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University of Maryland School of Nursing Awarded Grant from Jonas Philanthropies to Fund Doctoral Nursing Scholars
September 5, 2018
Grant will help tackle the nation’s most pressing health care issues through support of high-potential doctoral nursing scholars.
Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) has been awarded a new $20,000 grant from Jonas Philanthropies, a leading national philanthropic funder of graduate nursing education. Matched by $20,000 from UMSON, the grant will provide $20,000 in academic funding each for UMSON PhD students Amy Nelson, MS ’17, BSN, and Rhea Williams, MSN, BSN, CNM, for 2018-20.
As a grant recipient, UMSON joins Jonas Philanthropies in its efforts to improve the quality of health care by investing in nursing scholars whose research and clinical foci specifically address our nation’s most urgent needs. The grant will empower and support nursing students with financial assistance, leadership development, and networking to expand the pipeline of future nursing faculty, researchers, and advanced practice nurses and to improve the health of veterans.
“We are extremely grateful to Jonas Philanthropies for their ongoing support of doctoral nursing students and congratulate Amy Nelson and Rhea Williams on their selection for designation as Jonas Scholars,” said UMSON Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, “I know that they will benefit tremendously from the financial support and professional development opportunities that this program provides, and we look forward to their continued development as researchers, clinicians, and future nurse leaders.”
Nelson and Williams are part of the new two-year cohort of more than 200 Scholars pursuing PhD, DNP, or EdD degrees at 95 universities across the country. The Scholars’ doctoral work will focus on critical priorities such as chronic health and preventative health. They join more than 1,000 Jonas Scholar alumni representing 157 universities across all 50 states.
“As we welcome another impressive group of nurse leaders into the Jonas Scholar community, Barbara and I are honored to celebrate all that the program has achieved in the past decade,” said Donald Jonas, president of Jonas Philanthropies. “Nurses play a pivotal role in advancing our nation’s health care, and as we look to the future, we are thrilled to continue our work with our partner nursing schools and expand our impact to help the country’s most vulnerable citizens.”
With 10,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 each day,an entire generation of the health care workforce is preparing to retire. Coupled with the responsibility to care for 22.2 million veterans living across the country, thismeans the United States is facing a dire need for a new era of highly educated nursing professionals. Together, UMSON and Jonas Philanthropies believe the investment in the education of nurse leaders is critically important to improve the health care system.
Jonas Philanthropies seeks to improve health care by investing where it matters most. It addresses high-need issues and audiences with high-impact solutions: promoting leadership in nursing and veterans health care, preventing and treating low vision and blindness, and protecting children’s environmental health.
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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the United States and is in the top 10 nationally for all of its ranked master’s and DNP specialties. Enrolling nearly 1,900 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.