Skip to main content.
kumc.edu
Research

Funded Research & Projects

KU nurse scientists discover answers and expand understanding to help patients, families, and communities. Our current work includes:

Changing Talk Online Training (CHATO): A National Trial to Reduce Behavioral Symptoms in Long Term Care Residents with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

Grant Sponsor
NIH
Grant Number
R01AG069171
Project Period
6/1/25-5/31/26
Total Funding
$3,884,943
Primary Investigator
Kristi Williams
Key Personnel
Frances Yang
Internal Collaborators
  • Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC)
  • KU Center for Telehealth and Telemedicine
  • The Heartland Telehealth Resource Center
External Collaborators
The University of Iowa
Major Goals

The goal of this study is to test the effects of online communication training for nursing home staff on resident behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and use of psychotropic medications. Identify strategies that nursing homes can use to improve staff engagement and implementation of training skills. Evaluate cost and sustainability.

Older Women Leading Healthy-Aging Research Together (OWLHART)
Grant Sponsor
PCORI
Grant Number
EACB-34382
Project Period
7/1/25-6/30/26
Total Funding
$245,510
Primary Investigator
Amanda Emerson
Key Personnel
Jill Peltzer
External Collaborators
Communities of Creating Opportunities
Major Goals

To increase healthy aging in women with CLSI, in part by establishing capacity for them to play an integral role in the conduct of research to achieve improved outcomes. The difference the project makes will be to establish a network of older women with CLSI who are empowered to participate in, collaborate on, or lead or co-lead aging-related health intervention research. Such involvement will improve the value and relevance of health interventions and programs by better aligning with women’s needs and preferences and by increasing community trust, awareness, and investment in research.

Effects of A Prenatal Mental Health Support Intervention on Maternal and Fetal Physiologic Response
Grant Sponsor
Geneva Foundation
Grant Number
n/a
Project Period
9/26/25-9/25/26
Total Funding
$105,325
Primary Investigator
Karen Weis
Internal Collaborators
Biostatistics and Data Science
External Collaborators
  • The Geneva Foundation
  • Henry M. Jackson Foundation
  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS)
Major Goals

The proposed multidisciplinary effort will expand the on-going M-O-M-S™ program in support of active-duty women, and explore the relationships between mental health in pregnancy and the associated physiological effects on placental tissue with and without an early prenatal support intervention.

SeeInMe: Digital Profiles Facilitating Person-centered Coordinated Care for People with Dementia
Grant Sponsor
NIH SBIR
Grant Number
R43AG090142
Project Period
9/22/25-12/31/26
Total Funding
$60,425

Primary Investigator
Kristi Williams

External Collaborators
SeeInMe

Major Goals

Create a comprehensive HIPAA-compliant digital profile to support person centered care for AD/ADRD patients and families, and providers and seek to create a comprehensive HIPAA-compliant digital profile

Advanced Nursing Education Workforce
Grant Sponsor
HRSA
Grant Number
T94HP49359
Project Period
7/1/25-6/30/27
Total Funding
$2,581,532
Primary Investigator
Colleen Paramesh
Key Personnel
  • Michelle Cochran
  • JonAn Peterson
Internal Collaborators
  • KUMC Rural Health Education and Services
  • Project ECHO
Major Goals

The purpose of this project is to (1) Nurture and develop new academic-clinical partnerships that will generate sustainable programs after HRSA funding; (2) Provide immersive clinical experiences for APRN students in rural, urban, and/or tribal underserved areas; (3) Develop enhanced educational content including interprofessional simulation and skills training to improve clinical acumen regarding health equity and social determinants of health; and (4) Support our partners by providing professional development and interprofessional group work between academic programs.

Women with Criminal-Legal System Involvement Leading Healthy Aging Research (WISHA)
Grant Sponsor
Betty Irene Moore Fellowship
Grant Number
n/a
Project Period
7/1/25-6/30/27
Total Funding
$500,000
Primary Investigator
Amanda Emerson
Key Personnel
Jill Peltzer
Internal Collaborators
KU Center for Health Communication (CEHCUP)
Major Goals

To increase healthy aging in women with CLSI, in part by establishing capacity for them to play an integral role in the conduct of research to achieve improved outcomes. The difference the project makes will be to establish a network of older women with CLSI who are empowered to participate in, collaborate on, or lead or co-lead aging-related health intervention research. Such involvement will improve the value and relevance of health interventions and programs by better aligning with women’s needs and preferences and by increasing community trust, awareness, and investment in research.

Advanced Nursing Education‐ Nurse Practitioner Residency Fellowship Program (ANE-NPRF)
Grant Sponsor
HRSA
Grant Number
T59HP49662
Project Period
8/1/25-7/31/27
Total Funding
$2,199,750
Primary Investigator
Kelly Bosak
Key Personnel
JoAnn Peterson
Internal Collaborators
  • University of Kansas Center for Telemedicine & Telehealth (KUCTT)
  • KUMC Rural Health Education and Services (RHES)
  • Project ECHO
External Collaborators
Community Care Network of Kansas (CCNK)
Major Goals

The purpose of this project is to prepare new primary care FNPs for the complexities of practice and to improve access to care in a rural, urban, and/or tribal underserved community-based settings through an enhanced post-graduate fellowship program with both clinical and didactic components.

Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion (MATCARE) Training Program
Grant Sponsor
HRSA
Grant Number
T68HP52011
Project Period
9/30/25-9/29/27
Total Funding
$1,237,032
Primary Investigator
Kesa Herlihy
Internal Collaborators
KUMC Rural Health Education and Services (RHES)
Major Goals

The purpose of this project is to prepare new Certified Nurse-Midwives for the complexities of practice and to improve access to care in rural, urban, and/or tribal underserved community-based settings through a robust traineeship opportunity with student scholarships & stipends, curriculum enhancement, and support for community-based training sites and preceptors. The project aims to grow and diversify the maternal nursing care workforce.

Enhancing Treatment Adherence in mBC Through Community Navigation and Financial Assistance
Grant Sponsor
Pfizer
Grant Number
99173387
Project Period
11/3/25-10/29/27
Total Funding
$165,842
Primary Investigator
Jamie Myers
Sunflower-MOMS: A Coordinated Network for Refining and Sustaining Risk-Appropriate Obstetrical Care to Rural Kansas
Grant Sponsor
HRSA
Grant Number
UK9RH53156
Project Period
9/30/25-9/29/28
Total Funding
$3,836,138
Primary Investigator
Karen Weis
Internal Collaborators
  • Biostatistics and Data Science
  • TUKHS Maternal Fetal Medicine
  • KU Center for Health Informatics
  • KU Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
External Collaborators
  • Sunflower Health Network
  • Kansas Department of Health & Environment – Division of Health Care Finance (Medicaid)
Major Goals

Refine rural obstetrical (OB) care through training, expert consultations/referrals, community nurse navigators, and leveraging technology for a sustained model of risk-appropriate care.

Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) Kansas 4M
Grant Sponsor
HRSA
Grant Number
U1QHP53058
Project Period
7/1/25-6/30/29
Total Funding
$5,001,742
Primary Investigator
Teri Kennedy
Key Personnel
  • Barbara McArthur
  • Frances Yang
Internal Collaborators
KU Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Kansas Nursing Workforce Center
External Collaborators
  • Kansas Recruitment and Retention Center (KRRC)
  • McPherson College
  • Washburn
  • The University of Kansas, Lawrence Campus
Major Goals

University of Kansas School of Nursing in collaboration with the Schools of Pharmacy, Medicine, Health Professions, and Social Welfare proposes Age-Friendly Kansas Forum (Kansas 4M), a statewide Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community and reciprocal partnership between academia and primary care sites/delivery systems (including nursing homes), and community organizations serving older adults in rural and/or underserved Kansas, guided by an advisory committee representing older adults/patients, family members, and statewide networks representing sites, delivery systems, and community organizations serving older adults. The project will improve health equity, access, and care for Kansans by educating and training students, residents, fellows, faculty, preceptors, and the health, social, and supportive care workforce serving older adults across Kansas

Adapting the CHATO Communication Intervention for Diverse Nursing Home Communities (CHATO-I)
Grant Sponsor
NIH
Grant Number
R01AG085177
Project Period
8/1/25-7/31/29
Total Funding
$3,562,955
Primary Investigator
Kristi Williams
Key Personnel
Frances Yang
Internal Collaborators
  • Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC)
  • Juntos: Center for Advancing Latino Health
  • Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at the University of Kansas
  • Area Health Education Centers
  • Institute for Community Engagement
  • KU Center for Telemedicine and Telehealth
  • Landon Center on Aging
  • The University of Kansas Cancer Center
  • Zamierowski Institute for Experiential Learning
External Collaborators
  • The Univeristy of Iowa
  • University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Major Goals

The goals of this study are to culturally adapt and test feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects for the CHATO communication training for diverse nursing home staff and to validate mechanism of action.

Aging-Related Health and Aging Acceleration in Older Women with Criminal Legal System Involvement (AGELIS)
Grant Sponsor
NIH
Grant Number
R01NR02118
Project Period
2/18/26-12/31/26
Total Funding
$2,105,095
Primary Investigator
Amanda Emerson
Key Personnel
Jill Peltzer
Internal Collaborators
Juntos Center for Advancing Latino Health
External Collaborators
  • Research Triangle Institute
  • Texas Tech
Major Goals

To establish relationships between functional ability, life course factors, and criminal-legal system involvement in women age 50 and older.

To characterize health in aging attitudes, beliefs, goals, self-efficacy, and lived experience of older women with CLSI.

Integrative Analysis of the Blood Plasma and Tumor Microbiome: A Novel Approach to Liquid Biopsy Screening for Early Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Detection
Grant Sponsor
NIGMS/ COBRE
Grant Number
P20GM130423
Project Period
2/1/24-3/31/27
Total Funding
$450,000
Primary Investigator
Diane Mahoney
Internal Collaborators
Kansas Institute for Precision Medicine (Mahoney is an RPL on SOM's COBRE)
KU School of Nursing

KU School of Nursing
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Mail Stop 2029
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-1619 | TTY 711
soninfo@kumc.edu