Skip to Main Content

APNA Research Grants

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association Research Grants program provides funding to enhance scientific contributions that advance the knowledge and practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing. APNA is accepting proposals in two categories:

  • Research studies to generate new knowledge to advance psychiatric mental health nursing
  • Evidence-based practice (EBP) change or quality improvement (QI) projects to apply evidence to practice

These awards are to assist psychiatric nurse investigators in their scholarly careers and vary from $1,000-$10,000 per award. Awards are intended for investigators who are early in their careers and who have not previously had major intra- or extramural funding.

Application Deadline: May 7

Meet the Need

Priority for funding is based upon scientific merit, potential for knowledge development, and relevance to the advancement of the knowledge and practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Preference is given to proposals that fit one of the following areas. Include in your application which priority area your proposal addresses:

  • Strategies and models for shared decision-making/partnering to accomplish positive mental health treatment outcomes
  • Strategies to address disparities and promote and/or increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within mental health care, including access to care, the psychiatric-mental health nursing workforce, etc.
  • Integrated mental health care that considers developmental and holistic (biological, social, emotional, psychological, and spiritual) dimensions across the lifespan
  • Innovative adaptations to psychiatric nursing practice and/or psychiatric nursing interventions in response to the pandemic and the impact on mental health, recovery, and healing

Applicant Eligibility

  • Applicants must be current members of APNA.
  • Applicants must be within the early stages of their scholarly careers and/or individuals who have not previously had major intra- or extramural funding.
  • Each grant applicant must be licensed as a registered nurse who focuses on psychiatric-mental health.
  • APNA will accept applications for master’s thesis or doctoral dissertations with approval by the grant applicant’s thesis, dissertation, or DNP project committee.
  • Grant recipients are eligible to apply again to the APNA grant program after 5 years.

Application & Review Process

Application

Applicants are required to submit a complete application form via the online submission site. (Here is a quick walkthrough.) You will need to log in with your APNA account in order to begin your submission.

Only complete applications will be considered; incomplete materials will not be reviewed. Each submission includes:

  • Application Form
  • Proposal (Refer to this checklist for detailed proposal guidelines.)
  • Institutional review board (IRB) approval documentation for research and EBP/QI projects
  • Budget justification
  • Letter of approval from thesis/dissertation/DNP chair via online form (if appropriate)
  • If possible, include letter of approval from facility and/or employer if serving as the data collection site
  • Curriculum vitae or biosketch with research activities. Funding history should include the year, funding agency, amount, and purpose.

Review

Applications will undergo an anonymized review by a Research Review Committee Panel.  Please organize your proposal according to the review criteria:

Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of the preliminary reviews offered through the APNA Research & Scholarship Council in order to help ensure that their proposals meet the review criteria (see next section).

Applications are treated as privileged communication and are restricted to Research Grant Review Committee members, APNA Board of Directors, and staff.

Funding

1. Grant Recipients will be notified in late July with funding to commence in August.

  • For grants $5,000 and above, funds will be dispensed under the following agreement:
    • 25% of the award will be sent in the initial payment (August 2024). An additional 50% will be dispensed at 6 months (January 2025) after receipt of a progress report including expenditures to date. The final 25% of the award will be sent after submission of the final report with full budget reconciliation (August 2025).
  • For grants below $5,000, funds will be dispensed under the following agreement:
    • 50% of the award will be sent in the initial payment (August 2024). The remaining 50% of the award will be sent after submission of the final report with full budget reconciliation (August 2025).
  • A change in the disbursement schedule can be requested in writing; changes must be justified and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Release of funds will be contingent upon required itemized budget reconciliation. If expenditure reports are not received in a timely fashion, funding is not guaranteed.

2. Priority for funding is based upon scientific merit, potential for knowledge development, and relevance to the advancement of the knowledge and practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Preference is given to proposals that fit one of the following areas. Include in your application which priority area your proposal addresses:

  • Strategies and models for shared decision-making/partnering to accomplish positive mental health treatment outcomes
  • Strategies to address disparities and promote and/or increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within mental health care, including access to care, the psychiatric-mental health nursing workforce, etc.
  • Integrated mental health care that considers developmental and holistic (biological, social, emotional, psychological, and spiritual) dimensions across the lifespan
  • Innovative adaptations to psychiatric nursing practice and/or psychiatric nursing interventions in response to the pandemic and the impact on mental health, recovery, and healing

3. All proposals must be reviewed by an Institutional Review Board. An application may be submitted prior to IRB review but release of funds will be contingent upon APNA receiving a written copy of IRB approval. The time period allotted to attain IRB approval is within 60 days from announcement of grant recipients.

4. Budget: Only expenses essential to the conduct of the proposed project (direct costs only) will be considered for funding. Support for salary, travel, or conference registration is not allowed. Indirect costs are not allowed. Research assistant/data entry/statistician costs will be considered as a portion of funding.

2023 APNA Research Grant Recipient

The Lived Experience of Latino Farmworkers Who Use Alcohol  

Angel Johann Solorzano Martinez, PhD (c), DNP, MSN, MBA, RN, CNS, PMNHP-BC
PhD Candidate, Florida Atlantic University
microsoftteams-image-1-2

Solorzano Martinez has more than 17 years of nursing experience working in various psychiatric settings. He holds advanced practice nurse certifications as a Clinical Nurse Specialist and as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
Dr. Solorzano Martinez has published articles in peer-reviewed journals about workplace violence, mental health issues, and HIV among minorities. He has presented his research at national and international conferences. He has also served as a manuscript reviewer at the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and the Frontiers in Psychology Journal. He embeds his research and clinical experience while teaching in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at various universities. He is currently a PhD candidate at Florida Atlantic University. His research interests include health disparities in underserved communities, prevention and management of substance use disorders in minority populations, and prevention and management of workplace violence.

2023 APNA Research Grant Recipient

The Impact of Maryland Nurse Practitioner Full Practice Authority on Psychotropic Medication Initiation and Adherence among Medicaid Beneficiaries with Serious Mental Illness  

Bo Kyum Yang, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor, Towson University College of Health Professions
microsoftteams-image-2-2

Bo Kyum Yang, PhD, RN is a psychiatric-mental health nurse and nursing scientist specializing in epidemiologic research related to nursing workforce issues and its impact on mental health service utilization and outcomes in U.S. mental health care systems. Currently serving as an assistant professor at Towson University College of Health Professions, Dr. Yang actively contributes to the education of aspiring health care professionals, particularly nurses. Dr. Yang’s research career began during her PhD study at University of Maryland School of Nursing where she conducted the dissertation study comparing psychotropic medication prescribing patterns and trends among Medicaid-insured youths treated by nurse practitioners and psychiatrists. Her current research interests are centered around mental health service delivery, psychotropic medication use, and the outcomes of psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner practice. Through her work, Dr. Yang aims to improve the quality of mental health services provided to individuals with mental health conditions and promote equitable access to effective treatments.

Your dynamic community of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses.

Connect with fellow psychiatric-mental health nurses, be the first to know about evidence-based resources and programs, and participate in exclusive opportunities to advance the care and treatment of those with mental health & substance use needs.

JOIN TODAY MEMBER COMMUNITY

Footer Cta