UNC School of Nursing receives two external grant transfers

The UNC School of Nursing has successfully welcomed the transfer of two externally funded research grants, supporting the work of Tamryn Fowler Gray, PhD, RN, MPH and Kea Turner, PhD, MPH, MA.

With these grant transfers, Dr. Gray and Dr. Turner are positioned to build on their research and expand their impact from right here at Carolina Nursing. Their work not only brings new opportunities for collaboration but also strengthens the school’s role in driving solutions to real-world health challenges.

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Dr. Tamryn Gray: Betty Irene Moore Award

Dr. Tamryn Gray’s project, Instilling HOPE in Vulnerability: Helping Outpatient Caregivers Navigate Care, has been transferred to the School of Nursing from the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship Program. The study runs from July 2024 through June 2027.

The project aims to develop, refine, and test a multicomponent supportive care intervention known as HOPE (Helping Outpatient Caregivers Manage Practical and Emotional Needs to Navigate Care). This five-session intervention supports caregivers of adults recently discharged from the hospital following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The program is delivered by a social worker or trainee, either in-person or remotely, and integrates problem-solving strategies, resource navigation, and psychosocial support to improve self-efficacy, coping, and caregiver burden.

Dr. Gray will lead a two-arm randomized controlled trial to assess feasibility and refine the intervention based on caregiver feedback.

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Dr. Kea Turner: Department of Defense Award

Dr. Kea Turner, a new faculty member at the School of Nursing, has transferred her Department of Defense-funded project to UNC. The study, titled Support Through Remote Observation and Nutrition Guidance (STRONG) Program to Reduce Malnutrition Among Gastroesophageal Cancer Patients, will run from Nov. 4, 2024, to May 31, 2028.

The project includes collaborators Dr. Brent Small (School of Nursing) and Dr. Ashwin Somasundaram (School of Medicine). With a total award amount of $1.1 million, the study aims to:

Translate the STRONG intervention into Spanish using the PIPFLA framework
Conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial to test feasibility and acceptability
Collect preliminary data on outcomes related to nutrition and care access