Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 13 256
Apply for HRSA 13 256
- The Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Veteran s Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program" 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 May 7, 2013 and posted on Apr 29, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 7, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligible applicants include an accredited school of nursing, as defined in Section 801(2), a health care facility, as defined in Section 801(11), or a partnership of such a school and facility. The eligible applicant must be capable of carrying out the
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Veterans Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program (VBSN) is a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) discretionary grant program that, in FY 2013, funded four-year cooperative agreements to help veterans move into professional nursing careers through targeted Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) "career ladder" pathways. The overall idea is to reduce common barriers veterans face when transitioning from military service into civilian nursing, while also helping the country meet a growing demand for BSN-prepared registered nurses. The program aligns with HRSA's broader workforce and equity priorities, including improving access to quality care, strengthening the healthcare workforce, building healthier communities, and ensuring providers are trained to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
A major emphasis of the VBSN opportunity is recognizing that many veterans already bring meaningful medical training, leadership experience, and hands-on patient care exposure from military roles, but often struggle to translate that experience into academic credit and a clear pathway to licensure in the civilian healthcare system. In coordination with the broader goals shared across HRSA, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), funded projects were expected to build practical bridges into nursing by designing BSN program structures that are specifically responsive to veterans. This includes exploring innovative education models that award academic credit for prior healthcare experience, military medical training, or other relevant military learning, which can shorten time to degree and reduce redundant coursework. Examples of acceptable approaches mentioned in the announcement include challenge exams, competency-based testing, and other methods that can fairly validate prior learning.
The program's near-term goals focus on helping veterans successfully enter and complete BSN education and become licensed registered nurses. Projects were expected to improve veterans enrollment in BSN programs, support their progression and graduation, and strengthen employment outcomes and retention in nursing after graduation. A practical benchmark embedded in the announcement is preparing participants to pass the NCLEX-RN, since licensure is the key step between education and employment as a registered nurse. The program also explicitly connects to the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, framing nursing as a high-demand career pathway that can expand job opportunities for veterans.
Applicants were expected to build their proposals around several required components. First, the project needed to incorporate veteran-focused career ladder development into an existing BSN program, rather than creating a completely separate stand-alone degree. Second, applicants needed to provide faculty development so instructors are better prepared to teach and support veterans. The announcement highlights several veteran-specific issues faculty should be equipped to handle, such as helping students understand differences in scope of practice between military and civilian settings, building on veterans leadership training, and accommodating physical or emotional challenges that can affect learning. Third, the project needed to create programs and methods to assess veteran competencies for the purpose of awarding nursing academic credit, directly addressing the common problem of military training not being formally recognized by academic institutions. Fourth, applicants needed to provide mentorship and supportive services tailored to the realities of transitioning to civilian life, including outreach to veterans organizations and support for challenges like PTSD and other behavioral or mental health concerns, as well as broader work-family-life balance pressures that can interfere with program completion and job placement.
Funding could be used to adapt existing BSN programs to better fit veterans needs, including the design and integration of academic credit mechanisms for prior military learning. The announcement also notes that there was no funding history for these VBSN cooperative agreements, meaning it was presented as a relatively new or not previously funded initiative at that time. The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement, which typically means HRSA anticipated substantial federal involvement during the project period compared to a standard grant (for example, closer collaboration, guidance, and monitoring).
From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity was posted April 29, 2013, with an application closing date of June 7, 2013, and it was later archived July 30, 2013. HRSA listed an expected nine awards under CFDA 93.359 (Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Grants). No cost sharing or matching was required. While the opportunity record shows an award ceiling and floor of 0, that generally indicates the amount was not specified in the summary fields and applicants would need to consult the full announcement for detailed budget limits or expectations.
Eligibility was limited to an accredited school of nursing (as defined in the authorizing statute), a qualifying healthcare facility, or a partnership between an eligible school of nursing and a healthcare facility. In all cases, the applicant had to be capable of carrying out the program requirements described in the notice. HRSA served as the administering agency, and applicants needing help accessing the full announcement were directed to the HRSA Call Center (CallCenter@HRSA.GOV; 877-464-4772).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the VBSN program?
The Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Veterans Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program (VBSN) is a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) discretionary grant opportunity that funded four-year cooperative agreements to help veterans move into professional nursing careers through targeted Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) "career ladder" pathways.
What is the purpose of the VBSN grant opportunity?
The purpose is to reduce common barriers veterans face when transitioning from military service into civilian nursing, while also helping meet the growing national demand for BSN-prepared registered nurses. The opportunity emphasizes building practical bridges that help veterans enroll, progress, graduate, obtain RN licensure, and move into nursing employment and retention.
How does this program align with HRSA priorities?
The program aligns with HRSA workforce and equity priorities, including improving access to quality care, strengthening the healthcare workforce, building healthier communities, and ensuring providers are trained to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
Why is the program focused specifically on veterans?
The opportunity recognizes that many veterans already have meaningful medical training, leadership experience, and hands-on patient care exposure from military roles. However, veterans may face challenges translating that experience into academic credit and a clear civilian pathway to licensure as a registered nurse.
What types of barriers for veterans is the program intended to address?
The program is intended to address barriers such as difficulty converting military medical training into academic credit, unclear or inefficient pathways to civilian nursing licensure, and transition-related challenges that can affect education completion and job placement (including work-family-life balance pressures and behavioral or mental health concerns like PTSD).
What is meant by a BSN "career ladder" pathway in this opportunity?
In this context, a BSN "career ladder" pathway refers to an approach within an existing BSN program that helps veterans move efficiently toward the BSN degree and RN licensure, potentially shortening time to degree by recognizing relevant prior learning and competencies gained through military experience.
Does the project have to create a new BSN program?
No. A required component was incorporating veteran-focused career ladder development into an existing BSN program rather than creating a completely separate, stand-alone degree program.
How does the program propose to recognize prior military training or experience?
Funded projects were expected to explore innovative education models that award academic credit for prior healthcare experience, military medical training, or other relevant military learning. The announcement mentioned acceptable approaches such as challenge exams, competency-based testing, and other fair methods to validate prior learning.
What is the goal of awarding academic credit for prior learning?
The goal is to reduce redundant coursework, shorten time to degree where appropriate, and address the common issue that military training is often not formally recognized by academic institutions, while still ensuring competency for civilian nursing practice.
What near-term outcomes were expected from funded projects?
Projects were expected to improve veterans enrollment in BSN programs, support progression and graduation, prepare participants for RN licensure, and strengthen employment outcomes and retention in nursing after graduation.
How does NCLEX-RN relate to this opportunity?
The opportunity embedded a practical benchmark of preparing participants to pass the NCLEX-RN, because licensure is the key step between nursing education and employment as a registered nurse.
Is this program connected to other federal veteran employment efforts?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly connects to the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 and frames nursing as a high-demand career pathway that can expand job opportunities for veterans.
What were the required components applicants needed to include in their proposals?
Applicants were expected to include several required components: (1) veteran-focused career ladder development within an existing BSN program; (2) faculty development so instructors are better prepared to teach and support veterans; (3) programs and methods to assess veteran competencies for awarding nursing academic credit; and (4) mentorship and supportive services tailored to veterans transitioning to civilian life, including outreach and support for challenges such as PTSD and other behavioral or mental health concerns and work-family-life balance pressures.
What topics were highlighted for faculty development?
The announcement highlighted veteran-specific issues faculty should be equipped to handle, including helping students understand differences in scope of practice between military and civilian settings, building on veterans leadership training, and accommodating physical or emotional challenges that can affect learning.
What types of supportive services and mentorship were expected?
Projects were expected to provide mentorship and supportive services tailored to the realities of transitioning to civilian life. The announcement specifically mentioned outreach to veterans organizations and support for challenges like PTSD and other behavioral or mental health concerns, as well as broader work-family-life balance pressures that can interfere with program completion and job placement.
What could grant funds be used for?
Funding could be used to adapt existing BSN programs to better fit veterans needs, including designing and integrating academic credit mechanisms for prior military learning.
What type of funding instrument was used?
The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement. This typically means HRSA anticipated substantial federal involvement during the project period compared to a standard grant, such as closer collaboration, guidance, and monitoring.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching was required for this opportunity.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to an accredited school of nursing (as defined in the authorizing statute), a qualifying healthcare facility, or a partnership between an eligible school of nursing and a healthcare facility. In all cases, the applicant needed to be capable of carrying out the program requirements described in the notice.
Which federal agency administered the opportunity?
HRSA served as the administering agency.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on April 29, 2013, and the application closing date was June 7, 2013.
When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was archived on July 30, 2013.
How many awards were expected?
HRSA listed an expected nine awards under this opportunity.
What CFDA number was associated with this program?
The opportunity was listed under CFDA 93.359 (Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Grants).
What was the project period?
In FY 2013, the opportunity funded four-year cooperative agreements.
Was there any prior funding history for these VBSN cooperative agreements?
The announcement noted there was no funding history for these VBSN cooperative agreements, indicating it was presented as a relatively new or not previously funded initiative at that time.
Where can applicants get help or request access to the full announcement?
Applicants needing help accessing the full announcement were directed to the HRSA Call Center at CallCenter@HRSA.GOV or 877-464-4772.
Why do the summary fields show an award ceiling and floor of 0?
The opportunity record shows an award ceiling and floor of 0, which generally indicates the amount was not specified in the summary fields. Applicants would need to consult the full announcement for detailed budget limits or expectations.
Browse more business programs for Veteran Support Organizations, Nursing Services
Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Health Resources and Services Administration
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Health
Next opportunity: Tax Counseling for the Elderly
Previous opportunity: Health Systems Strengthening for a Sustainable HIV/AIDS Response in Ukraine
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for HRSA 13 256
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (HRSA 13 256) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Biomarker Candidate Platforms for Inflammatory Diseases (U44) Apply for RFA AR 14 004 Funding Number: RFA AR 14 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $225,000 |
| Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Centers Apply for HRSA 13 265 Funding Number: HRSA 13 265 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: $460,000 |
| Collaboration for Improving and Promoting Standardized Cancer Staging Using the Collaborative Stage Data Collection System Apply for CDC RFA DP13 1310 Funding Number: CDC RFA DP13 1310 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Announcement of the Availability of Funds for Office of Research Integrity (ORI) Extramural Research Grants Apply for IR ORI 13 001 Funding Number: IR ORI 13 001 Agency: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Maternal and Child Health Measurement Research Network Apply for HRSA 13 259 Funding Number: HRSA 13 259 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Cancer Surveillance Data Standards and Best Practices Apply for CDC RFA DP13 1308 Funding Number: CDC RFA DP13 1308 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| Strengthening the Nations Public Health System through a National Voluntary Accreditation Program for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Health Departments Apply for CDC RFA OT13 1301 Funding Number: CDC RFA OT13 1301 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| International TNM and Capacity Building Apply for CDC RFA DP13 1309 Funding Number: CDC RFA DP13 1309 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $175,000 |
| Closing the Gap in Healthcare Disparities through Dissemination and Implementation of Patient Centered Outcomes Research (U18) Apply for RFA HS 13 010 Funding Number: RFA HS 13 010 Agency: Agency for Health Care Research and Quality Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Effective Communication Programming for Increasing Utilization of Family Planning and Reproductive Health (FP/RH) Services in Jordan Apply for RFA 278 13 000003 Funding Number: RFA 278 13 000003 Agency: Jordan USAID Amman Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| National Organizations Support for State Oral Health Programs Apply for CDC RFA DP13 1313 Funding Number: CDC RFA DP13 1313 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Developing and Improving Institutional Animal Resources (G20) Apply for PAR 13 219 Funding Number: PAR 13 219 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Center of Excellence for Research on CAM (P01) Apply for PAR 13 220 Funding Number: PAR 13 220 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Methodologies and Formative Work for Combination HIV Prevention Approaches (R01) Apply for RFA MH 14 180 Funding Number: RFA MH 14 180 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Methodologies and Formative Work for Combination HIV Prevention Approaches (R21) Apply for RFA MH 14 181 Funding Number: RFA MH 14 181 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Methodologies and Formative Work for Combination HIV Prevention Approaches (R34) Apply for RFA MH 14 182 Funding Number: RFA MH 14 182 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $225,000 |
| Biomonitoring of Great Lakes Populations Apply for CDC RFA TS13 1302 Funding Number: CDC RFA TS13 1302 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $470,000 |
| Enhancing the Environmental Health Workforce by Strengthening Environmental Health Academic Programs Apply for CDC RFA EH13 1304 Funding Number: CDC RFA EH13 1304 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| The Effects of Modulating Chronic Low Grade Inflammation on Geriatric Conditions Secondary Data and/or Biospecimen Analyses and Ancillary Studies in Ongoing or Completed Clinical Trials (R01) Apply for PA 13 221 Funding Number: PA 13 221 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Sodium Reduction in Communities Apply for CDC RFA DP13 1301 Funding Number: CDC RFA DP13 1301 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "HRSA 13 256", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.