Villanova Nursing Researcher Awarded $798,158 R25 Education Project Grant from the National Institutes of Health

VILLANOVA, Pa. (November 17, 2025) - Bridgette M. Rice, PhD, MDiv, APRN, FAAN, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and the Richard and Marianne Kreider Endowed Professor in Nursing for Vulnerable Populations at Villanova University's M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing (FCN), has been awarded a $798,000 R25 Education Project grant from the National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant, which is the first R25 Education Project awarded to Villanova University, will fund the development of the Scholars for Applied Research and Impact (SARI) Program, which will equip PhD students through mid-career nurse scientists with the skills to conduct high-quality research in systemic and institutional factors.

R25 Education Projects are granted by the NIH to support the development and implementation of programs in education, information, training, technical assistance, coordination, or evaluation. Programs that are funded by an R25 grant should promote an appreciation for and interest in biomedical research, provide additional training in specific areas and/or develop ways to disseminate scientific discovery into public health and community applications.

Dr. Rice's R25 grant project intends to educate nurse scientists about how systemic and institutional factors (SIF) such as unstable housing, food insecurity and educational gaps contribute to variations in health outcomes across the lifespan. Through the SARI Program, two nationally recruited cohorts of 15 nurse scientists will participate in 12 months of training in which they will learn conceptual, methodological and measurement strategies for SIF research. They will then apply these learnings to study how the built environment, social connections and institutions can influence health outcomes.

"This funding moves FCN closer to our goal of advancing a bold and ambitious nursing research agenda to impact science, education, practice and policy," said Dr. Rice. "This national training grant provides a lasting legacy that will expand beyond each investigator's individual focus area. Our 30 SARI trainees will go on to address multiple health conditions across the lifespan, creating exponential opportunities to improve health for all."

After completing the SARI program, nurse scientists will be encouraged to disseminate their knowledge to their home institutions, employers, colleagues and the broader community to effect systemic change. Dr. Rice also intends to publicize the SARI curriculum manual and learning management system so other institutions can replicate the program. While nurse scientists are the primary demographic of interest, the SARI Program is also open to other transdisciplinary scholars.

"Receiving the University's first ever national research education program grant is a testament to the collective effort of Villanova and FCN to build our research infrastructure," said Dr. Rice. "These funds will enhance our already robust research environment, increasing our visibility and success in securing future training grants."

The SARI program is based at Villanova University and led in partnership with principal investigators Kamila A. Alexander, PhD, MSN/MPH, BSN, BS, RN, Associate Professor and Director of PhD and Postdoctoral programs at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, and Priscilla O. Okunji, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC, FIMC, MPI, Professor at the Howard University College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. Margaret Brace, PhD, Research Assistant Professor of Nursing at Villanova University, is a co-investigator on the award.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University's Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges-the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation's top universities, Villanova supports its students' intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit https://www.villanova.edu

Disclaimer: Research reported in this press release is supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R25NR021776. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.