The National Institute of Nursing Research reopened its search for a new director Sept. 16 after facing backlash for appointing a dentist to lead the organization, according to a tweet by NINR.
The federal research institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, recently named Lawrence Tabak, DDS, PhD, interim director. The move came after a national search earlier this year failed to identify a suitable candidate, according to NIH. Dr. Tabak's appointment was met with immense backlash from nurses, who said NINR should be run by a nurse.
NINR said it was reopening its search in a Sept. 16 tweet, which included a link to the job posting. The posting calls for candidates with a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in nursing science, omics disciplines or other relevant sciences. Applicants must also have achievements in nursing-related research.
Some controversy around the candidate search still exists, with multiple Twitter users citing the lack of a nursing-specific degree in the posting's qualifications section.
The applications are due by Nov. 18.