Which degree is funded for nursing research from NIH grants?

• A. PhD
• B. DNP
• C. Master's Ed.
• D. NLN Position Statement

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is how NIH support for nursing research aligns with the level of training needed to lead funded studies. NIH grants aim to develop nurse scientists who can design, conduct, and advance research independently. The doctor of philosophy in nursing provides rigorous training in research methods, statistics, study design, and grant writing, which prepares a researcher to compete for and manage NIH-funded projects. That ability to generate new knowledge and lead large research programs is what NIH funding is built to support.

In contrast, a Doctor of Nursing Practice focuses on applying existing evidence to improve patient care and health systems, rather than generating new research questions and leading NIH-scale studies. A master’s degree in education is not a doctoral research degree and typically isn’t the level NIH targets for funding nursing research. And an NLN Position Statement isn’t a degree at all, so it wouldn’t be funded as a degree.

So the PhD best fits NIH funding for nursing research because it equips graduates to conduct independent research and secure NIH-supported grants.