U.S. Department of Health and Human Services NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) http://ninr.nih.gov/ninr/ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, October 7, 2005 CONTACT: Lanny Newman, National Institute of Nursing Research, 301-496-0209, newmanl@xxxxxxxxxxxx SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM AT NIH MARKS BEGINNING OF YEAR-LONG RECOGNITION OF NURSING INSTITUTE'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY WHAT: "Nursing Research - Changing Practice, Changing Lives" is the theme of a day-long symposium, featuring panel discussions of nurse scientists from across the country to highlight advances in four major areas of research supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research, part of the National Institutes of Health: End of Life, HIV/AIDS and Health Disparities in HIV/AIDS, Harnessing Technology, and Symptom Management and Health Promotion. Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the NIH, will address the conference, and past NINR directors Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw, Dr. Suzanne Hurd, and Dr. Doris Merritt will be honored for their contributions to nursing science and to NINR. WHY: This symposium is the kick off in a series of events and meetings on the NIH campus and across the country to mark the NINR 20th Anniversary and its contributions to the nation's health. WHEN: October 11, 2005 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: Natcher Auditorium on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, MD MORE INFORMATION: "The NINR's contributions to research impact on all disease areas and Institutes here at the NIH. Their research portfolio has greatly expanded the scientific basis for patient care, "said Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., Director of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Patricia A. Grady, the Director of NINR, calls this anniversary year "an historic milestone in the science of nursing. We can look back and see the strides nursing research has made to improve patient care and look forward to even greater contributions." "As NINR enters its third decade, it is gratifying to see how research funded by NINR has reduced the impact of illness, improved quality of life, reduced health care costs, and changed practice," she added. A formal home for nursing research at NIH became a reality on November 20, 1985, when Public Law 99-158, the Health Research Extension Act of 1985, authorized the creation of the National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR). However, it was not until April 16, 1986, that Dr. Otis R. Bowen, then Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), announced the establishment of NCNR and Dr. Doris Merritt was designated the Center's Acting Director. NCNR's initial budget was $16 million. The first meeting of the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research (NACNR) was convened at NIH on February 17, 1987. Later that year, Dr. Hinshaw, a national leader in nursing research, was sworn in as NCNR's first permanent Director. She led a rapid growth in the NCNR, bringing nursing research increasing acceptance and prominence on the national stage. On June 10, 1993, President Clinton signed into law the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, and on June 1, 1993, DHHS Secretary Donna Shalala signed a Federal Register notice, formally establishing the National Institute of Nursing Research. NINR's placement among the Institutes within the NIH added a new scientific and clinical perspective to enrich the mainstream of the nation's biomedical and behavioral research endeavors. The mission of the National Institute of Nursing Research is to support clinical and basic research to establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals across the life span. Dr. Suzanne Hurd was named as acting director in June, 1994, when Dr. Hinshaw left NIH to become Dean, University of Michigan School of Nursing. In April, 1995 Dr. Patricia A. Grady, then Deputy Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, was appointed NINR's second Director, and continues to serve in that position. WHO SHOULD ATTEND: The symposium is open to the public. HOST: The symposium is sponsored by the National Institute of Nursing Research, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the biomedical research arm of the federal government. NIH is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NINR supports clinical and basic research to establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals across the life span-from management of patients during illness and recovery to the reduction of risks for disease and disability, the promotion of healthy lifestyles, promoting quality of life in those with chronic illness, and care for individuals at the end of life. EDITORIAL-SPECIFIC INFORMATION: The NINR website, http://ninr.nih.gov/ninr, will feature updates and information about upcoming events. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- "The Nation's Medical Research Agency" -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov. ## This NIH News Release is available online at: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2005/ninr-07.htm. To subscribe (or unsubscribe) from this list, go to http://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=nihpress&A=1.
