Welcome to the Cathryne A. Welch Center for Nursing Research!

Each year the Foundation Board of Trustees honors a rising nurse researcher by conferring this award to an individual who demonstrates excellence in developing an emerging program of research. Criteria for the award include:

• Demonstration of excellence in developing an emerging program of research;
• Demonstration of interest in nursing research;
• Quality of research;
• Relevance to the science and art of nursing and health care;
• Dissemination of research to the scientific and clinical communities.

In 2010, the Novice Nurse Researcher program was updated with new criteria and a new name: Rising Nurse Researcher. Definition of the rising nurse researcher: A licensed registered nurse who is doctorally prepared and has obtained at least one degree, either a baccalaureate or higher, in nursing and who has no more than three research-based publications in refereed journals as primary author and has received, as principal investigator, no more than $15,000 in postdoctoral extramural funding in one particular research area (definition influenced by American Nurses Foundation, 2008 grant guidelines).

The Foundation Board of Trustees invites nominations, including self-nominations, for the Rising Nurse Researcher Award.