Research Nurse Practitioner?

Hello all

I am exploring different areas in advance practice nursing. I worked as a research assisstant for about four years while in college. I am currently working as an RN (only for about 8 months now). I love my job, but I'm becoming more and more discouraged with the schedule and politics in my facility (and I hear it's not much different from other places)...Anywayyy.....I really want to go back to school, I want to become a nurse practitioner but I also would like to work in the area of clinical research. Is there something like it? Are there nurse practitioners currently working in research without a Ph.D? I have been doing some research on the web, but I can't find enough information to answer my questions.