What you’ll learn in this article…
- Ten nursing schools receive $50,000 each for two-year curriculum innovation.
- Morgan State's nursing team enters with 100% first-time NCLEX pass.
- Fellows from ten institutions meet at Belmont University this August.
Nursing programs that need the most nursing education curriculum innovation often have the least protected faculty time to test it, a tension the new Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows Program is designed to address.
Morgan State University's Department of Nursing, which achieved a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, is one of 10 institutions in the inaugural cohort, each receiving $50,000 over two years.
The award is institutional and team-based, so most nurse educators will follow the cohort's work rather than apply as individuals.
What Is the Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows Program?
Is the "National Nursing Innovation Fellows Program" the official name, and who actually runs it?
The program launched in 2026 as a two-year national pilot.12 Its official name is Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows Program, usually shortened to ANI Fellows Program or simply ANI Fellows. The generic "National Nursing Innovation Fellows Program" does not appear in official materials, so nurse educators should use the ANI Fellows name when researching applications or outcomes.
Who funds it
The initiative is a collaborative effort of the Bedford Falls Foundation and the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation.1 Both organizations focus on nursing education, scholarships, and building stronger health care workforces.
Who is in the inaugural cohort
The first cohort includes 10 nursing schools: Barnes-Jewish College, Belmont University, Creighton University, Johns Hopkins University, Medical University of South Carolina, Morgan State University, The Ohio State University, University of Florida, University of San Francisco, and Yale University.1 Each participating institution receives $50,000 over two years.1 Morgan State University's Department of Nursing is one of the selected participants; Morgan State University's announcement highlighted a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. The inaugural planning meeting takes place in August 2026 at Belmont University in Nashville.1
A quick naming note
This program is distinct from the Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship and from NLN recognition programs such as ANEF. Those have different sponsors, eligibility paths, and formats. The ANI Fellows Program is deliberately structured as a cohort-based pilot, with fellows expected to implement at least one measurable curricular innovation and contribute to a national body of knowledge.1
Who Is Eligible and How the Inaugural Cohort Was Selected
Institution-led, not an individual fellowship
The Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows Program is institution-led. Schools and departments of nursing are selected to participate as units, not individual nurses applying through a personal application.2 Morgan State University's Department of Nursing was one of 10 inaugural participants.1 At Morgan State, the team includes the department chair, a specialist focused on NCLEX pass rate improvement strategies, and the clinical coordinator, which signals that faculty teams represent the institution.
How selection worked
Public announcements do not describe a formal scoring rubric, review committee, or interview process. The inaugural cohort was announced after selections were made, and no open application deadline or application window has been published. Treat the selection as a curated national pilot rather than an annual individual competition. This means nurses interested in careers in nurse education should not expect to submit a solo application.
The 10 inaugural institutions
- Morgan State University
- Barnes-Jewish College
- Belmont University
- Creighton University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Medical University of South Carolina
- The Ohio State University
- University of Florida
- University of San Francisco
- Yale University1
First planning meeting and what to watch
The inaugural planning meeting will be held in August at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.1 Nurse educators who want to participate in future cohorts should watch official announcements from these institutions and the sponsoring foundations, the Bedford Falls Foundation and the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation. Because this is a pilot, the program may publish eligibility criteria and application details for later cycles only after the first cohort demonstrates results.
Morgan State University's Department of Nursing achieved a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, according to the university's announcement about its selection for the inaugural Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows Program. Read the full announcement at https://www.morgan.edu/news/morgan-selected-for-inaugural-national-nursing-innovation-fellows-program.
What Fellows Actually Do: Curriculum, Deliverables, and Mentorship
Nursing education is shifting from isolated classroom fixes toward structured, cross-institutional efforts to improve practice readiness. Within the Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows Program, fellows from 10 institutions collaborate over two years1 while moving a concrete curricular change forward at their home school.
Core Work and Deliverables
Each fellow team must implement at least one innovative curricular initiative, document how it was designed and delivered, and measure its impact1. The central deliverable is not just a redesigned course or clinical model. It is a contribution to a national body of knowledge, such as a curriculum blueprint, a publishable manuscript, or a dissemination-ready toolkit that other programs can adapt.
Focus Areas and Measurement
National innovation conversations in nursing education increasingly point to technology, teaching strategies, and clinical education as practical levers2. In this context, fellows are expected to gather baseline data before implementation, track learner performance and faculty adoption during the pilot, and report short-term outcomes after the change. Because the goal is scalable solutions, measurement focuses on practice readiness and nursing student retention strategies rather than on NCLEX pass rates alone.
Mentorship for the Next Cohort
If the pilot is successful, inaugural fellows will serve as mentors for subsequent cohorts1. That design turns early participants into a standing network of experienced innovators, supporting problem identification, prototyping3, and scholarly dissemination for future fellows while reinforcing the program's national reach.
How This Fellowship Differs From the J&J Nurse Innovation Fellowship and NLN ANEF
These three programs can look similar, but they serve different audiences and have different structures. The ANI Fellows Program and the Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship are action-oriented, team-based fellowships, while the NLN Academy of Nursing Education Fellow is primarily an individual honorific recognition.
| Dimension | ANI Fellows Program | J&J Nurse Innovation Fellowship | NLN Academy of Nursing Education Fellow (ANEF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program type | Institutional academic nursing fellowship focused on curricular innovation | Team-based health system fellowship focused on nurse-led innovation and leadership | Individual honorific recognition fellowship within the NLN Academy of Nursing Education |
| Primary audience | Academic nursing leaders from ten selected nursing schools | Chief Nursing Officers, nurse executives, and senior nurse leaders forming organizational teams | Individual licensed nurses who are or have been nurse educators and are NLN members |
| Team requirement | Institutional team: each selected school names a small team of academic nursing leaders | Organizational team required: all members attend sessions together and work on a shared project | No team required; candidates apply individually based on their career contributions |
| Sponsorship | Collaborative effort of the Bedford Falls Foundation and the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation | Johnson & Johnson, in partnership with Penn Nursing and the Wharton School | National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education |
| Core focus | Developing, implementing, and studying curricular innovations to improve practice readiness and reduce early career attrition | Powering up nurse-led innovation and leadership within health systems to drive transformative workplace change | Recognizing and mobilizing nurse educators who provide visionary leadership in nursing education |
| Duration | Two-year funded award period; inaugural planning meeting in August 2026, with possible mentoring role afterward | Approximately 13 months, from April 23, 2026 to May 19-20, 2027 | Ongoing fellowship status; not a time-limited program |
| Funding and recognition | $50,000 institutional award over two years; additional tuition or stipend details not specified | Johnson & Johnson sponsorship covers attendance and travel costs; no program tuition to participants | Honorific recognition; fellows maintain NLN membership and pay annual Academy dues, with no stipend or tuition funding described |
What the Program Means for Nursing Education and the Nurse Educator Shortage
Nationwide, nursing schools reported a 7.2% nurse faculty vacancy rate in 2025, representing 1,588 full-time positions, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.1 That rate was down from 7.9% in 2024, though the West region ran higher at 9.8%, showing uneven pressure.2 The same shortage contributed to 92,672 qualified applications being turned away from nursing programs in 2025.1 When seats are constrained, the pipeline narrows, and the students who do enroll often meet larger class sizes, thinner clinical supervision, and fewer faculty to redesign courses.
A Faculty Development Lever, Not Just a Student Program
The Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows Program reframes the response. Each participating institution receives $50,000 over two years to support a faculty team, not to fund student scholarships. With 80.9% of faculty vacancies requiring or preferring a doctoral degree and schools identifying a need for 150 additional positions beyond current vacancies in 2025, investing in current educators is a direct way to strengthen the workforce that trains the workforce.3 These are not abstract gaps; they are unfilled teaching roles.
Curriculum Innovation and NCLEX Readiness
Early-career attrition in nursing is often linked to gaps in practice readiness, not just licensure failure. Nursing curriculum development becomes the bridge. Morgan State University's Department of Nursing posted a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, an example of a data-informed approach that aligns teaching with licensure expectations. NCLEX pass rates are not the only signal, but they are one early indicator of whether a program is preparing graduates for practice. When fellows implement and measure at least one innovative curricular initiative, they create evidence other programs can adapt, which matters as acute care RN vacancy rates sit at 8.6% in 2026, down from 9.6% in 2024.1
For nurse educators, the program signals that faculty development can be structured, funded, and cohort-based. Instead of asking individual faculty to volunteer for extra innovation work, institutions are treating curricular redesign as a sustained professional responsibility, with mentorship if the pilot succeeds. Cohort-based faculty development also counters isolation, a known retention risk for nurse educators. That is the kind of support that turns a shortage problem into a nursing faculty retention strategy.
