American Nurses Foundation: Research Grants Guide

The American Nurses Foundation (ANF) is the national 501(c)(3) charitable affiliate of the American Nurses Association (ANA), founded in 1955 to advance healthcare through nurse-led research, innovation, and workforce support. Operating separately from the ANA’s 501(c)(6) professional membership body, the Foundation raises philanthropic capital and issues extramural research grants to investigators across academic universities and health systems. For investigators exploring the conceptual framework of clinical inquiry, see our guide to what is nursing science.

What it is and who runs it

The American Nurses Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the American Nurses Enterprise, which also includes the American Nurses Association and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, the Foundation is governed by an independent Board of Trustees composed of nurse leaders, scientists, and healthcare executives. While the ANA focuses on professional advocacy, policy, and practice guidelines, the Foundation directs philanthropic gifts and corporate contributions directly into nursing research and clinical transformation.

Through its historic Nursing Research Grants (NRG) program, the Foundation has distributed over $6 million to more than 1,100 nurse researchers since 1955. Rather than relying solely on a single annual open submission cycle, the Foundation now issues targeted Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and commissioned research grants aligned with strategic priorities in care delivery, nurse well-being, health equity, and healthcare technology.

Eligibility for American Nurses Foundation research grants

Eligibility for American Nurses Foundation grants is governed by official program policies. To qualify for research funding, applicants must satisfy several core requirements:

Principal Investigator Licensure: The designated principal investigator—or at least one co-principal investigator in collaborative mechanisms—must hold an active license as a registered nurse (RN). Interprofessional teams are welcome, but nurse leadership is required.
Career Stage: The Foundation funds both beginning investigators and experienced nurse researchers. Beginning investigators include doctoral students conducting dissertation studies and early-career faculty without prior major federal research funding (such as an NIH R01). Experienced tracks support senior scientists conducting larger clinical studies.
Sponsoring Institution: Grants are not awarded to individuals. Proposals must be submitted through an eligible non-profit sponsoring organization—such as a university school of nursing, teaching hospital, or academic medical center—capable of administering external funds.
Collaborative Teams: Certain funding calls require specific interprofessional partnerships, such as the Collaborative Care Grants where a nurse researcher partners with a licensed clinical pharmacist.

What it funds or requires

The American Nurses Foundation awards funds across targeted clinical and health system domains, with strict financial parameters as documented on official program portals as of 2026-11-07.

Active Funding Mechanisms

Targeted RFPs & Collaborative Care Grants: Regular partnership grants, including the Collaborative Care Grants for Nurse-Pharmacist Research Teams ($75,000 over 18 months), focusing on patient-centered team care and medication optimization.
CALNOC Research Endowment Fund: An endowment created with the Collaborative Alliance for Nursing Outcomes supporting research on ambulatory care nursing practice, outpatient safety, and digital monitoring.
Reimagining Nursing Initiative: A strategic multi-million-dollar program funding practice transformation, including AI documentation support tools (such as NurseAssist-AI) and clinical resilience models (Stress First Aid).
Research Capacity Grants: Institutional awards, including $339,000 multi-year grants to historically underrepresented schools of nursing to expand minority faculty research programs.

Budget Rules and Indirect Costs

Allowable Direct Costs: Salary support for principal and co-investigators, essential research staff (such as biostatisticians or research assistants), participant stipends, laboratory consumables, and project-specific local travel.
Prohibited Expenses: Tuition, textbooks, dissertation or thesis preparation fees, personal computers, permanent hospital equipment, capital facility improvements, and general operating deficits.
Indirect Cost Ceiling: Indirect cost recovery is capped at 12 percent of project costs for non-profit organizations. This 12 percent must be included within the total grant ceiling, not added as a separate line above it.

Application or compliance steps

Securing an American Nurses Foundation grant involves a multi-step administrative and scientific workflow:

Identify Open RFP Calls: Monitor the Foundation’s research portal for targeted grant announcements and verify specific topic alignment and eligibility rules.
Synthesize Literature and Plan Methodology: Establish a rigorous methodological protocol backed by indexed literature. For database synthesis strategies, see our guides on CINAHL search strategy and CINAHL vs. PubMed.
Formulate the Proposal Budget: Build an itemized budget that adheres to allowable cost categories and embeds the 12 percent indirect cost cap within the total request.
Secure Human Subjects Clearances: Pending Institutional Review Board (IRB) review is acceptable at submission, but proof of formal IRB approval or exemption must be provided before funds are released. Projects must comply with NIH guidelines on including women and minority participants.
Institutional Authorization: Route the proposal through your university or hospital office of sponsored programs for formal authorized representative sign-off prior to electronic submission.

Typical timeline phases

ANF research grants typically progress through five distinct operational phases:

Phase 1: RFP Release: The Foundation publishes specific funding calls outlining research priorities, award ceilings, and project duration.
Phase 2: Proposal Development: Investigator teams draft research narratives, prepare budgets, and secure preliminary institutional clearances.
Phase 3: Peer Review and Selection: Expert peer review panels evaluate applications on scientific merit, methodological rigor, and practice impact.
Phase 4: Award Notification and Compliance: Selected investigators receive award letters. Recipients must submit all required compliance documentation, including final IRB approval, within 60 days of notice.
Phase 5: Performance and Closeout: Following fund disbursement, the project commences. Grantees submit interim milestones, followed by final narrative and financial reports within 60 days of project completion.

Common mistakes

Applicants frequently encounter several administrative errors during the submission process:

Adding Indirect Rates Above the Maximum: Requesting 12 percent overhead in addition to the stated award ceiling rather than factoring it into the total requested amount.
Budgeting Disallowed Items: Including line items for computer purchases, student tuition, or thesis defense costs, which results in budget deductions or rejection.
Missing the 60-Day IRB Deadline: Failing to submit verified IRB or IACUC approval documents within 60 days of award notification, which risks forfeiture of the grant.
Missing Institutional Endorsement: Omitting documentation confirming non-profit 501(c)(3) status of the sponsoring organization; to review non-profit tax filings, consult our guide to Form 990.
Lack of Clinical Relevance: Submitting purely theoretical designs that fail to demonstrate tangible improvements to patient outcomes or nursing practice.

Related programs

The following table outlines major national funding mechanisms available to nurse scientists and clinical researchers:

Funding Program	Governing Entity	Focus & Mechanism	Award Range	Key Eligibility
American Nurses Foundation (ANF)	American Nurses Association (501c3)	Targeted RFPs, CALNOC Fund, Collaborative Care	$20,000 – $339,000+	Licensed RN (PI or Co-PI); non-profit sponsor
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)	National Institutes of Health (NIH)	Federal R01, R21, K99/R00 mechanisms	$275,000 – $2,500,000+	Doctoral-level researchers; US institutions
Sigma Foundation for Nursing	Sigma Theta Tau International	Small research grants, collaborative awards	$2,000 – $25,000	Registered nurses; Sigma membership required
Rita & Alex Hillman Foundation	Independent Philanthropy	Innovations in Care, Emergent Innovation	$50,000 – $600,000	Nurse-led interdisciplinary clinical teams

Frequently asked questions

What is the American Nurses Foundation?

The American Nurses Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable and philanthropic arm of the American Nurses Association (ANA). Founded in 1955, it funds nurse-led research, practice innovations, and workforce support initiatives across the United States.

Can doctoral students apply for American Nurses Foundation research grants?

Yes. The Foundation funds beginning investigators, including doctoral students conducting dissertation work. However, funds cannot be used for tuition or thesis fees, and applications must be routed through an eligible non-profit sponsoring institution.

What is the indirect cost rate for American Nurses Foundation grants?

The American Nurses Foundation allows an indirect cost rate of up to 12 percent of project costs for non-profit organizations. This rate must be included within the total grant award ceiling, not added on top.

Can I apply for an American Nurses Foundation grant if IRB approval is pending?

Yes. Proposals may be submitted with pending Institutional Review Board (IRB) review. However, grant funds will not be disbursed until verified documentation of IRB approval or exemption is received within 60 days of award notice.

Sources

American Nurses Foundation. “About the American Nurses Foundation.” American Nurses Enterprise, accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.nursingworld.org/foundation/about-fnd/
American Nurses Foundation. “Nursing Research Grants Program: 2023 Grant Recipient Policies.” American Nurses Association, accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.nursingworld.org/globalassets/get-involved/2023-nrg-grant-recipient-policies.pdf
American Nurses Foundation. “Research Grants: Resources for Faculty from the ANA Enterprise.” Official Portal, accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.nursingworld.org/education-events/faculty-resources/research-grants/
American Nurses Foundation. “Nurse-Led Research and Innovation: Portfolio & Grantees.” American Nurses Association, accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.nursingworld.org/foundation/nurse-led-research-and-innovation/