The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Careers in Nursing is a scholarship program to help alleviate the nursing shortage and increase the diversity of nursing professionals. Through grants to schools of nursing, the program will provide scholarships to college graduates without nursing degrees who are enrolled in accelerated baccalaureate and master’s nursing programs.

• A school of nursing may apply for between five and 30 scholarships per year to be awarded to students from groups underrepresented in nursing or who are economically disadvantaged.
• A total of up to 400 scholarship awards will be made during this funding cycle.

• November 3, 2011 (2 p.m. ET) and December 1, 2011 (11 a.m. ET)—Optional informational applicant Web conferences. Registration information can be found on the program’s website.
• January 11, 2012 (3 p.m. ET)—Deadline for receipt of applications and supporting documents submitted online.
• June 2012—Announcement of grants.

To be eligible, applicant institutions must:

• offer an entry-level accelerated baccalaureate nursing program or master’s nursing program for non-nursing college graduates;
• be accredited by a nursing accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is committed to programs that embrace racial, ethnic and economic diversity. Applications should address the applicant organization’s past achievements and future plans to recruit and retain a diverse student body.

Additionally, individual award applicants cannot be related by blood or marriage to any Officer or Trustee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,or be a descendant of the Foundation’s founder, Robert Wood Johnson.

Full selection criteria can be found in the Call for Applications.