Research development in a university nursing school in Southern Ireland G. McCarthy 1 DipNursing, RGN, RNT, MEd, MSN, PhD & J.J. Fitzpatrick 2 RN, PhD, FAAN 1 Professor of Nursing Studies and Head of The Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, 2 Elizabeth Brooks Ford Professor of Nursing, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University; Fulbright Senior Scholar, UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery, Cleveland Ohio, USA MCCARTHY G. & FITZPATRICK J.J. (2008) Research development in a university nursing school in Southern Ireland. International Nursing Review 55, 379–386 Aim: The aim of this paper is to present the strategies used in one newly established university School of Nursing and Midwifery in Southern Ireland to develop research capacity. Background: The case study was guided by an agreed strategic plan which included changing the research culture; providing focused and appropriate research training; mentoring of junior staff, employment of an external consultant; provision of funding for PhD progression; and institutional support at all levels. Conclusion: Success is profiled in relation to establishment of research themes, publications, research funding awarded, and numbers of students registered for PhDs. Challenges in further improving research productivity are also discussed. Keywords: Education, Nursing Development, Research, Research Dissemination, Teaching Introduction As Schools and Departments of Nursing throughout the world have developed within academic institutions, there has been a significant push to advance the research and scholarship among faculty and graduate students. In spite of the need for many schools to enhance their research capacity, there has been minimal attention to the topic in the nursing literature. Research capacity development and strengthening is of interest in all schools of nursing, but particularly in countries where nursing is new within universities, which is in many countries. While papers have been published on factors inhibiting or promoting research capacity building (Cooke & Green 2000; Segrott et al. 2006), and on strategies for developing scholarship in nursing (Crookes & Bradshaw 2002; Cumbie et al. 2005; Gething & Leelarthaepin 2000), there is a dearth of information available on the specifics of how individual Schools of Nursing based in higher education develop research capacity (Conn et al. 2005; Green et al. 2006, 2007; Segrott et al. 2006). Aim This paper addresses the need for specific components of research capacity building. Included in the paper are (a) key elements used to develop and enhance a research culture in a School of Nursing and Midwifery; (b) delineation of the outputs from the endeavours over a 6-year period (2002–2007); and (c) discussion of the challenges ahead. The detail presented in the paper was drawn from a documentary analysis of the strategic plan developed within the School of Nursing and Midwifery and associated documents. Correspondence address: Dr Geraldine McCarthy, The Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Tel: +353 (0) 21 4901554; Fax: +353 (0) 21 491493; E-mail: g.mccarthy@ucc.ie. Original Article © 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2008 International Council of Nurses 379