AACN drives excellence in acute and critical care for nurses, patients and families.
A $50,000 grant to Vanderbilt University for an ecological study of return to work after critical illness captures how American Association of Critical-care Nurses funds research at the bedside and beyond it. The foundation backs studies that connect critical care nursing to patient recovery, safety, and nursing practice, while also supporting scholarships and professional development for nurses and nursing students. Recent awards also include $49,999 to San Diego State University Foundation for clinical metabolic monitoring to confirm sepsis and $47,750 to the University of Washington for timing a cognitive training intervention for older ICU survivors. Those projects show a portfolio that reaches from acute clinical detection to longer-term recovery after intensive care. The foundation’s giving also extends to learning and workforce development. It has funded scholarships through the Foundation of the National Student Nurse Association and supports AACN members through continuing professional development scholarships. Alongside research grants, that mix points to a funder that invests in both the evidence base for critical care and the people who deliver it. The organization’s latest 990 year is 2024, and its annual grants total $328,637 against assets of $129,750,072.
AACN supports several closely linked cause areas in critical care nursing. In sepsis research, it awarded $49,999 to San Diego State University Foundation for clinical metabolic monitoring to confirm sepsis. In pressure injury prevention, it gave $49,171 to Boise State University for modernized risk assessment in the ICU, and $24,976 to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for predictors of medical device-related pressure injuries in critically ill adults. The foundation also funds recovery-focused work. Vanderbilt University received $50,000 for a mixed-methods study on return to work after critical illness, while the University of Washington received $47,750 to identify the best daily timing for cognitive training among older ICU survivors. Beyond research, AACN supports education through scholarships, including funding for nursing student scholarships administered through the Foundation of the National Student Nurse Association.
Typical grant size sits at a p25 of $18,994, a median of $34,878, and a p75 of $48,816, so most awards cluster in the middle of the five-figure range. The recent grants list shows repeat funding to scholarship intermediaries in consecutive years, with the Foundation of the National Student Nurse Association appearing in both 2024 and 2023. AACN’s active programs include scholarships and research grants, and several are open to unsolicited applications. The organization funds programmatic grants rather than individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
$329K
$129.8M
$35.7M
$42.2M
Most grants fall between $19K and $49K, with a median of $35K.
25th Percentile
$19K
Median
$35K
75th Percentile
$49K
About 20% of grants go to recipients in WA.
Dana Woods
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AACN gives nationally, and every recent grant listed went to a U.S. recipient. Washington is the top state by grant count, with the University of Washington in Seattle appearing more than once. California also appears through San Diego State University Foundation in San Diego and The Center for Health Design Inc in Concord. Other recipient cities include Nashville, Boise, Brooklyn, Omaha, and Kansas City. Grants to recipients in California account for 20% of awards in the dataset.
It funds critical care nursing research, education, and professional development. Recent awards include research on sepsis monitoring, pressure injury prevention, ICU survivor recovery, and nursing scholarships for students and AACN members.
The grant-size distribution centers in the middle five figures: p25 is $18,994, median is $34,878, and p75 is $48,816. The recent awards range from scholarship grants under $10,000 to research grants of $50,000.
Yes. The listed AACN scholarship and research programs, including the AACN–Sigma Theta Tau Critical Care Grant, AACN Impact Research Grant, and AACN–AARP Nursing Innovations Grants, are marked as accepting unsolicited applications.
The foundation supports universities, foundations, and nursing organizations for research and scholarship administration, and it also offers AACN-member scholarships. Recent awards include grants to Vanderbilt University, the University of Washington, and the Foundation of the National Student Nurse Association.
Its grantmaking is national within the United States. The recent-grants list shows recipients in Seattle, San Diego, Boise, Nashville, Brooklyn, Omaha, Concord, and Kansas City, with Washington the top state by grant count and California receiving 20% of awards in the dataset.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | $50,000 | 2024 | An ecological perspective on return to work after critical illness: A mixed-methods study |
| San Diego State University Foundation | San Diego, CA | $49,999 | 2024 | Clinical Metabolic Monitoring to Confirm Sepsis |
| The Center for Health Design Inc | Concord, CA | $42,257 | 2024 | Layout, Visibility, and Teamwork in Critical Care Nurses |
| Foundation of the National Student Nurse Association | Brooklyn, NY | $27,500 | 2024 | Funding for ten nursing student scholarships administered through Foundation of the NSNA |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | Sleep and Cognition After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation |
| Boise State University | Boise, ID | $49,171 | 2023 | Pressure Injury Prevention in the ICU with Modernized Risk Assessment |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | $47,750 | 2023 | Identifying the Optimal Daily Timing of a Cognitive Training Intervention for Older Intensive Care Unit Survivors |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | Omaha, NE | $24,976 | 2023 | Predictors of Medical Device-Related Pressure Injuries in Critically Ill Adults |
| Foundation of the National Student Nursing Association | Brooklyn, NY | $17,000 | 2023 | Funding 10 nursing scholarships administered through Foundation of the NSNA. |
| The Curators of the University of Missouri University of Missouri - Kansas City | Kansas City, MO | $9,984 | 2023 | "The mMEDITATION Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effect of an mHealth Meditation Intervention Compared to Cardiovascular Education on Adults and Older Adults with Anxiety and Stress After Myocardial Infarction" |
Vanderbilt University
$50,000An ecological perspective on return to work after critical illness: A mixed-methods study
San Diego State University Foundation
$49,999Clinical Metabolic Monitoring to Confirm Sepsis
The Center for Health Design Inc
$42,257Layout, Visibility, and Teamwork in Critical Care Nurses
Foundation of the National Student Nurse Association
$27,500Funding for ten nursing student scholarships administered through Foundation of the NSNA
University of Washington
$10,000Sleep and Cognition After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation
Boise State University
$49,171Pressure Injury Prevention in the ICU with Modernized Risk Assessment
University of Washington
$47,750Identifying the Optimal Daily Timing of a Cognitive Training Intervention for Older Intensive Care Unit Survivors
University of Nebraska Medical Center
$24,976Predictors of Medical Device-Related Pressure Injuries in Critically Ill Adults
Foundation of the National Student Nursing Association
$17,000Funding 10 nursing scholarships administered through Foundation of the NSNA.
The Curators of the University of Missouri University of Missouri - Kansas City
$9,984"The mMEDITATION Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effect of an mHealth Meditation Intervention Compared to Cardiovascular Education on Adults and Older Adults with Anxiety and Stress After Myocardial Infarction"