Predoctoral Studies
The mission of the UCSF/John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence is to prepare an exceptional cadre of nurse scientists who will provide critically necessary academic leadership in teaching, research, and practice in geriatric nursing.
Predoctoral program of study (link: http://nursing.ucsf.edu/programs/phd-nursing) includes two years of modal curriculum plus additional cognates and individualized research residencies. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies and research opportunities are available.
Predoctoral students associated with the John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence will be advised and mentored by the gerontological nursing faculty at UCSF.
Opportunities for interdisciplinary research residencies will be arranged according to each student's individual area of interest in gerontological research and a wide variety of other learning experiences will be available through the many schools, centers, and institutes at UCSF that are dedicated to increasing our understanding of aging.
- Who Should Apply?
The mission of the UCSF/John A. Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence is encourage nurses to earn a PhD and establish a research program in gerontological nursing. Doctorally prepared nurses who specialize in gerontological research are sorely needed in Schools of Nursing to educate new nurses and to conduct research in aging.
If you are a nurse who is dedicated to improving the care of elders through research, clinical practice, and education, we hope you will consider applying to the PhD program at UCSF. Persons from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Many applicants to the PhD program have MS degrees in nursing. However, nurses who have a BSN degree and who are dedicated to a career in geriatric nursing research and teaching are also encouraged to apply. In the BSN-PhD program, it is possible to earn a Masters' degree in addition to the PhD with or without a clinical component leading to Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist certification.
The faculty at the Center would like to talk to you about your research interests, discuss the opportunities available at the Center, and help you with the application process to the PhD program. We invite you to call one of the faculty members at the Center to talk about possibilities well in advance of your application to the UCSF PhD program.
Application information is available online at the UCSF School of Nursing web site (link: nursing.ucsf.edu). If space is available, application deadlines may be extended. Please call a faculty member at the Center for details.
2. Financial Support
Loans, scholarships, and fellowships are available to support PhD students at UCSF. (More information is available on the UCSF Financial Aid web page.) Faculty members associated with the John A. Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence are committed to providing assistance to students in preparing applications for federal and private funding. Predoctoral students are encouraged to apply for individual National Research Service Awards (NRSA) and faculty will serve as mentors and sponsors in the application process, which can begin the summer before entry into the PhD program.
Postdoctoral Studies
Postdoctoral study and research is individualized for each postdoctoral scholar. It is possible to arrange innovative time frames for postdoctoral research, such as summer programs to accommodate faculty who teach during the academic year, or a one-semester program during a sabbatical. Please contact faculty members at the Center to discuss personal goals, define a research focus, and identify interdisciplinary mentors at UCSF.
1. Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities at UCSF
Opportunities for interdisciplinary research experiences will be arranged according to each scholar's area of interest in aging research. Many opportunities are available at UCSF to work with researchers in all four professional schools and the centers and institutes at UCSF that are dedicated to research in aging.
2. Who Should Apply?
Postdoctoral scholars must hold an earned doctorate. Either the masters' degree or the doctorate degree must be in nursing. New researchers who have earned their doctorates recently are encouraged to apply. Applications are also encouraged from faculty with established programs of research in other fields, such as oncology, cardiovascular nursing, or community health nursing, who would like to redirect their research to gerontology. Persons from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please contact faculty members at the Center about the application process and deadlines.
3. Financial Support
Faculty associated with the UCSF/John A. Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence are committed to providing assistance to students in preparing applications for federal and private funding.
It is important to talk to a faculty member at the Center about applying for financial support early in your planning process.
Interdisciplinary Research
UCSF offers a wide range of seminars, classes, grand rounds, and lectures in aging and related issues. Predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars at the UCSF/John A. Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence can participate in research residencies with scientists working on a variety of aging issues.
Interdisciplinary research opportunities will be arranged according to each scholar's area of interest. Research on aging at UCSF includes behavioral, clinical, and health policy studies conducted by scientists in many departments, schools, centers, and institutes.
