Become a Scholar

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Be a registered nurse with a research doctorate in nursing or a related discipline.
  • Be a junior faculty member in an accredited school of nursing in an academic position that could lead to tenure. (Junior faculty members are defined as those who have been in a faculty position after completing their doctorate for at least two years and no more than five years at the start of the program and usually are at the instructor or assistant professor level.).
  • Identify at least one senior leader in the school of nursing as an institutional mentor for academic career planning and to provide access to organizations, programs and colleagues helpful to the candidate's work as a Nurse Faculty Scholar.
  • Identify at least one senior researcher in the university with similar or complementary research interests. Scholars are encouraged to select the research mentor from a discipline outside of nursing.

We embrace racial, ethnic and gender diversity and encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.

Selection Criteria

The following factors are considered in the selection process:

  • Evidence of the potential for and strong commitment to a full career as an academic nurse leader with the capacity to achieve rank of full professor.
  • Evidence that the nominating institution and its senior leadership are committed to supporting the candidate's academic career and activities during the program.
  • Evidence of the availability and commitment of qualified mentors and academic resources, including space as appropriate, at the candidate's institution.
  • Evidence of the potential to become a national leader in the candidate's scholarly focus area.
  • Evidence of the candidate's commitment to teaching excellence.
  • Evidence of the candidate's commitment to racial, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity in nursing.
  • General merit of the candidate's proposed research scholarly plan.
  • Potential of the proposed research and scholarship area to serve as a foundation for the candidate’s academic career and contribution to:
    • nursing science;
    • interdisciplinary knowledge in a focus area; and
    • improvement of health and health care in the United States

Total Awards

  • Up to 15 awards of up to $350,000 each over three years will be available in this round of funding.