Faculty Scholars Grant Program

The Faculty Scholars Grant Program is administered by the Foundation for Academic Nursing, the philanthropic arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The program supports scholarly nursing faculty initiatives that address current issues in nursing education and practice while advancing AACN strategic priorities. For the 2026-2027 academic year, the grant competition is centered on the theme "Integrating Emerging Technologies into Nursing Curriculum." AACN is seeking innovative pilot studies that evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of emerging technologies within undergraduate or graduate nursing education. The initiative reflects the increasing role of digital tools, simulation platforms, artificial intelligence, and other advanced educational technologies in healthcare education environments. A total of $50,000 in funding will be distributed through two awards of $25,000 each. The grants are intended to support nurse faculty-led pilot projects that investigate how technology can improve educational quality and student success outcomes in nursing programs. Eligible projects may focus on areas such as simulation-based instruction, personalized learning systems, chatbot-supported learning, automated assessments, innovative clinical experiences, and methods for evaluating student competencies. Applicants are expected to generate measurable evidence regarding the impact of these technologies on student outcomes including clinical competency, critical thinking, preparedness for practice, knowledge retention, and academic performance. The grant program is intended to position nursing education at the forefront of an increasingly technology-driven healthcare environment while producing evidence-based findings that can inform future curriculum development. The grant is open to all faculty affiliated with AACN member schools. Team applications are permitted; however, the Primary Project Manager must represent an AACN member institution and serves as the primary correspondent for the application and award process. Applicants are required to complete an online application form no later than August 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. AACN recommends that applicants prepare materials in advance prior to entering information into the online portal. Four required components must be completed as part of the submission process, including General Information, Project Team Information, Project Information, and a Commitment Statement. Required uploads include a project proposal, project team template, dean letter of support, and project budget document following AACN naming conventions. The application requires substantial narrative and administrative detail. Applicants must provide contact and employment information for the Primary Project Manager, including employment status, years in role, reporting structure, and a 250-word biographical sketch. Project-specific responses include a project title limited to twelve words, identification of the project theme area, and several short-answer narrative questions addressing relevance to nursing knowledge, alignment with the annual theme, and anticipated impact. The core proposal narrative is limited to 1,200 words and must address background and introduction, project purpose, methods or intervention procedures, expected results, limitations, and expected conclusions or implications for practice. A project budget template must also be submitted. AACN states that use of grant funds is at the discretion of the applicant institution and indirect costs are permitted up to a maximum of 10 percent. Grant recipients must fulfill ongoing dissemination and reporting obligations throughout the award period. Awardees are required to submit a six-month interim report due in March 2027 and a final report due in October 2027. AACN will disseminate findings to its membership through the AACN website, Syllabus newsletter, and social media channels. Faculty scholars are additionally expected to present an AACN webinar and submit a manuscript for publication to the Journal of Professional Nursing. The anticipated dissemination period extends into December 2027 and January 2028. These reporting and publication requirements indicate that the grant emphasizes not only educational innovation but also broad knowledge-sharing and evidence dissemination across the nursing education community. The application timeline begins with the opening of the competition on May 5, 2026 and concludes with the submission deadline on August 7, 2026. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions in early November 2026 following review by an expert committee appointed by the AACN Board of Directors. Applications are evaluated using an AACN scoring rubric and selected projects will receive funding distributed to the Primary Project Manager's school for institutional administration and disbursement. AACN instructs applicants to ensure all uploaded materials are final versions with no visible track changes. Questions regarding the program may be directed to Katie Fioravanti via email at kfioravanti@aacnnursing.org. The program appears to operate on an annual cycle tied to academic year themes and recurring faculty scholarship priorities.

Align the proposal closely with the annual theme on integrating emerging technologies into nursing curriculum. Emphasize measurable student outcomes such as competency development critical thinking and preparedness for practice. Demonstrate evidence-based methods and clear evaluation metrics for technology integration.