For Immediate Release
December 2, 2025
Contact: Hannah Noel, DNP, RN
Professional Development Manager
Castner Incorporated
hnoel@castnerincorp.com
Castner Incorporated Announces Open Applications for 2026 Environmental Health Research Institute for Nurse and Clinician Scientists (EHRI-NCS) Cohort (R25ES033542) — Learn from Leading Environmental Health Researchers and Join a Network of 100+ Scholars
The Castner Incorporated community invites applications for the 2026 cohort of the Environmental Health Research Institute for Nurse and Clinician Scientists (EHRI-NCS), a prestigious, National Institute of Health (NIH) / National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)-funded train-the-trainer and mentorship program designed to empower environmental health nurse and clinician scientists. The flexible, self-paced online curriculum is open now, and a synchronous workshop will convene January 5–9 and 30, 2026 — participants have the choice to attend the hybrid event virtually or in person at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club in Durham, North Carolina.
EHRI-NCS offers participants:
- Flexible learning through nine pre-recorded online modules followed by immersive, real-time workshop sessions.
- Train-the-trainer readiness — complete teaching toolkits and instructor materials enable graduates to launch environmental health coursework and research programs within their own institutions immediately.
- A vibrant, growing community — over 100 nurse and interdisciplinary scientists have already completed the program and continue collaborating through mentorship, research, and policy engagement.
The long-term professional leadership, growth and policy influence of alumni underscores EHRI-NCS’s mission: to build capacity for rigorous, equitable environmental health research through nursing and clinician science. Accomplishments and real impact on environmental health of past participants include:
- Rebecca Koszalinski, PhD, MS, RN, CRRN, FARN, FIEL, FAAN secured ongoing funding as PI for Phase 2 of Health Outcomes Associated with Algal Blooms of Cyanobacteria and Red Tide in Florida: Long-Term Health Impacts of Harmful Algal Bloom Exposure.
- Janice Hawkins, PhD, RN, CNS, FAAN appointed Vice Provost at Old Dominion University, effective June 10, 2025.
- Deidra Bonner, PhD student, MSN, BSN, RN, PHN selected as a Jonas Scholar, 2024-2026 and a Randall Lewis Health & Policy Fellow, 2025.
- Tara Heagele, PhD, RN, FAAN appointed Member, Advisory Commission on Green Initiatives, Hamilton Township Environmental Commission (June 2024–present).
- Lacey Heinsberg, PhD, RN integrated environmental exposure factors into the study protocol for the Health Outcomes in Pregnancy and Early Childhood (HOPE) Study, a major mother-infant research project in American Samoa.
- SueEllen Breakey, PhD, RN, FAAN assumed leadership as Director of the Center for Climate Change and Health Equity, guiding the institution in becoming the first NLN Center for Excellence in Climate and Health.
- Ann Marie Walton, PhD, MPH, RN, OCN, CHES, FAAN and Valerie Sabol, PhD, RN, MBA, FAAN from Duke University launched a free Coursera climate and health course for health professionals.
- Shawna Beese, PhD, RN elected to become the 10th Mayor of Millwood, WA with 62.9% of the vote in a campaign that included environmental health issues; will begin her term January 1, 2026.
- Numerous EHRI-NCS alumni have been inducted into the American Academy of Nursing, reflecting national leadership and impact.
Applications are now open for multiple NIH/NIEHS-supported slots with tuition waivers available for qualifying U.S.-based applicants. We welcome participants who hold a doctoral degree (PhD, DNP, MD, PharmD, EdD, or equivalent) — as well as graduate nursing students who have taken at least 6 graduate level credits (or equivalent) in research methods and are currently teaching or mentoring registered nurses. Flexible arrangements are available to support scholars with varying circumstances.
The program flyer is attached. More about the program can be found here. The application form can be found here.
This workshop is supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number R25ES033452 (PI: Caster). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.