The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) Program. The purpose of this program is to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds (including ethnic and racial minorities underrepresented among registered nurses) throughout the educational pipeline in becoming registered nurses. This purpose is accomplished by supporting diploma or associate degree registered nurses as they become baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses, and preparing practicing registered nurses for advanced nursing education.
The NWD program uses a comprehensive systems approach to implementing evidence-based strategies successful in supporting nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds from enrollment through graduation. This approach includes an assessment of the social determinants that impede the educational success of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, identification of the needs of these students, and implementation of tailored, evidence-based strategies to address their identified social determinants and multi-faceted needs.
The FY 2021 President's Budget does not request funding for this program. This notice is a contingency action taken to ensure that, should funds become available for this purpose, HRSA can process applications and award funds appropriately. You should note that this program may be cancelled prior to award.
Applicants are encouraged to select and address one of HHS's and HRSA's clinical priorities below.
- Transforming the workforce – by targeting the need
- Strengthening health care access through telehealth
- Preventing and reducing childhood obesity
- Preventing and reducing maternal mortality
- Ending the HIV epidemic
Entities must be ready to continue programmatic activities in the event of a public health emergency – both those that are expected and unexpected. A training-focused emergency preparedness plan is critical for HRSA-funded projects and helps ensure that grantees are able to continue programmatic activities, can coordinate effectively, and can implement recovery plans when emergencies disrupt project activities. Applicants must develop and maintain a flexible training-focused emergency preparedness plan in case of public health emergencies to ensure continuation of programmatic and training activities, including but not limited to clinical experiential training.
Applicants must implement a comprehensive systems approach implementing key evidence-based strategies to address the social determinants and other structural factors that impede the academic success of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The key evidence-based strategies include:
- Student support services – tailoring services (academic, peer, and social supports) necessary to facilitate and maintain the academic success of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including the implementation of strategies to improve student resiliency and well-being in order to prevent burnout throughout the nursing pipeline;
- Faculty recruitment and retention – recruiting and retaining faculty from diverse backgrounds that reflect the population of the target student population being supported and are sufficient to address the needs of the students;
- Mentoring – incorporating professional, academic, or peer mentors, including those from diverse backgrounds underrepresented among registered nurses.
- Student financial support – providing financial support such as scholarships and stipends to eligible project trainees to promote retention, and to address the social determinants and multi-faceted needs of students from disadvantaged backgrounds;
- Holistic review – implementing criteria that are evidence-based, driven by the mission of the school of nursing, promote diversity, and use a balance of experiences, attributes, and academic metrics. Within this strategy applicants will:
- Establish a plan to implement a formal arrangement with a health professions organization for new or continued training and technical assistance with regards to holistic review processes, practices, and implementation, as well as to increase the level of diversity training.
- Collaborative partnerships (academic, practice, and community) – addressing the social determinants that impede access to education and academic success of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Previous award recipients can be viewed here: https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/find-grants?program=All%20HRSA%20Program%20Areas&programName=Nursing%20Workforce%20Diversity%20(D19)