Collaborative Alliance for Nursing Outcomes (CALNOC) Research Fund
The American Nurses Foundation (ANF) and the Collaborative Alliance for Nursing Outcomes (CALNOC), the nation’s first database of nurse sensitive measures and a pioneer in health services research, established the CALNOC Research Fund in March 2021. The $2.5 million gift from CALNOC supports and fosters health services research in the ambulatory setting with a focus on the nursing profession’s contribution to improving health care delivery. This gift is the largest endowment for ANF.
The substantial endowment to establish this CALNOC Research Fund is a testament to and a celebration of the past efforts of CALNOC researchers and nurse scientists, as well as the contributions of nurses, nursing leaders, and executives who have championed quality and safety measurement to improve patient care.
“This Endowment ensures the legacy of CALNOC will continue and flourish through the American Nurses Foundation. We are grateful for the Foundation and American Nurses Credentialing Center for their support and stewardship of this endeavor.” – Mary Foley, RN, PhD, FAAN, Chairperson of CALNOC
ANF drives philanthropy and partnerships to advancement in nursing to turn toward the future. Our foundation’s Reimagining Nursing Initiative includes three focus areas: 1. nurse-led research and innovation, 2. new approaches to nurse well-being, and 3. scholars and fellows who represent communities that they serve. As the philanthropic arm of the enterprise, ANF advances the nursing profession by serving as a thought leader, catalyst for action, convener, and funding conduit.
Research Areas of Interest
ANF uses the CALNOC Research Fund as a vehicle for innovative research and scientific inquiry on the contributions of nursing practice in ambulatory care to patient care, safety, and quality. ANF, with counsel from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), provides grants from the Fund.
“We are committed to advancing the quality of nursing and patient care. This Fund will enable nurses to continue their integral role of improving the quality and safety of patient care through research and innovation.” – Rebecca Graystone, MS, MBA, RN, NE-BC, Senior Vice President, ANCC
Studies funded should provide new evidence and/or support the existing evidence base on ambulatory nursing by focusing on the unique contribution of ambulatory nursing structures and processes to patient, family, and/or population outcomes. The current and subsequent funding cycles will encourage the growth of a cohesive body of research, each study extending knowledge gained across the trajectory of studies.
2026 Grant Award: Call for Letters of Intent
Letters of Intent should briefly outline a funding proposal approach that is of strong interest to the ambulatory nursing community and in alignment with ANF’s Reimagine Nursing Initiative. This is as an opportunity to build the knowledge base for improving ambulatory care and outcomes. Studies should focus on understanding how and when ambulatory nurses (as individuals, groups/care units, or within interdisciplinary teams) contribute to improvements in quality and cost of health care through the structures of ambulatory care services, ambulatory nursing processes, and/or leveraging the unique role of the ambulatory nurse within interdisciplinary ambulatory health care services. Research topics of this request must focus on generating new knowledge about the value of ambulatory nurses/nursing related to one or more of the following:
a) Tele, virtual, and/or digital health
b) Care coordination and transition management
c) Population health
d) Addressing belonging and connection to health
e) Improving access to and continuity in ambulatory care
f) Representation of the community served in ambulatory care
Letters of Intent are due via ANF’s grant portal no later than 4pmET on January 22, 2026. The following sections are required in a response from the institution. Please limit responses to a total of 4-6 pages. Please use standard letter size paper with 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, and single spacing.
Cover Letter (1 page) Provide a succinct description, including institutional support statement.
Abstract (550 words or fewer) Provide a succinct and accurate description of the proposed grant project. State the overall objective of the proposed work, describe concisely the methods to be used, and reference the project’s relevance to ambulatory nursing and implications. The abstract is not considered confidential.
Project Narrative (1-2 pages)
Background and Significance. Briefly describe current literature and the need for the proposed study. (Recommended length: ½ -1 page)
Timeline. Display the proposed schedule for grant activities. (Recommended length: ½ - 1 page)
Team Overview (1 page) Review how the grant team’s organization and past work together is expected to contribute to the success of the project.
Budget (1 page) Prepare a budget that includes the following categories:
a. PERSONNEL – All study personnel for whom salary support or consulting fees are requested (e.g., PI, technical, clerical, and other professional personnel, and consultants) must be named in this section. In the personnel budget justification section, describe each individual’s role and percentage of effort (FTE). Consultant/Expert fees must not exceed $250 per day, plus travel at standard per diem rates.
b. SUPPLIES – All consumable supplies must be itemized as to description, number, cost per unit, and total cost. If exact costs are not known, estimates must be provided.
c. EQUIPMENT – Purchase of personal computers and software, permanent equipment, facility construction or renovation, or other capital costs are prohibited, except as noted. Requests to purchase specialized equipment with a unit cost of more than $500 will be considered. Justification for this expense must be documented. The Foundation will make the final determination on such expenses.
d. TRAVEL – Only travel costs essential to the conduct of the project are eligible for funding. Travel should not exceed 20% of the budget request.
• Travel to present project findings is permitted up to $1,500 per co-investigator (no first or business class travel). Travel exceeding this range may be submitted for consideration and prior approval following completion of study, to cover additional presentation opportunities that enhance dissemination of results. All travel to present project findings should be supported through grant or institutional funds.
• Estimated costs for meeting registration fees, airfare, lodging, meals, and ground transportation must be provided. Calculate travel and lodging expenses based on government per diem rates.
e. OTHER EXPENSES – All other expenses not already specified (e.g., Institutional Review Board fees) must be itemized and justified in relation to the project.
f. INDIRECT COSTS – Up to 15 percent of project costs, exclusive of outsourced services. This is included in the total grant amount, not in addition to it, and must be included as a line item in the proposed budget.
The Total Budget Requested from the American Nurses Foundation cannot exceed the Category for which you are applying. Funding is generally available for:
• Salary support for Principal and Co-Investigator, faculty or student.
• Salary support for other grant personnel (e.g., technical, clerical, and other professional personnel).
• Consultant fees for grant-specific work, not to exceed $250 per day, plus travel at standard per diem rates.
• Institutional Review Board fees (IF deemed as research).
• Consumable supplies and services.
• Requests to purchase specialized equipment with a unit cost of more than $500 will be considered. Capital investments may be made with the grant funds. Justification for this expense must be documented. Supplies and equipment with a unit cost of less than $500 remain the property of the affiliated institution at the close of the grant period.
Official Verification by Sponsoring Institution (This may be conveyed in a cover letter for your response and will not count against the page limit.)
• Not-for-profit organizations, for-profit entities, and government agencies are eligible to apply to this program. If a for-profit entity or government agency is a grant recipient, the monetary award provided must be received and managed by a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. The institution must be in the United States of America to be eligible for the grant.
• The sponsoring institution is the location at which the grant will be conducted, typically the organization at which the Principal Investigator is employed. For institutions that do not have internal grants management divisions, the institution must identify an appropriate entity (e.g., related healthcare foundation) to receive the funds and monitor their use.
This submission cover letter must be verified (signed) by the principal investigator.
Review Criteria:
Each response will be evaluated by a review committee convened by the Foundation and based on the following criteria:
| Criteria | Description |
| 1. Nurse Led Implementation | Nurse is the PI and the project lead |
| 2. Alignment with Priority Areas | Extent to which the proposal aligns with at least one of the defined priority areas |
| 3. Project Team Reflective of Community Served | Degree to which the team composition includes members from the population being served |
| 4. Implementation Rigor and Quality | Evaluation of project design, sample size, validity, reliability, and overall quality of the implementation methodology |
| 5. Impact on Capacity Building | Approach builds the capacity of ambulatory nurses |
| 6. Feasibility and Timeline | Realistic assessment of the proposed timeline, resources, and feasibility of completing the project within the proposed period. |
In addition, the sections of the proposal will be assessed as follows:
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Cover Letter and Abstract - 5 points
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Project Narrative - 20 points
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Team Overview - 10 points
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Timeline - 5 points
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Budget - 5 points
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Official Verification by Sponsoring Institution
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Next Steps
After screening letters of intent, ANF will issue a by-invitation-only request for proposals in February 2026. This funding opportunity will culminate with the award of a single grant up to $250,000, for a period of 24 months, from approximately June 2026-May 2028.
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2022 Award: “Nurses Address Perinatal Mental Health Inequities among Black Women: A Feasibility Study,” Co-Principal Investigators: Kortney Floyd James, PhD, RN & Kristen Choi, PhD, PMHNP-BC, FAAN
Outcomes Summary
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), including depression and anxiety, are the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Left untreated, they contribute to poor outcomes for mothers and infants, including preterm birth, impaired bonding, and maternal suicide. Black women are disproportionately affected, facing both higher rates of PMADs and greater barriers to screening and treatment. This project addressed these gaps through two approaches: testing the feasibility of a provider training program called Black Maternal Mental Health 360 (BMMH 360) and evaluating perinatal mental health screening using electronic health record (EHR) data within the same health system.
The BMMH 360 training aimed to prepare perinatal nurses and frontline staff to screen for PMADs with both clinical accuracy and cultural sensitivity. The curriculum included education on PMADs alongside modules on empathy, implicit bias, and the specific barriers faced by Black women and birthing people. Twenty-two providers, including registered nurses, medical assistants, and mental health specialists, completed the program in either in-person or virtual formats. Surveys before and after training showed significant gains in beliefs about the effectiveness of PMAD treatment, along with near-significant increases in readiness to screen. Participants described the training as practical and valuable for their daily work, confirming its feasibility and acceptability.
Alongside the training, EHR data was analyzed from nearly 12,000 deliveries in one California health system between 2019 and 2023. Screening increased dramatically during this period, from just 3% of pregnant patients screened in 2019 to nearly 80% in 2023. Postpartum screening also improved, rising from 14% to almost 69%. The increases in screening can largely be attributed to the passage of California Assembly Bill (AB) 2193, which mandated maternal mental health screening beginning in 2019. Still, by 2023, one in five pregnant patients and nearly one in three postpartum patients were not screened, showing that universal screening remains an unmet goal.
Together, these findings demonstrate that combining screening with provider training is essential to advancing equitable maternal mental health care. The BMMH 360 program improved provider readiness to screen, while screening expanded system-wide in the same time period due to a policy change in 2019 mandating screening. However, ongoing gaps in treatment access point to the need for investment in the mental health workforce, as well as nurse-led PMAD screening and support groups, alongside stronger referral networks. By linking education, policy, and practice, this project provides a model for ensuring that all women and birthing people are screened and supported during the perinatal period.
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American Nurses Foundation: Interest Form
As additional research grant opportunities open, notice will be posted to this webpage.
If you would like to receive updates, including notice of new grant opportunities, please complete this American Nurses Foundation interest form. You will be added to the ANF email distribution list to receive updates when new open grant opportunities are posted.
