Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Nurse Faculty Loan Program - California State University, Fresno 5241 N. Maple Avenue, Fresno, California, 93740 Dr. Nisha Nair Phone: (559) 278-8854 nishanair@mail.fresnostate.edu https://chhs.fresnostate.edu/nursing/index.html Grant Program funds requested: $231,510 Funding priority: Supports doctoral nursing students California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), as a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), Hispanic-serving institution (HSI), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), is deeply committed to serving underrepresented and underserved students while actively working to dismantle barriers to their academic success. The Central San Joaquin Valley is recognized by HRSA as a Medically Underserved Area. Residents in the region face multiple healthcare challenges, such as limited coverage, restricted access to care, and concerns about the quality of available services. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Fresno State is dedicated to tackling these healthcare disparities by fostering a diverse nursing workforce pipeline and preparing future nursing faculty. By providing financial support from NFLP to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students, this program aims to reduce financial barriers and inspire a diverse group of aspiring educators to enter the field. The project's multifaceted approach includes loan cancellation incentives, academic advisement, mentorship, and professional development to nurture participants on their academic and professional journeys. Emphasizing the importance of nursing education courses embedded within the DNP program, the initiative prepares graduates for future nurse faculty roles. The program champions diversity and inclusion, actively encouraging underrepresented groups to pursue advanced nursing education and faculty roles, ultimately enhancing cultural competency within the nursing education workforce. Collaborative partnerships, scholarly work, and continuous improvement mechanisms are integrated to ensure the program's effectiveness and relevance. Through diligent monitoring, grant reapplications, and sustainability planning, the project envisions a lasting impact on the nursing education landscape, producing a steady stream of highly qualified nurse faculty who will contribute significantly to the advancement of nursing knowledge, education, and practice. This initiative represents a crucial step towards ensuring a well-rounded and diverse nursing workforce capable of addressing the healthcare needs in the region. The Project Director (PD) brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, having served as a DNP coordinator and currently holding the position of program director. With a national certification as a certified nurse educator and a proven track record of teaching education courses within the DNP Program over several years, the PD is well-equipped to lead and guide the project effectively. The Research Assistant brings valuable experience in tracking and reporting performance data for multiple HRSA grant programs, including the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce, Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship, and Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students program. This expertise ensures that our project will have a strong foundation in data management and reporting, which is crucial for achieving our objectives and demonstrating program effectiveness. Additionally, our collaborative partners have a proven track record of successful engagement in previous projects with Fresno State, highlighting their commitment to advancing healthcare and education in underserved populations. We kindly request funding preference consideration for projects like ours that are dedicated to supporting doctoral students and making a substantial impact on underserved populations. This support will enable us to continue our mission of reducing barriers to academic success and improving healthcare access and quality in our region.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).