Innovation Research Grants

Call for Proposals: Nursing Research Grant on Innovation to Improve Patient Outcomes
Application Deadline: February 1, 2026
Funding Amount: Up to $5,000
Funding Period: 12 months

Overview

AWHONN is pleased to announce a competitive research grant opportunity aimed at advancing the field of nursing through innovation and technology. This grant seeks to support high-impact nursing research that explores, evaluates, or implements novel technological solutions and/or innovative practices to enhance patient care, nursing workflows, health education, and healthcare system performance. One award will be granted for up to $5,000 which may be used as seed or supplemental funding.

Objectives

The primary objectives of this grant program are to:

Encourage nurse-led research that leverages technology to improve healthcare outcomes.
Foster innovative approaches to patient care delivery, education, and professional development in nursing.
Promote the development or evaluation of digital tools, devices, systems, or AI-driven platforms in nursing practice.
Advance evidence-based practices and contribute to knowledge translation in the rapidly evolving healthcare technology landscape.

Eligibility Criteria

The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a registered nurse with a graduate degree (i.e., Master’s, DNP, EdD, PhD) and a demonstrated record of research experience.
The research must be conducted at or in collaboration with an accredited healthcare or academic institution.
Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged, but the PI must be a nurse and play a leading role in the conceptualization and execution of the project.

Priority Areas

Proposals may address, but are not limited to, the following focus areas:

Digital health technologies (e.g., telehealth, mobile health apps, wearables)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning in clinical decision-making
Simulation-based education and virtual/augmented reality in nursing training
Innovative care delivery models leveraging technology
Data-driven approaches to population health and chronic disease management
Remote patient monitoring and digital therapeutics
Informatics solutions for clinical workflow optimization or documentation
Technology to improve nursing resilience, well-being, or workforce retention