News Releases

Three From University of Maryland School of Nursing Awarded Nurse Educator Doctoral Grants

February 13, 2019

Grant assists with educational and professional expenses.

Baltimore, Md. – Three faculty members from the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) have been awarded a Nurse Educator Doctoral Grant (NEDG) for Practice and Dissertation Research. Clinical instructors Hannah Murphy Buc, MSN, RN, CNE; Anjana Solaiman, MS, RNC, IBCLC; and Nicole Smith, MS ’14, RN, CNE, CHSE, all received the maximum award amount of $30,000. Two of the three, Solaiman and Smith, teach in UMSON’s program at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Maryland.

This competitive grant program is designed to assist PhD and Doctor of Nursing Practice candidates by helping to cover costs associated with graduate education expenses; professional development; course release time; research-related administrative support; and project-related expenses for supplies, travel, and document creation. Its goals are to increase the number of doctorally prepared nursing faculty in Maryland, to strengthen faculty development for optimal capacity at schools of nursing, and to recruit and retain a diverse nursing faculty. 

“We are extremely grateful for this important support to faculty pursuing doctoral degrees,” said UMSON Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN. “The NEDG Program addresses the critical need to increase the number of faculty with advanced degrees and ensure a highly educated and well-prepared nursing workforce ready to meet the diverse needs of our communities. We congratulate this year’s three recipients and look forward to their continuing contributions to teaching and research at UMSON.”

NEDG is part of the Nurse Support Program II, a statewide initiative funded by the Health Services Cost Review Commission and administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. It helps increase Maryland’s nursing capacity by supporting initiatives that advance the recommendations outlined in the Institute of Medicine’s report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.

Headshots of Buc, Solaiman, and Smith

(Left to right) Hannah Murphy Buc, MSN, RN, CNE; Anjana Solaiman, MS, RNC, IBCLC; and Nicole Smith, MS ’14, RN, CNE, CHSE

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the United States and is in the top 10 nationally for all of its ranked master’s and DNP specialties. Enrolling nearly 1,900 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.