Rutgers School of Nursing continues its upward climb in annual rankings of research funding—ascending to No. 19 among all U.S. nursing schools in total National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for 2021. The rankings were released this month by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research–widely considered the gold standard for research metrics.

Rutgers School of Nursing has seen a steady rise in this important measure over the past three years–from No. 53 in 2019, No. 38 in 2020, and now, No. 19 for 2021. Blue Ridge has monitored NIH funding to medical, nursing, and other health sciences schools since 2006.

“This new ranking, and our continued upward trajectory over the past three years, demonstrates Rutgers’s School of Nursing’s commitment to advancing excellence in nursing science and scholarship in order to transform health care nationally and globally,” said Linda Flynn (PhD, RN, FAAN), dean and professor. “Congratulations to our phenomenal nurse researchers, and the team members who support them in our Office of Research Services, Contracts, and Grants.”

To put the new ranking in perspective, Rutgers School of Nursing is No. 19 (or among the top 22 percent) of the 85 schools of nursing that received funding in 2021. Further, in comparison to all schools offering graduate degrees in nursing, Rutgers School of Nursing ranks in the top 3 percent.

Recent NIH awards to the School of Nursing include two large-scale, interdisciplinary research grants totaling $5.2 million from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging.

According to the dean, the School of Nursing has a culture focused on research and scholarship, including an infrastructure supporting the growth of the school’s research enterprise. “Our research faculty have access to in-house statisticians, editing service, a certified IRB navigator, expert research consultants, dedicated pre- and post-award management, and research development workshops,” Flynn explained.

Faculty activities include monthly Research and Scholarship Grand Rounds, which present a forum for sharing faculty research with colleagues at Rutgers and with partner clinical institutions. The school’s centers of excellence support faculty research through small pilot study grants and provide settings for interdisciplinary collaboration in research areas of focus. The school’s highly respected PhD in Nursing program is a pipeline for equipping future nurse scientists.

“I’m very pleased with Rutgers School of Nursing’s progress in research and scholarship, Flynn said, “and also salute the nursing schools across the nation who are advancing scientific knowledge through funded research. We are all united in the common goal of improving health and well-being across the lifespan.”