2026 Scholarship & Award Applications Now Closed

The 2026 application period has now closed. Applicants will be notified by the end of July 2026 and awardees will be recognized at the NLN Summit in the Fall of 2026 in Washington, DC. Scholarship applications will re-open in February 2027.

Missed the 2026 Scholarship Application Webinar?

Want to learn more about the NLN Foundation scholarships? Watch a recording of the 2026 Scholarship Applicant Webinar! During this webinar, the staff and chairs of the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education Scholarship Selection Panel will discuss the scholarship process. This webinar covers each of the available scholarships, tips on applying, and answers to your questions.

WATCH NOW

For additional questions, please contact ewolfe@nln.org or foundation@nln.org.

PRESS RELEASE

TruMerit® & NLN Honor Two Distinguished Emerging Nursing Scholars

Award Presentation to Two Post-Doctoral Researchers Set for 2026 NLN Education Summit in Washington, DC

Washington, DC — TruMerit® and the National League for Nursing proudly announce the 2026 TruMerrit / NLN Distinguished Emerging Nursing Scholar Award winners: Brenda Dzierzawski, DNP, RN, AFN-C, SANE-A, a post-doctoral scholar at Oakland University, and Apphia Tan Jia Qi, PhD, RN, a post-doctoral scholar at the National University of Singapore. The co-created awards program honors post-doctoral career nursing education researchers.

They will each receive $10,000 to support their original post-doctoral research dedicated to the advancement of teaching and learning in nursing education. Additionally, each Emerging Nursing Scholar will be supported throughout the year by TruMerit and the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education with widespread distribution of their research findings and evolving investigations in both organizations’ publications, websites, and social media channels, and through other opportunities to reach stakeholders.

That visibility begins during the 2026 NLN Education Summit, September 23-25 in Washington, DC. Drs. Dzierzawski and Tan Jia Qi will have their scholarship showcased before the leading conference of academic leaders, faculty and students across the nursing education community. Also in attendance will be key public health policymakers and executives of health and hospital systems.

Dr. Dziersazski’s project addresses what she has identified as a critical gap in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) education: limited clinical training opportunities that risk re-traumatizing patient-victims and compromising forensic evidence. She describes the methodology she uses, along with the promising findings in her timely investigation:

Using literature showing how simulation-based and augmented reality training significantly improve clinical knowledge, skills, and confidence in nursing education, I developed an AR-based training prototype for sexual assault medical forensic exams. Expert SANEs tested the prototype, providing feedback on usability, realism, and educational value. Results were largely positive, with experts endorsing its potential for teaching genital anatomy and reinforcing skills. This award will be used to continue the work which will expand access to safe, effective SANE training and ultimately improve care for survivors.

With her belief that nursing knowledge achieves its greatest impact when it transforms everyday care, Dr. Tan Jia Qi asserts:

My research bridges nursing education and implementation science, focusing on developing competency frameworks that strengthen clinical practice and creating culturally responsive palliative care interventions for people with cancer and their families. My goal is to advance learning health systems that translate evidence into practice, improving the quality of care and the lives of patients and families.

“Based on our shared vision of scholarship with applications to real world healthcare challenges, the TruMerit® / NLN Distinguished Emerging Nursing Scholar Award is a joint investment in the future of nursing science. With this financial support and the guidance and encouragement of senior colleagues, the valuable contributions of Dr. Dzierzawski and Dr. Tan Jai Qi to nursing education will help develop new approaches to patient care to positively impact health outcomes for generations to come,” said NLN Foundation Chair Patrick Robinson, PhD, RN, ACRN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, vice president of nursing at Pacific College of Health and Science.

“The future of healthcare depends on our ability to transform learning into better care,” said Peter Preziosi, PhD, RN, CAE, FAAN, President and CEO of TruMerit®. “TruMerit® is proud to recognize Dr. Dzierzawski and Dr. Tan Jia Qi, alongside the National League for Nursing, for research that bridges nursing education and practice. From augmented reality training to competency-based approaches that turn evidence into practice, their work shows how innovation can better prepare nurses and improve care for patients and families. By investing in emerging scholars, we are investing in the future of nursing and the health of communities worldwide.”

Emerging Scholar Award applicants must have completed their doctoral dissertations on any topic related to nursing education within two years of the award presentation date. They will have committed to the pursuit of a career in nursing education research intended to have a significant, measurable impact on health care education systems worldwide. Preference will be shown towards candidates from developing and middle-income nations.

For more details, visit NLN.org.

About TruMerit®
TruMerit® is a worldwide leader in healthcare workforce development with nearly 50 years of experience supporting the mobility of nurses and other healthcare workers. Formerly CGFNS International, TruMerit® validates the education, training, and professional experience of internationally educated health professionals seeking authorization to practice in the United States and other countries. Through its expanded mission and the Global Health Workforce Development Institute, TruMerit® advances research, standards, and certifications that strengthen the global health workforce and promote equitable, sustainable career mobility.

PRESS RELEASE

NLN Foundation for Nursing Education Announces 2026 Scholarship Awards Winners

23 Graduate Students in Nursing Share Over $143,000 in Scholarship Funds

Washington, DC — Twenty-three advanced degree nursing students have been awarded over $143,000 in financial support for the coming academic term through the annual competitive scholarship program sponsored by the National League for Nursing Foundation for Nursing Education. Among them are 19 winners of scholarships of up to $8,000 each, along with recipients of named scholarships awarded to students representing special sectors of the graduate nursing degree pool of candidates. The formal presentation to the scholarship winners will take place during the 2026 NLN Education Summit in Washington, DC, September 23-25.

“Congratulations to these well-deserving students enrolled in advanced degree programs and committed to careers in nursing education. Thanks to the generosity of our dedicated donors to the NLN Foundation the total available has increased every year, with 2026 funds totaling more than $143,000 this year. Their donations have helped us expand the number and size of scholarship awards and also focus on specialized areas within nursing education,” said NLN Foundation Chair Patrick Robinson, PhD, RN, ACRN, CNE, AHN-BC, ANEF, FAAN, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs at Pacific College of Health and Science.

“With the cost of professional education continuing to rise and the uncertainty surrounding federal student loan restrictions adding to the economic stress of borrowing to finance an advanced degree, the National League for Nursing is more committed than ever to providing meaningful financial relief to those who want to pursue graduate nursing education and join the ranks of nurse faculty,” said NLN President and CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN.

2026 NLN Foundation Nursing Education Faculty Scholarship Award Recipients

Haifa Almalki, MSN, Michigan State University
Karen Bell, MSN, RN, National University
Ali Berumen, MSN, BSN, UC Davis
Davida Chatman, MSN, CPN, CPEN, University of Texas Medical Branch
Miki DeMary-Andrew, MSW, BSN, RN, West Virginia Wesleyan College
Lauren Guthrie, MSN-Ed, RN, University of Missouri - Kansas City
Taneshia Lacy, MSN, RN, Villanova University
Laurie Lopez, EdD(c), MSN, RN, CEN, CNE, University of West Georgia
Sarah Martin, MSN, RN, Post University
Amy McNicoll, MSN, RN, CNE, University of Texas Medical Branch
Leeanna Neeley, MSN, RN, CEN, Northern Kentucky University
Edward Obeng Amoah, MPhil, BSc, Dip. Edu., RN, Purdue University
Eric Peprah Osei, BSN, RN, University of Illinois Chicago
Traci Rader, MSN, BSN, ADN, RN, CNE, Grand Canyon University
Bailey Regier, MSN, RN, CNE, University of Northern Colorado
Katelyn Shepherd, MSN, RN, Walden University
Samantha Stong, MSN, RN, Nebraska Methodist College
Leanna Valentine, EdD(c), MSN, RN, CEN, University of West Georgia
Esmira Yusufova, MSN, MPA, RN, CNE, CHSE, AHN-BC, NE-BC, Pace University

NLN Steve Cerame Nurse Educator Scholarship Award: $8,000

Honoring former NLN Chief Financial Officer Steve Cerame for his 26 years of service, awarded annually to a future full-time nurse educator currently enrolled in a master's or doctoral program.

Galen Ziegler, MS, RN, CMSRN, CNE, Liberty University

Edmund J.Y. Pajarillo Health Informatics and Innovation Scholarship Award: $5,000

With a focus on informatics and innovation in the use of data analysis and health information technology, the Edmund J.Y. Pajarillo Scholarship supports applicant(s) enrolled in an accredited graduate-level program in this growing field of nursing education

Danielle Steele Mendez, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, Florida Atlantic University

Cecelia Lou Vriheas Scholarship Award: $6,000

Awarded to a nurse pursuing an advanced degree in nursing education who is the first in the family to pursue higher education and belong to an historically marginalized/excluded group, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, Native American, Pacific Islander, immigrant populations, and those from rural areas.

Eurina Cha, Ph.D., MSN, RN, CRRN, PHNA-BC, CHES, CPH, CSU Los Angeles

NLN Health Carousel Foundation Nurse Educator Scholarship Award: $8,000

Awarded to a nurse who received an initial nursing degree outside of the United States but is currently registered in the United States and pursuing an advanced degree to further a career as a full-time nurse educator.

Rezvaneh Manzour, MSN, BSN, RN, University of Pittsburgh

For information about the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education, visit NLN.org/Foundation.

About Us

Smiling group of nurses in blue scrubs

The NLN has been promoting excellence in nursing education for more than 130 years through faculty development programs, networking opportunities, testing and assessment, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives. The generosity and vision of old and new supporters, friends, and partners, continue to help the NLN fulfill its mission to advance the health of the nation and the global community.

We preserve nursing’s yesterday and contribute to its tomorrow. Your support makes a difference. Today, you can help the NLN Foundation:

Preserve the history of nursing education through the NLN Archives project. Supported by a matching grant from the Independence Foundation, these funds are allowing us to build an NLN archive at the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania.
Build the future of nursing education through established programs such as faculty scholarships and the scholarly writing retreat.

The NLN Foundation is deeply thankful to all benefactors for their continued support. This year, the Foundation has a new goal of $500,000 by December 31, 2026. All donations will help us successfully support our programs. Check out the many ways to give and help us advance the health of our nation through the power of nursing education.