The same thinking should be applied at the academic unit level. Schools of Nursing need to take a strategic approach to developing track record and allocate resources accordingly. This process commonly referred to as programmatic research involves academic units investing in areas of existing and emerging strength with a view to developing track record and enhancing research funding success. This approach has also been widely criticised for imposing research areas or topics on academic staff and stifling intellectual growth . However, the authors of this paper contend than the rules of strategic thinking are as important at the organisational level as they are at the individual level and the concentration on specific research areas is warranted.