Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 14 071
Apply for HRSA 14 071
- The Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) Program Veterans Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.359 Nurse Education, Practice Quality and Retention Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 27, 2013 and posted on Dec 27, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 18, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,800,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligible applicants include accredited schools of nursing as defined in section 801(2), of the Public Health Service Act, a health care facility as defined in section 801(11) of the Public Health Service Act, or partnership of such a school and facility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) Program - Veterans Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (VBSN) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number HRSA-14-071) was a FY 2014 discretionary grant competition run by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), within its Division of Nursing. It offered three-year cooperative agreements designed to help veterans move into professional nursing by increasing their enrollment, progression, and graduation in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. In plain terms, the program focused on building structured "career ladder" pathways that recognize what veterans already know from military service, reduce unnecessary repetition in training, and provide the targeted supports veterans may need to finish a BSN and enter the registered nurse workforce.
At the policy level, the VBSN program was positioned to advance HRSA's broader strategic goals: improving access to quality health care, strengthening the nation’s health workforce, building healthy communities, and improving health equity. The grants were also intended to complement joint federal efforts involving HRSA, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Those interagency priorities included reducing barriers that can block veterans from transitioning into nursing careers, designing BSN pathways tailored to veterans, testing innovative education models that translate prior military health training into academic credit, improving veterans' employment prospects through training for high-demand careers, and responding to the national need for BSN-prepared registered nurses.
The core program goal was to accelerate and strengthen veterans’ transition into civilian professional nursing by building on their existing military-acquired skills, knowledge, and clinical experience. This included an explicit emphasis on workforce diversity and on preparing providers to deliver high-quality care that is culturally and linguistically aligned with the communities they will serve. The funded projects were expected to produce practical outcomes across the pipeline: more veterans entering BSN programs, moving forward successfully through coursework and clinical training, graduating, passing the NCLEX-RN licensure exam, obtaining nursing employment, and remaining in the field.
Projects under this opportunity were expected to do three main things. First, they needed to create real mechanisms for awarding academic credit for relevant prior military medical training and experience. The announcement highlighted approaches such as challenge exams, competency-based testing, and other innovative assessment methods, with the goal of translating demonstrated competencies into nursing academic credit whenever appropriate. Second, applicants were expected to provide the instructional design and student supports necessary for veterans to successfully matriculate through an innovative BSN career ladder program, not just gain admission. Third, programs needed to prepare participants for licensure by ensuring readiness for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
HRSA spelled out several features it anticipated in strong proposals. Programs were expected to incorporate veteran-focused career ladder development into an existing BSN program rather than starting from scratch, and to implement credible ways to assess veteran competencies that might qualify for credit. Importantly, the opportunity recognized that successful veteran transitions can involve more than academics. Applicants were expected to address physical, emotional, and environmental issues that may be more prevalent or uniquely expressed among veterans, especially factors that could disrupt learning, delay completion, or reduce employability after graduation. The funding also emphasized faculty development, with training designed to strengthen faculty understanding of military culture and to improve teaching and advising strategies for veteran students. Examples included helping faculty understand scope-of-practice differences between military and civilian health roles, and building continuity plans for education if a participant faced redeployment or other service-related obligations. Finally, mentorship and wraparound supports were a required theme, including outreach to veterans organizations and other services aimed at the real-world challenges that can accompany the shift from military to civilian life.
Administratively, this was a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, which typically signals that HRSA expected a more active role in the project’s direction, technical assistance, or oversight during implementation. The program anticipated making about 8 awards with an estimated total funding of $2.8 million, carried under CFDA 93.359 (Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention). There was no cost sharing or matching requirement listed. The opportunity was posted December 27, 2013, and closed February 18, 2014, with an archive date of April 19, 2014.
Eligibility was targeted to institutions with the capacity to deliver nursing education and clinical training: accredited schools of nursing (as defined in the Public Health Service Act), qualifying health care facilities (also defined in the Act), or partnerships between an eligible school of nursing and a health care facility. In effect, HRSA sought applicants that could combine academic instruction with strong clinical placement and workforce connections, while also building veteran-specific bridges into and through a BSN track.
For applicants and stakeholders, the VBSN opportunity can be understood as a workforce development and education redesign effort focused on one clear population: veterans with relevant experience who can become BSN-prepared RNs faster and more successfully if programs intentionally recognize prior learning, remove avoidable barriers, and provide structured mentoring and support. The overall intent was not only to help individual veterans earn a degree and a license, but also to strengthen the nursing workforce nationally by bringing trained, mission-oriented talent into high-demand nursing roles.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the NEPQR - Veterans Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (VBSN) opportunity?
The NEPQR Program - Veterans Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (VBSN) opportunity was a FY 2014 discretionary grant competition run by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) within its Division of Nursing. It funded three-year cooperative agreements intended to help veterans move into professional nursing by increasing their enrollment, progression, and graduation in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs.
2. What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed for this opportunity is HRSA-14-071.
3. Who administered and managed the VBSN grant competition?
The competition was run by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), within HRSA's Division of Nursing.
4. What type of funding mechanism was used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
This opportunity funded cooperative agreements rather than standard grants. A cooperative agreement typically indicates HRSA expected a more active role in project direction, technical assistance, or oversight during implementation.
5. How long were the awards intended to last?
The awards were designed as three-year cooperative agreements.
6. What was the main goal of the VBSN program?
The core goal was to accelerate and strengthen veterans' transition into civilian professional nursing by building on military-acquired skills, knowledge, and clinical experience. The program emphasized creating structured career ladder pathways that recognize prior learning, reduce unnecessary repetition, and provide targeted supports so veterans can complete a BSN and enter the registered nurse workforce.
7. What outcomes were projects expected to improve for veteran participants?
Funded projects were expected to produce practical outcomes across the full education-to-employment pipeline, including: more veterans entering BSN programs, progressing through coursework and clinical training, graduating, passing the NCLEX-RN licensure exam, obtaining nursing employment, and remaining in the nursing field.
8. What is meant by a "career ladder" pathway in this opportunity?
In this context, a career ladder pathway refers to a structured BSN pathway designed to move veterans efficiently toward becoming registered nurses by recognizing what they already know from military service, translating relevant prior training into credit where appropriate, and providing the academic and support structures needed to successfully complete the BSN.
9. How did the opportunity propose to recognize veterans' prior military medical training?
Projects were expected to create real mechanisms for awarding academic credit for relevant prior military medical training and experience. The announcement highlighted approaches such as challenge exams, competency-based testing, and other innovative assessment methods designed to translate demonstrated competencies into nursing academic credit when appropriate.
10. Were applicants expected to build a brand-new BSN program to apply?
No. HRSA anticipated strong proposals would incorporate veteran-focused career ladder development into an existing BSN program rather than starting from scratch.
11. What were the three main things projects were expected to do?
Projects were expected to: (1) create mechanisms to award academic credit for relevant prior military training and experience; (2) provide instructional design and student supports so veterans could successfully matriculate through an innovative BSN career ladder program; and (3) prepare participants for licensure by ensuring readiness for the NCLEX-RN.
12. Was NCLEX-RN preparation explicitly part of the program expectations?
Yes. Programs were expected to prepare participants for licensure, including readiness for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
13. Did the program include expectations related to student supports beyond academics?
Yes. HRSA recognized that successful veteran transitions can involve more than academics. Applicants were expected to address physical, emotional, and environmental issues that may be more prevalent or uniquely expressed among veterans, especially issues that could disrupt learning, delay completion, or reduce employability after graduation.
14. What kinds of faculty development were emphasized?
The funding emphasized faculty development to strengthen faculty understanding of military culture and improve teaching and advising strategies for veteran students. Examples included helping faculty understand scope-of-practice differences between military and civilian health roles and developing continuity plans if a participant faced redeployment or other service-related obligations.
15. Were mentorship and wraparound supports part of the program design?
Yes. Mentorship and wraparound supports were a required theme, including outreach to veterans organizations and other services aimed at real-world challenges that can accompany the shift from military to civilian life.
16. How did the VBSN opportunity align with HRSA's broader strategic goals?
At the policy level, the program was positioned to advance HRSA's broader goals of improving access to quality health care, strengthening the nation's health workforce, building healthy communities, and improving health equity.
17. Did the opportunity reference coordination with other federal agencies?
Yes. The VBSN program was intended to complement joint federal efforts involving HRSA, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including efforts to reduce barriers to veterans transitioning into nursing careers and to translate military health training into academic credit.
18. What did the opportunity say about workforce diversity and culturally aligned care?
The program included an explicit emphasis on workforce diversity and on preparing providers to deliver high-quality care that is culturally and linguistically aligned with the communities they will serve.
19. How much funding was anticipated, and how many awards were expected?
The program anticipated making about 8 awards with an estimated total funding of $2.8 million.
20. Was there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
No cost sharing or matching requirement was listed for this opportunity.
21. What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
This opportunity was carried under CFDA 93.359, Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention.
22. When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on December 27, 2013, and it closed on February 18, 2014.
23. What was the archive date for the opportunity?
The archive date listed was April 19, 2014.
24. Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was targeted to accredited schools of nursing (as defined in the Public Health Service Act), qualifying health care facilities (also defined in the Act), or partnerships between an eligible school of nursing and a health care facility.
25. What kinds of applicants did HRSA appear to be seeking in practice?
HRSA sought applicants that could combine academic instruction with strong clinical placement and workforce connections, while also building veteran-specific bridges into and through a BSN track.
26. What problem was the VBSN program trying to solve for veterans?
The opportunity focused on reducing barriers that can block veterans from transitioning into nursing careers by recognizing prior military learning, reducing unnecessary repetition in training, and providing structured mentoring and supports to help veterans complete a BSN and move into registered nurse employment.
27. What kinds of assessment methods were mentioned for awarding credit?
Examples mentioned included challenge exams, competency-based testing, and other innovative assessment methods to assess and translate demonstrated competencies into academic credit when appropriate.
28. What did the opportunity imply about clinical training and workforce connections?
By targeting eligibility to nursing schools, health care facilities, or partnerships between them, the opportunity emphasized the importance of having capacity for both nursing education and clinical training, along with connections to employment pathways.
29. Is this opportunity best understood as education redesign, workforce development, or both?
Based on the description, it was both. It was a workforce development and education redesign effort focused on creating veteran-specific BSN pathways, accelerating progress through appropriate credit for prior learning, and supporting licensure and employment outcomes.
30. What is the overall intent of the VBSN effort beyond helping individual students?
The overall intent was not only to help individual veterans earn a degree and license, but also to strengthen the nursing workforce nationally by bringing trained, mission-oriented talent into high-demand nursing roles.
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