College of Nursing - Associate Dean, Research

Associate Dean for Research

College of Nursing

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Nursing (CON) invites inquiries, nominations of, or applications from candidates for the position of Associate Dean for Research (ADR). The CON seeks a dynamic and innovative leader to advance the research and scholarship enterprise within the CON.

Duties and Responsibilities

The ADR provides leadership in the growth of the CON research and scholarship programs and is a vital member of the leadership team, reporting directly to the Dean of the CON. The ADR works to support UTHSC CON excellence in scholarship and research through faculty mentorship, innovative problem solving, and strategic visioning. The ADR supports interdisciplinary research across UTHSC and into the community by partnering with other colleges and clinical partners. In addition, it is expected, the ADR :

• Provides leadership in facilitating and strengthening CON research, scholarship, funding success, and productivity.
• Mentors faculty in developing original and translational programs of federally or other externally funded research and supports faculty seeking training grants.
• Manages the daily operations of the CON Office of Research and Scholarship and supervises associated staff.
• Develops, enhances, and promotes policies and guidelines within the CON that support scholarship and scholarly recognition.
• Fosters and seeks extramural funding for CON research initiatives and promotes the CON internationally, nationally, and regionally, through attendance and engagement in scientific conferences and media.
• Develops and executes a plan to increase the CON research portfolio including recruitment of nurse scientists and researchers that complements the CON and UTHSC research portfolio.
• Develops short and long-range strategic research plans that promote basic and translational research within the CON and between the CON and other colleges, departments, and institutions.
• Advises and counsels the Dean of the CON on matters related to research and scholarly activity.
• Maintains an active, externally funded research program as a principal investigator.
• Advises and mentors Ph.D. students.
• Contributes to the delivery of scholarly content and training through classroom instruction, seminars, and workshops to build scientific expertise in the CON.
• Aligns the mission and vision of the CON research programs with that of the broader institution.
• Works collaboratively with colleagues across UTHSC while effectively advocating for CON research with UTHSC administration and clinical partners.
• Performs other duties as required by the Dean of the CON.

Qualifications

It is required that the next ADR possesses an earned doctorate or equivalent terminal degree from an accredited university, e.g. Ph.D., D.N.Sc., Dr.P.H., Sc.D., M.D., D.N.P., and is eligible for appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor with tenure in a department within the CON. It is preferred that the ADR demonstrates :

CON Office of Research and Scholarship

The CON’s Office of Research and Scholarship (ORS) is staffed with a manager of research and scholarship, a scientific editor, and a full-time statistical consultant. These individuals support faculty and doctoral students with development and submission of grants, fellowship applications, and scholarships, as well as scholarly publications. Specific services provided include research design and statistical consultation, grant and budget preparation, statistical consultation for grant preparation, mock grant reviews, funds to obtain external reviews, institutional processing, editorial assistance, faculty development, assistance with annual reports, and seed funds for pilot projects. Assistance with slides and posters for professional presentations is also available.

The CON promotes nursing-led, collaborative, and interdisciplinary research focused on measuring and improving biomedical and behavioral outcomes for patients. Throughout our research, we seek to foster collaborations with clinically and educationally focused faculty in nursing and our clinical colleagues from other disciplines. This collaboration aids in implementing evidence-based research in the clinical setting. Our nationally and internationally recognized faculty have received funding through federal agencies, foundations, professional organizations, and industry sponsors.

CON Grant Funding

Grant funding has been on a growth trajectory in recent years, increasing from $1.8 million in FY 2020 to $3.6 million in FY 2023 to $5,842,542 for FY24. For 2025, grant funding was $5.6 million. Faculty research interests fall into the following four categories : prevention, population health outcomes, health systems, and patient biomedical and behavioral outcomes. The college’s Areas of Excellence include Stroke , Sickle Cell Disease , and Rural and Underserved Health Care .

The UT Health Science Center was recently selected by the Tennessee Department of Health to be the Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence – a $12 million, four-year grant that places the university at the heart of improving health care for Tennesseans. Dean Wendy Likes of the College of Nursing is the principal investigator on the Center of Excellence grant.

In addition to that grant, current grant funding highlights for the College of Nursing include the following :

CON Resources

The CON has 500 sq. ft. of dedicated wet lab space located only three floors up from the Molecular Resource Center and the Molecular Bioinformatics cores, two of our nine institutionally supported core facilities. Located within the open-concept laboratory space of the Translational Science Research Building (TSRB), and the attached enclosed BSL-II space, is all the equipment necessary for a modern microbiology and multi-omics laboratory. Additional details on CON Research are available here .

CON Collaborations

Located in Memphis, with access to both urban and rural communities, the UTHSC CON is home to the Center for Community and Global Partnerships. The mission of the Center is to develop sustainable academic practice partnerships with health systems in Memphis, the Mid-South and throughout Tennessee to advance the profession of nursing and improve health outcomes. Partnerships strategically align collaborative projects, foster innovative models of care and enable nursing faculty to participate in clinically based research. The Center has global initiatives and sickle cell disease initiatives and partners locally with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Regional One Health.

UTHSC College of Nursing

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing has a history of leading nursing education and preparing nursing leaders. It was the first College of Nursing in Tennessee and established the first Ph.D. in Nursing in the state. The college opened the first D.N.P. program in Tennessee and the second such program in the U.S. In addition, the college graduated the first dual D.N.P. / Ph.D. graduate in the U.S. The college currently offers a 12-month accelerated B.S.N. program and a four-semester, traditional B.S.N. program. The first-time NCLEX pass rate for B.S.N. graduates in 2024 was 98.8%. All B.S.N. students are required to attend Distinguished Visiting Professorship lectures each semester which include a broad range of topics from nursing leaders across the country.

As of September 2024, the CON has a total enrollment of 537 students in our programs, including 25 Ph.D., 288 D.N.P., 208 B.S.N., and 16 C.E.R.T.S. One R.N.F.A. student is also enrolled in the D.N.P. program. More information on the College of Nursing can be found via the following link .

We are also at the forefront of providing high-quality clinical experiences for our students. Both B.S.N. and D.N.P. students have the opportunity to gain training as rural and underserved nurses by participating in the UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health program. Many of the D.N.P. Program faculty have an active practice as either a nurse practitioner or C.R.N.A. This affords students opportunities for clinical experiences with faculty in addition to a variety of highly qualified preceptors.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science program is designed to educate scientists to use their research-based knowledge, theories, and interventions in their roles as researchers and educators and administrators who engage in research. Ph.D. students are enrolled in the College of Graduate Health Sciences (CGHS) and have opportunities to learn and network with CGHS faculty and students from other disciplines. Students work closely with their faculty advisor with whom they share common research interests. Faculty advisors and dissertation committee members are credentialed by the CGHS and include at least one committee member from another program or institution whose research interests align with those of the students. Students receive support from the CGHS and the College of Nursing to disseminate their research through publications and presentations at regional, national, and international meetings. Faculty recently revised the program’s curriculum to align with curricular elements in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing : Pathways to Excellence and faculty expectations for future nurse researchers.

The College also has a Center for Nursing Theory that focuses on the work of Margaret A. Newman, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., an alumna of the college and world-renowned leader in nursing theory. The Center focuses on Dr. Newman's theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness, which proposes that all individuals can achieve a state of health that involves the experience of interacting and connecting with the environment. Using a model of scholarship, leadership, innovation, and practice, the Center provides for direct collaboration with international nurse scholars, practitioners, and students committed to generating knowledge for nursing education, practice, and research.

University of Tennessee Health Science Center

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is a statewide institution with its home campus in Memphis, and major locations in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville, as well as more than 100 clinical and educational sites across Tennessee. As the statewide, public, academic health system, UTHSC trains the next generation of health care providers for Tennessee, cares for the people from one end of the state to the other and researches the cures for the diseases that most affect all who call Tennessee home.

Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, UTHSC offers four undergraduate and more than 30 graduate or professional degrees, and has more than 50 endowed professorships, including 19 Chairs of Excellence across the following six nationally recognized Colleges :

At UTHSC, our commitment to excellence in basic science, applied clinical and translational research, and public health has established a remarkable legacy of achievements that benefit all Tennesseans. Through dynamic partnerships with esteemed healthcare institutions like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare , we are at the forefront of innovative, patient-centered research and development. Together, we are dedicated to pioneering breakthroughs that enhance health outcomes and improve lives throughout our state and communities. More information on research at UTHSC is accessible here .

UTHSC is the leading state institution in Tennessee for health science research with 356 awards totaling over $98 million in grants and contracts in FY24. UTHSC is home to several institution-wide research institutes that include collaboration with other independent institutions such as the Urban Child Institute, other units of the University of Tennessee, the UT Research Foundation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, the University of Memphis, corporate partners, insurance providers, and many national and international research partners. UTHSC Institutes and Consortia include the following :

Application Process

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, complete CV, and references) or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting UTHSC. Interested candidates are asked to send materials electronically to Parker Executive Search (contact information below) and to submit materials through the University of Tennessee Health Science Center HR Employment site.

Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to January 5, 2026 .

Porsha Williams, Vice President

Jacob Anderson, Senior Principal

Parker Executive Search

Five Concourse Parkway

Suite 2875

Atlanta, GA 30328

pwilliams@parkersearch.com || janderson@parkersearch.com

Phone : (770) 804-1996 x 111

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admissions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law.

Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations.

In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University.

Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Compliance, 920 Madison Avenue, Suite 825, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, telephone 901.448.7382 (V / TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Compliance.