01 Jul Funding Alert! Training Opportunities for Nursing
Health Resources and Services Administration
Attention institutions of higher education, community-based healthcare organizations, elected officials, and school districts! The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has various upcoming opportunities for healthcare professional training programs. While the specific goals of these programs differ, the overarching goal is to provide equitable health care to people who are geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable. This announcement features three forecasted opportunities specifically focused on nursing for rural and underserved communities. Upcoming posts throughout July will feature opportunities for training related to nursing, residency, secondary education outreach, and substance abuse.
About the agency
HRSA programs provide equitable health care to people who are geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable. This includes programs that deliver health services to people with HIV, pregnant people, mothers and their families, those with low incomes, residents of rural areas, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and those otherwise unable to access high-quality health care. HRSA programs also support health infrastructure, including through training of health professionals and distributing them to areas where they are needed most, providing financial support to health care providers, and advancing telehealth. In addition, HRSA oversees programs for providing discounts on prescription drugs to safety net providers, facilitating organ, bone marrow, and cord blood transplantation, compensating individuals injured by vaccination, and maintaining data on health care malpractice payments.
As part of a series, funding Friday will highlight HRSA opportunities focused on training for the healthcare workforce, both available and forecasted. This week starts with training opportunities for nursing, managed by the Division of Nursing and Public Health, featuring the following forecasted opportunities currently projected with January 2023 deadlines:
- Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP), focuses on increasing the number of qualified nursing faculty nationwide by funding accredited schools of nursing to establish and operate a student loan fund for students enrolled in advanced education nursing degree programs and who are committed to become nurse faculty.
- Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW), supports academic clinical partnerships that educate and graduate primary care Nurse Practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse midwives who are academically and clinically prepared for transition to practice in rural and underserved communities. The goal of the program is to increase access to needed primary medical care for these populations.
- Nurse Anesthetist Traineeships (NAT), aims to increase the number of new Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists nationwide and to prepare them to provide care and practice in rural and underserved communities.
Who is eligible to apply?
NFLP: Applicants for this opportunity can include public and state controlled, as well as private, institutions of higher education. This includes tribes and tribal organizations. Schools must be accredited at the time of application and approved by the Secretary of Education for nurse education accreditation.
ANEW: Eligible applicants include state, county, city, special district, and Native American tribal governments; institutions of higher education (public and state controlled as well as private); nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3); and independent school districts.
NAT: This opportunity is for state, county, local, and special district governments; institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments and organizations; nonprofits with a 501(c)(3); and public and Indian housing authorities.
What are the program details?
NFLP: The program exchanges completion of up to four years of post-graduation, full-time employment as nurse faculty in an accredited school of nursing with cancelation of up to 85% of loans. Ninety awards for this one-year funding opportunity are anticipated.
ANEW: This opportunity addresses the need for primary care in rural and underserved communities. The program supports innovative academic-practice partnerships that prepare primary advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) students for the unique challenges of practicing in rural and underserved communities, thereby increasing access to care. This program anticipates awarding 50 applications over a four-year period.
NAT: NAT traineeship support is available from recipient institutions for students who are enrolled full-time in an accredited program leading to a graduate degree in nurse anesthesia, are United States citizens or foreign nationals with a residency visa and will be eligible for the national certification examination to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist upon completing the program. Historically, this program has been available every three years. The institutional ask amounts are formula-based, and the department anticipates 80 awards. The opportunity is forecasted to open in October 2022.
What makes a project a good fit?
While the requirements of the opportunity will be made available in the notice of funding opportunity, projects that support HRSA’s overall goals will be better aligned. These include project designs which clearly demonstrate the applicant’s ability to:
- Take actionable steps to achieve health equity and improve public health;
- Improve access to quality health services;
- Foster a health workforce and health infrastructure able to address current/emerging needs; and
- Optimize HRSA operations and strengthen program engagement.
Based upon previous NOFOs, these are suggestions for what might make a project a good fit:
NFLP: establish and maintain a student loan fund with contributions not less than one-ninth of the FCC; provision of loans to students pursuing advanced education degree programs in preparation to become nurse faculty; cancelation of up to 85 percent of qualifying loan amounts; and collection of principal and interest on all loans made from the NFLP student loan fund.
ANEW: establishment or enhancement of academic-practice partnerships between a school of nursing and community-based primary care practice site in a rural or underserved setting; recruitment and training of educators as program partners to enhance the community-based nursing education; demonstrate successful recruitment and retention of a culturally competent student body; longitudinal, immersive, community-based clinical training experiences for students; training on telehealth or health care technology that assures graduates are exposed to successful training models; connect program graduates with the HRSA Health Workforce Connector to support primary care employment opportunities; and graduate follow-up to collect post-graduation employment demographics.
NAT: requirements from previous opportunities are currently unavailable.
What if I am ready to apply? To move your project forward, take the following action steps as soon as possible:
- Review HRSA application resources page and the opportunity pages (NAT, NFLP, ANEW) for past applicant webinars and awards for additional detail;
- Check the HRSA funding opportunities page periodically for announcements and information; and
- Make sure your System for Award Management (SAM) registration is active and be sure you have a Grants.gov profile. You can check your SAM status here: https://sam.gov/content/status-tracker.
What if I need help with this application?
Contact Assel Grant Services (AGS) today! Our team can help with all aspects of preparing the application and managing the grant if you are awarded. If you would like to discuss this possibility, please contact AGS as soon as possible. Julie Assel, GPC, President/CEO, will be happy to talk with you about this opportunity and provide you with a quote for grant services.
What if I am not ready to apply this year?
Start planning ahead for next year! HRSA also has a variety of other workforce-focused programs available through its Bureau of Health Workforce. You can view the full list (and search other HRSA funding programs) here.
How do I learn more about federal grant proposal writing, so my application is more likely to be successful?
AGS is excited to offer a Federal Grants Training Series in 2022! The series is designed to support nonprofit leaders before and during the application process. AGS also offers several on demand webinars on a variety of topics to support the full grant cycle. Check out our website to learn more and sign up for our training newsletter.
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Competency #1: Knowledge of how to research, identify, and match funding resources to meet specific needs
Skill 1.2: Identify major trends in public funding and public policy
Skill 1.6: Identify fundable programs and projects for specific organization
Skill 1.7: Determine best matches between funders and specific programs