Federal grant programs / Department of Health and Human Services

Nurse Education, Practice Quality and Retention Grants (93.359)

Also known as NEPQR Simulation Education Training (SET), NEPQR Mobile Health Training, NEPQR (CFPA), NEPQR (RNTP), NEPQR (PRNP), NEPQR (WEP)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$287 million
• Grant awards210
• Typical award$967,767
• Awarded in FY 2025$81.0 million
• Size rank513 of 1824
• Type of assistanceCooperative agreements, project grants

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $42.8 million in fiscal 2021 to $81.0 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 513th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 45% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 41 states and territories.

What the program funds

Mobile Health Training Program (NEPQR-MHTP): The purpose of this program is to improve and strengthen health in the nursing workforce with education and training to provide quality care in rural and underserved areas. The program will encourage recruitment and training of nursing students improve the health of vulnerable populations in rural and underserved areas through nurse-led mobile health training sites. The NEPQR-MHTP will create and expand experiential learning opportunities for nursing students, including the provision of high-quality care, identification of health issues in local communities, engagement in critical thinking, and clinical practice highlighting a collaborative team approach to care. Nursing Faculty and Preceptor Academies (NEPQR-CFPA) Program: The purpose of this program is to increase the nursing workforce by recruiting, training and producing skilled qualified clinical nursing faculty and nursing preceptors. The program will prepare nurses to serve as nursing clinical faculty and preceptors to newly hired or transitioning licensed nurses in a variety of care settings. The NPA program aims to create academies consisting of academic-clinical partnerships to develop and implement a formal curriculum to train clinical nursing preceptors.? Registered Nurse Training Program (NEPQR-RNTP): The purpose of this program is to enhance nursing education and practice to advance the health of patients, families, and communities and improve health outcomes through innovative interprofessional training programs in acute care settings aimed to improve the health and health literacy of vulnerable populations. Simulation Education Training (NEPQR-SET): The purpose of the NEPQR-SET program is to enhance nurse education and strengthen the nursing workforce by increasing training opportunities for nursing students through the use of simulation-based technology, including equipment, to increase their readiness to practice upon graduation. This training expands the capacity of nurses to advance the health of patients, families, and communities in rural or medically underserved areas experiencing diseases and conditions such as stroke, heart disease, behavioral health, maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS, and obesity. Pathway to Registered Nurse Program (NEPQR-PRNP): The purpose of this program is to create a pathway from academic training to clinical practice through the creation and implementation of Licensed Practical Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) to Registered Nurse (RN) Bridge Programs and employment of Clinical Nurse Faculty. Workforce Expansion Program (NEPQR-WEP): The purpose of the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention (NEPQR) - Workforce Expansion Program (WEP) is to increase the nursing workforce in rural (non-metro) and underserved areas to address the critical shortage of nurses, specifically in acute and long-term care settings.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Schools of nursing affiliated with the proposed project must be an accredited public or private school. Applicants must provide documentation of current accreditation by a national nurse education accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for the purposes of nursing education. Eligible applicants are accredited schools of nursing, health care facilities, or a partnership of such a school and facilities. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Funds may be used for salaries of personnel specifically employed for the project; consultant fees; supplies and equipment necessary to conduct the project; essential travel expenses and other expenses related to the project. Financial support for student participants is permissible under the PRNP, SET, RNTP, WEP, and MHTP grant programs. Indirect costs under training awards will be budgeted and reimbursed at 8 percent of modified total direct costs rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement and are not subject to upward or downward adjustment. Financial support for student participants is permissible under the PRNP, SET, RNTP, WEP, and MHTP grant programs.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. The recipient must agree to maintain non-federal funding for grant activities at a level which is not less than expenditures for such activities during the fiscal year prior to receiving the award.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines

Award range and average, in the agency's words

NEPQR-SET FY 23 est. Range: $310,200 to $500,000, Average $473,065 FY 24 Range: $203,563 to $500,000, Average $465,776 FY 25 Range est.: 203,563 to $500,000, Average $465,734 NEPQR-MHTP: FY 23 Range: $720,819 to $954,608, Average: $928,347 FY 24 Range: $752,934 to $1,000,000; Average: $965,621 FY 25 Range est.: $752,934 to $1,000,000; Average: $965,621 NEPQR-CFPA: FY 23 Range: $209,087 to $963,215; Average $844,096 FY 24 Range: $264,639 to $1,000,000; Average: $895,401 FY 25 est. Range: $226,959 to $1,000,000; Average: $895,401 NEPQR-RNTP: FY 23 Range: $290,928 to $350,000; Average $310,300 FY 24 Range: $309,681 to $350,000; Average: $345,408 FY 25 est. Range: $0 NEPQR-PRNP FY 23 est. Range: $876,989 up to $1,000,000, Average FY 24 est. Range: $828,131 up to $1,000,000, Average FY 25 est. Range: $876,149 to $1,000,000 NEPQR-WEP FY 23 Range: N/A FY 24 Range: $915,000 - $1,000,000, Average: $975,000 FY 25 est. Range : $915,000 - $1,000,000, Average: $975,000

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Colleges and universities received 1.1% of the money, state and local governments less than 0.1% and nonprofits less than 0.1%.

By state

32 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.