to increase the research productivity of junior nursing faculty members. New PhD-prepared (junior) faculty members often experience challenges as they transition into the role of researcher, teacher, and department citizen. The demands of learning to teach, advise students, and committee work additionally can pull junior faculty away from their research and scholarship. A faculty member who loses research momentum early in his or her faculty life often cannot regain it later, and his or her potential for creating new knowledge is lost. Outside mentorship is a way of helping the new PhD to develop and maintain momentum.

The research immersion program at the George Washington University School of Nursing will provide the skills and support to nurture junior faculty to build a program of research. The program kicks off with a one-week in-residence session where a small group of junior faculty meet with mentors to boost their grant writing skills, develop strategies for maintaining scholarly productivity, and find ways of sustaining motivation. Participants then engage in monthly online booster sessions forums to gain additional didactic content, share their progress, support each other’s work, and receive additional mentorship. 

Participants will arrive on campus with a research idea and leave with the skills to begin work on a targeted written research proposal with clearly outlined ‘next steps’.   Individual mentoring and small group work supplement didactic presentations.

The number of participants for this Research Retreat will be limited to no more than 10, so early registration is encouraged. Those who would benefit from this immersion include:

1. New PhD-prepared nurses with a tenure-track appointment at a school of nursing or related university setting
2. Junior faculty members with two to four years of faculty experience whose research trajectory has stalled (e.g., few to no grant submissions, few to no data-based peer-reviewed papers published)

It is essential that each participant come with a research idea, as well as an idea for a potential type of funding.

• Situate a research idea within the context of a program of research and funding mechanisms
• Develop an aims page and draft proposal that is both significant and impactful
• Overcome writing blocks and learn strategies for maintaining research productivity
• Refine proposal development skills including:
  • Writing a compelling aims page and narrative to sell the idea
  • Fitting the scope of the study to the budget
  • Organizing and synthesizing existing literature, and keeping up with the science
  • Choosing the strongest study design possible to answer the research question
  • Working effectively with a statistician
  • Choosing study team members, who to pick and who to avoid
  • Justifying the budgeted costs
  • Engendering confidence in your ability to complete the work of the proposal with an effective biosketch
  • Writing a human subjects section that covers all the ethical concerns

• Receive didactic content and writing feedback for research proposals, including concrete ‘next steps’ to improve the quality and quantity of submissions
• Develop a flexible approach toward framing a research study to optimize the ability to link it to several funding sources
• Develop a work habit that includes weekly scholarly productivity for targeted publications, and proposal-writing productivity towards specific funding opportunities
• Develop a supportive network of peer and mentor relationships to stave off isolation, lack of productivity and to provide gentle corrective feedback
• Develop a sustained commitment to research and scholarship

Week-long immersion

Dates: July 22–26, 2019
Times: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Monthly booster sessions

Dates: Second Thursday of the month, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (9/12, 10/10, 11/14, 12/12, 1/9, 2/13, 3/12, 4/9, 5/14, 6/11)

Our campus is located in Foggy Bottom area of Washington, D.C. which is conveniently accessible by the Foggy Bottom metro line (blue/orange/silver).

We are also a short drive from Ronald Reagan Washington Airport (DCA).

The event takes place at 1919 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20006.

There are many places to stay while in D.C. These are just a few recommendations:

• Courtyard Marriott, Washington, D.C./Foggy Bottom
• One Washington Circle Hotel
• The River Inn Washington, D.C.
• The Hampton Inn, Washington, D.C./White House

The cost of the Research Retreat includes daily breakfast and lunch as well as downloadable research materials.  Applicants must bring their own laptop but will be provided internet access during the class, as well as library access to download source material.