Institute of Nursing and Health Research

Institute of Nursing and Health Research

Logo of Ulster University Institute of Nursing and Health Research.[1]
Focus	Allied Healthcare, Biomedical Science, Health and Pharmacological research
Director	Prof. Tanya McCance
Faculty	Faculty of Life and Health Sciences
Staff	30 Researchers and 10 professors
Key people	All full members
Endowment	£5.7 million in awards (2011-2013) + others.[2]
Members	39 Full members, 23 associate members
Subsidiaries	5 research centres
Owner	Ulster University
Formerly called	Institute of Nursing Research
Location	Belfast, Jordanstown ,and Magee College, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Website	science.ulster.ac.uk/inhr/

The Ulster University's Institute of Nursing and Health Research (INHR), previously known as the University of Ulster's Institute of Nursing Research, is a research institute of Ulster University which is physically located at the Jordanstown, Coleraine and Magee campus'. Within the Institute, there are over 30 researchers and 10 professors based on the Jordanstown, Coleraine and Magee campuses of the university. In addition, the INHR has approximately 90 doctoral students researching and studying towards their chosen topics. Members of the Institute can either be full members or associate members, however visiting professors are often closely involved in research.

Centres

The Institute has five main centres:^[3]

• Centre for Health and Rehabilitation Technologies
• Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities - which initiates research and evaluation studies to inform the development and organisation of policy and services for people with disabilities.
• Managing Chronic Illness - which conducts rigorous research into holistic care, responsive to the needs of those living with a chronic condition.
• Maternal, Fetal and Infant Research Centre, which encompasses two main research clusters: perinatal epidemiology and midwifery research
• Person-Centred Practice - which focuses on the enhancement of knowledge and expertise in person centred practice.

Vision

The Institute's vision is to be a world-leader in research and development in order to enhance the knowledge, expertise and engaged scholarship of nursing, midwifery, public health and allied health professions research. They hope to work to achieve this vision by:^[4]

• undertaking high quality strategic and applied research through a range of creative and appropriate methodologies;
• contributing towards the development of models, conceptual frameworks and theories relevant to policy, practice and education;
• providing consultancy on service evaluation and developments, in partnership with statutory, private and voluntary organisations;
• educating and training research students, within the context of providing a high-profile community for seminars, master classes, workshops, lectures and conferences;
• engaging actively in knowledge transfer at local, national and international levels;
• demonstrating the impact of new knowledge through innovation and development.

Governance

Led by a director, their role is to shape the institute and ensure research is maintained at a high level; in addition to producing research themselves. Currently the director is Professor Tanya McCance. Professor McCance is responsible to the Dean of the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences as the Institute is one of several research intensive departments attached to this faculty. The institute is a collaboration between two schools in this faculty, the School of Nursing and the School of Health Science.^[2]

The institute is split into centres in order to help achieve more focused research. The strategic framework and operational plans that underpin all research activities in the INHR are delivered through five Research Centres with each one being led by an internationally recognised expert in their respective field:

• Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Head of Centre, Dr Laurence Taggart)
• Centre for Health and Rehabilitation Technologies (Head of Centre, Professor Suzanne McDonough)
• Managing Chronic Illness Research Centre (Head of Centre, Professor Vivien Coates)
• Centre for Maternal, Foetal and Infant Research (Head of Centre, Professor Helen Dolk)
• Person-centred Practice Research Centre (Head of Centre, Professor Tanya McCance)

Research Ranking

2008

In the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) process in 2008, the IHNR was ranked among the premier league of UK universities while 40% of its research was classed as ‘world leading. Nursing at Ulster was also ranked among the top of universities in the UK and in terms of 4* research, within the top three universities.

2014

The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) received 38 staff submissions for consideration. As a result, 94.6% of all work was deemed to be 94.6% being "internationally excellent or world leading". In addition, 100% of research submitted was given an impact and environment rating of 3* or 4*. Overall the institute achieved 86% 3* or 4* with ^[5] 23 submissions being world leading (4*), 63 being internationally excellent, 10 being 2*, 3 being 1* and 1 submission not being considered.

References

1. "Institute of Nursing and Health Research". Ulster University - Institute of Nursing and Health Research. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
2. "Profiling Excellence at the Institute of Nursing and Health Science Research" (PDF). Ulster University Institute of Nursing and Health Research. 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
3. "Nursing Research Overview - Ulster University". Ulster University. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
4. "Institute of Nursing and Health Research - About Us". Ulster University. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
5. "REF 2014 Institute of Nursing and Health Research Ulster". 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.

External links

• INHR Twitter
• Main Page