Howard University and NYU nursing schools partner to further nursing research and education

Collaboration aims to improve health and health equity

Howard University’s College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences and New York University’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing have formed an educational and research partnership to work together to have a greater impact on improving health and health equity in urban areas and global communities.

“We are ecstatic to be in partnership with such a prestigious educational institution as NYU Meyers at such a critical time within our nation’s healthcare cataclysm,” said Gina S. Brown, PhD, MSA, RN, FAAN, dean for the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences at Howard University. “The potential collaborations are endless.”

The new partnership will enable nursing researchers at Howard and NYU to collaborate on existing research projects and jointly apply for grant funding for new projects. The schools are in the process of applying for funding to develop a mentoring and education program to encourage African-American nurses to obtain specialty nursing certifications. In addition, faculty will be invited to attend research seminars and professional development opportunities at both schools.

“We are thrilled to build new ties to Howard University, one of the country’s top HBCUs, and to work closely with its expert nursing faculty,” said Eileen Sullivan-Marx, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean and Erline Perkins McGriff professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. “By formally establishing this partnership, we can develop unique opportunities for cross-school collaborations that address health inequities and increase our impact on improving care for the patients and communities we serve.”

In addition to fostering faculty and research collaborations, nursing students at Howard and NYU Meyers will have the opportunity to attend new and established programming through educational exchanges. For instance, Howard nursing students will be encouraged to participate in NYU Meyers’ 10-week summer research program, designed to engage undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds in mentored research. The NIH-funded program aims to develop the next generation of cardiovascular disease researchers, and NYU and Howard hope that participation will encourage more nursing students of color to pursue research doctorates in nursing or related fields.

The Howard-NYU partnership was catalyzed by Brown and NYU Meyers’ Audrey Lyndon, PhD, FAAN, RNC, professor and assistant dean for clinical research. While on faculty at the University of California, San Francisco, Lyndon worked closely with Brown on educational exchanges; they look forward to building upon this collaboration to change the future of nursing.