Nursing Workforce Development (NWD)

The Nursing Workforce Diversity program, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration under the Department of Health and Human Services, aims to expand nursing education opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds by supporting institutions that implement comprehensive programs to increase recruitment, retention, and graduation rates among underrepresented students. The program operates under grant opportunity HRSA-26-095, with a performance period running from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2030. Applicants must be eligible entities including nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, tribal governments, and state or local governments, with no small business set-asides or socioeconomic preferences applied. The application must include detailed attachments such as accreditation documentation, organizational charts, formal agreements with partners, staffing plans, maintenance of effort records, and letters of support, all submitted within a strict 60-page limit using specified formatting rules, and must be filed electronically via Grants.gov by the July 8, 2026 deadline. Award decisions are based on a merit-based evaluation totaling 100 points across six criteria: Response (30 points), Impact (20 points), Need (15 points), Resources and Capabilities (15 points), Performance Management (10 points), and Support Requested (10 points), with no use of adjectival ratings. Proposals are assessed for alignment with program goals, use of evidence-based strategies, sustainability plans, institutional capacity, data-driven monitoring systems, and budget reasonableness. Additional mandatory requirements include compliance with 2 CFR Part 200, submission of unique entity identifiers through SAM.gov, adherence to cybersecurity standards aligned with the NIST Framework, and use of ONC-certified health IT where applicable. Applicants must also comply with federal cost principles, including a salary cap of $228,000 and prohibitions on expenses such as foreign travel and accreditation fees. Financial reporting is conducted through the Federal Financial Report (SF-425) in the Electronic Handbook system, and awardees are required to track trainee outcomes for up to one year after graduation and submit annual performance reports under GPRMA. Oversight is managed by HRSA’s Project Officer and Senior Grants Management Specialist, with no formal contracting officer or COR designated, reflecting the grant-based nature of the funding rather than a procurement contract.