Active Funding Opportunities: Research Grants
The AWHONN Research Grant Program provides funding to support nurse-led projects that advance evidence-based practice and improve outcomes for women, newborns, and families. Designed to foster innovation and build research capacity, the grant program aligns with AWHONN’s Research Priorities. Through this initiative, AWHONN invests in nurse scientists and strengthens the impact of nursing research on clinical care, health equity, and patient well-being.
Call for Proposals: Nursing Research Grant
Application Deadline: July 31, 2026
Funding Amount: Up to $40,000
AWHONN is committed to advancing nursing research and scholarship by funding nurse-led projects that promote the development of evidence to improve outcomes for women, newborns, and families.
The primary objective of this grant program is to encourage nurse-led research that will improve outcomes for women, pregnant people, newborns, and families.
We especially encourage projects that are:
- Clinically focused and outcome driven.
- Directly relevant to nursing practice and patient care.
- Addressing urgent challenges in women’s health, maternal and neonatal health, health equity, mental health, or neonatal outcomes.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a registered nurse with a graduate degree (i.e., Master’s, DNP, EdD, PhD) and a demonstrated record of research experience.
- Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged, but the PI must be a nurse and play a leading role in the conceptualization and execution of the project.
- The research must have or will have IRB approval.
- The PI must be an AWHONN member for at least 1 year prior to submitting an application.
- The PI and research institution/organization must be located within the United States and US territories.
Call for Proposals: Health Equity Nursing Research Grant
Application Deadline: July 31, 2026
Funding Amount: Up to $24,000
AWHONN is pleased to announce a competitive research grant opportunity aimed at advancing the field of nursing through health equity research. This grant seeks to support high-impact nursing research that explores, evaluates, or implements novel solutions and/or innovative practices to enhance health equity.
The primary objective of this grant program is to encourage nurse-led research that will improve outcomes for women, pregnant people, newborns, and families using a health equity lens.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a registered nurse with a graduate degree (i.e., Master’s, DNP, EdD, PhD) and a demonstrated record of research experience.
- Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged, but the PI must be a nurse and play a leading role in the conceptualization and execution of the project.
- The research must have or will have IRB approval.
- The PI must be an AWHONN member for at least 1 year prior to submitting an application.
- The PI and research institution/organization must be located within the United States and US territories.
Call for Proposals: Dissertation Research Grants
Application Deadline: July 31, 2026
Funding Amount: Up to $5,000 each
Number of Awards: 3
AWHONN is pleased to announce a competitive research grant opportunity to support nurses enrolled as PhD students to conduct dissertation research that advances the health of women, pregnant people, newborns, and families.
Objectives
The primary objectives of this grant program are to:
- Support development of new nurse scientists to lead original research.
- Generate research that improves women’s health, maternal, and neonatal outcomes.
Eligibility Criteria
- Current, unencumbered nursing license.
- Enrolled in a PhD program.
- Have an approved dissertation proposal and IRB submission planned.
- Research plan relevant to women’s health, obstetrics, or neonatal nursing.
- AWHONN membership (including student membership).
- Have a faculty dissertation advisor serving as mentor.
AWHONN Research Award Recipients
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) has announced the recipients of three research awards. The recipients are:
AWHONN Every Woman, Every Baby Research Awards
- Samantha Bernstein, PhD, RNC-OB, IBCLC, CNE, CNL – A Mixed-Methods Assessment of Obstetric Nurses’ Use of Workarounds
Lisa Grisham, MS, NNP-BC – Effect of Babywearing on Acute Reactivity of Cortisol and Oxytocin in Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Feasibility Study
Lauren Narbey, MSN, MSc, CNM, WHNP-BC, FACNM – Pattern of Breastfeeding Among Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder and Integration of Lactation
AWHONN congratulates the 2024 Research Award recipients!
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) has announced the recipients of four research awards. The recipients are:
AWHONN Every Woman, Every Baby Research Awards
- Elizabeth Bufink, MS, RN – Nurses’ Perspectives of Safe Sleep Education in the Prenatal Appointment: A Descriptive Qualitative Study
- Gail Elliott, PhD, RN – Nurses’ Attitudes of Patients with Perinatal Substance Use Disorder, A Mixed-Methods Study
Lauren E. Hicks, PhD, BSN, RN – Qualitative Content Analysis Exploring Racial Disparities in Prenatal Care through Patient-Provider Communication - Stacey Iobst, PhD, RNC-OB, C-EFM – Relationships among Autonomy in Decision-Making, Respect, and Perinatal Depression in U.S. Maternity Care
AWHONN congratulates the 2023 Research Award recipients!
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) has announced the recipients of two research awards totaling $20,000. The recipients are:
AWHONN Every Woman, Every Baby Research Awards
Anisa Thomas, PhD, RN – EWEB Award of $10,000
Yang Yu, PhD, MPH – EWEB Award of $10,000
March of Dimes Margaret Comerford Freda “Saving Babies, Together®” Award
Erin George, MSN, CNM, IBCLC – March of Dimes of $5,000
AWHONN congratulates the 2022 Research Award recipients.
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) has announced the recipients of three research awards for 2021 totaling $22,000. The recipients and their grant proposals are:
AWHONN Every Woman, Every Baby Awards
Mary Hoberg, MSN, Ed., RN, PhD(c)
“Improving Understanding and Detection of Postpartum Anxiety”
Jennifer Heck, PhD, RNC-NIC, CNE
“Engaging Tribal Community Stakeholders to Enhance Indigenous Women’s Postpartum Depression Care”
March of Dimes Margaret Comerford Freda “Saving Babies, Together®” Award
Rachel Blankstein Breman, PhD, MSN, MPH, RN
“Exploring the Validity of CHOICEs, a Shared Decision-Making Tool for Perinatal Care”
AWHONN congratulates the 2021 Research Award recipients.
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) has announced the recipients of three research awards in 2020. The recipients :
AWHONN Every Woman, Every Baby Novice Research Awards
Rachel Dieterich, RN, MSN
Thao Griffith, PhD, RN
Dawn Hawthorne, PhD, RN
EWEB Novice Researcher Award: Hill-ROM Celeste Phillips Family-Centered Maternity Care
Kodiak Soled, MSN, RN
AWHONN congratulates the 2020 Research Award recipients.
Research Priorities and Researcher Expectations
The AWHONN women’s and neonatal health research priorities focus on the development, dissemination, and utilization of knowledge to guide clinical nursing practice. The research priorities recommendations from the Research Advisory Panel encompass nursing care of women across their lifespan, including childbearing and newborn care, as well as professional issues in nursing practice.
- Nursing Research and Scholarship
- Implementation Science/Translational Research
- Normal Birth
- Mental Health
- Patient Safety using Nurse Sensitive Outcomes
The Research Advisory Panel members discussed and described the relevance of the priorities for AWHONN members and their interconnectedness. For example, increasing normal births will reduce the number of women who experience post-traumatic stress disorder related to a traumatic birthing experience. Reducing overuse of interventions will improve patient safety and nurse sensitive outcomes.
- Maintain AWHONN membership during funding period.
- Attend scheduled orientation and conference calls for new grant recipients (generally July and following January after award granted) and submit progress reports.
- Complete the study within a 1-year timeframe and submit final report.
- Provide budget updates at 6-months and one-year of the funding period.
- Travel to the AWHONN Annual Convention the year granted to receive award. Note: Grant funding does not cover registration, travel or lodging expenses related to the convention.
- Present study findings two years after awarded at the AWHONN Annual Convention during the AWHONN Research Symposium designated session.
- Submit a manuscript of the awarded proposal within 18 months from conclusion of the study to the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, Neonatal Nursing or other appropriate scientific or technical peer-reviewed journal.
- Acknowledge AWHONN and corporate funders in all presentations, papers, and published materials.
Questions
For questions or assistance, email research@awhonn.org.
