AACN’s Foundation for Academic Nursing Announces 2025 Faculty Scholar Grant Recipients

Washington, D.C., November 3, 2025 - The Foundation for Academic Nursing, the philanthropic arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 recipients of the AACN Faculty Scholars Grant. The nurse educators to receive funding this year include Dr. Yvette Conyers from the University of Maryland for a project titled Nursing Policy Academy: Experiential Learning to Advance Nursing Policy and Leadership, and Dr. Samantha Juan from California State University-San Bernardino and Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Nabeel Alzahrani from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering for their interdisciplinary project titled Transforming Nursing Education with AI: Predicting Student Competency and Academic Success.

Launched in 2020, the AACN Board of Directors established the Faculty Scholars Grant Program to support nurse educators whose scholarly work addresses pressing issues in nursing education and practice while advancing AACN’s strategic priorities. Initial funding for this program was provided by more than 150 member schools and colleague organizations that contributed to AACN’s 50th Anniversary Celebration program.

“AACN remains committed to supporting faculty-led innovation that strengthens nursing education and prepares future nurses to lead change,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, AACN’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s Faculty Scholars are exploring timely and transformative topics, including preparing nurses to advance health policy and leveraging AI to enhance clinical competency and forecast student success. Their work exemplifies academic nursing’s role in shaping both the future of education and the broader healthcare landscape.”

Meet the 2025-2026 AACN Faculty Scholars

With a call for proposals reflecting two theme areas: Integrating Health Policy into the Nursing Curriculum and Using Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Education (sponsored by Wolters Kluwer), AACN received a record 147 applications from faculty nationwide, with two scholarly efforts each receiving $25,000 in support. Faculty leading this work include:

Yvette Conyers, DNP, FNP-C, CTN-B, CFCN, CWCN-AP, CNE, FADLN, is Associate Dean for Strategic Engagement and Impact and Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. With over 20 years of experience in clinical practice, nursing education, and advocacy, she is a nationally recognized leader in health equity and culturally responsive care. She serves as Chair of the Health Policy Committee for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, is a Fellow of the Academy of Diverse Leaders in Nursing, and a 2025 participant in the Healing Politics Campaign School for Nurses and Midwives. Dr. Conyers integrates restorative practices and equity into her leadership, contributing to key legislative efforts such as Maryland House Bill 0783. Her work advances nursing’s role in policy, leadership, and system transformation to ensure justice and improved outcomes across diverse communities.

Samantha Juan, EdD, is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at California State University-San Bernardino. She earned her doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2023. Her dissertation focused on the use of virtual simulation to promote empathy in nursing students. In 2024, she received an Early Career Mentored Research Award from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare to expand her research by measuring behavioral outcomes in simulation labs. That same year, she collaborated with faculty from CSU East Bay to develop a VR simulation for promoting patient safety. In 2025, Dr. Juan partnered with Dr. Xiangyu Li from the School of Computer Science to explore Al-driven VR simulations for predicting patient outcomes through clinical decision-making. Her interdisciplinary work continues to advance the use of simulation and technology in nursing education and patient care.

Visit the website for information on the award-winning projects launched by previous grant recipients. A call for applications for the next round of funding through the AACN Faculty Scholars Grant Program will be issued in May 2026.

Contributing to the Foundation for Academic Nursing

The Foundation for Academic Nursing is currently seeking support from philanthropies, corporate donors, and individuals looking to advance AACN’s goals and priorities. Your support will help to expand our impact and usher in new innovations in nursing education and practice. Those wishing to contribute to the AACN Faculty Scholars Grant Program and other initiatives are encouraged to donate online via the AACN website. Click here to see a list of current donors. For more information, please contact AACN’s Foundation Director, Dr. Katie Fioravanti, at kfioravanti@aacnnursing.org.

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The Foundation for Academic Nursing is the philanthropic arm of AACN that raises funds to support new innovations in nursing education and practice. The Foundation serves as a focal point for AACN’s fundraising efforts while elevating the importance of academic nursing and our member schools in the philanthropic community.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is the national voice for academic nursing representing more than 875 schools of nursing nationwide. AACN establishes quality standards for nursing education, influences the nursing profession to improve health care, and promotes public support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research and practice.