Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), with support from the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future, is currently offering a third round of scholarship funding to underrepresented minority (URM) nursing students who plan to work as nursing faculty after graduation. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a doctoral nursing program (PhD, DNP) or a clinically-focused master’s degree program. Additionally, applicants must commit to becoming full-time faculty in an accredited registered nursing program after graduation. Mentorship and leadership development are important features of this program.

This scholarship program is designed to address the growing shortage of nurse educators while diversifying the nurse faculty population in the United States. In addition to seeking out individuals committed to careers in nursing education, this program also will expand the number of culturally-competent nurse educators available to teach an increasingly diverse student body.

Each applicant must meet the following conditions:

1. Be a member of an Underrepresented Minority Group, meaning those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the nursing profession relative to their numbers in the general population. In Nursing, this is typically defined as individuals from the following backgrounds: American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian American, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Caucasian/non-Hispanic applicants are not eligible candidates; gender does not apply to minority status for the purposes of this scholarship.

2. Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, refugee or qualified immigrant. Qualified immigrants are defined under federal law: the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-193, and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-208.

3. Be a full-time student that is enrolled or already accepted into an accredited doctoral nursing program (i.e. PhD, DNP) or clinically-focused nursing master’s program (i.e. MSN, MS)

4. Sign a letter of commitment in which he/she pledges to provide, for each year of scholarship support awarded, a one-year payback as full-time nursing faculty in an accredited registered nursing program in the United States. If payback requirement is not fulfilled, recipient will be expected to reimburse program in full. If student is receiving other forms of assistance that require a post-graduation service requirement, she/he cannot satisfy these obligations concurrently; instead they must be cumulative.

5. Agree to provide 6-month progress updates to AACN throughout the entire funding period.

6. Agree to work with a mentor throughout the life of the scholarship grant.

7. Attend an annual leadership conference.

Five $18,000 scholarships will be awarded in Fall 2010; $1,500 of each award will be held in escrow to support travel/per diem/lodging costs for the awardee’s participation in an annual leadership training conference. Scholarship recipients in good standing may be eligible for a second year of funding.

Although the applicant’s school of nursing is not required to provide matching funds, applicants who do have matching funds from the school of nursing will be given preference in the competitive selection process. Any dollars remaining after tuition is paid will be available for the student to use for fees, living expenses, and other costs related to their nursing education.