Nurse Support II Program

Nurse Support Program II (NSP II)

The Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) is soliciting applications for the sixth phase of the Nurse Support Program (NSP). The goal of NSP II is to increase the number of bedside nurses in Maryland hospitals. NSP II focuses on expanding the capacity to educate nurses and, therefore, concentrates on the nursing educational system, including schools offering nursing programs and hospitals.

HSCRC has contracted with the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) to administer the Nurse Support Program II. Funding for NSP II is being provided through a 0.1% increase to the rate structure of all hospitals retroactive from July 1, 2005. Approximately $8.8 million will be available annually for NSP II.

Under the Nurse Support Program II, funding will support two types of initiatives:
1. Competitive Institutional Grants
2. Statewide Initiatives

1. Competitive Institutional Grants: The size of each Competitive Institutional Grant award will depend upon the grant program’s ability to impact the nursing shortage in a timely manner, the depth and breadth of the initiative, and the feasibility of the budget. There is no maximum grant award amount. Grants will be funded for a period of three to five years. Funding is available for the following five types of competitive grants:

Initiatives to Expand Maryland’s Nursing Capacity through Shared Resources
Initiatives to Increase Maryland’s Nursing Faculty
Initiatives to Increase Nursing Student Retention
Initiatives to Increase the Pipeline for Nursing Faculty
Initiatives to Increase Capacity Statewide

2. Statewide Initiatives: The Statewide Initiatives will not require the submission of grant proposals and will be administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) on behalf of the HSCRC using application processes. This will maximize access and participation by all eligible applicants throughout the State and minimize the administrative burden placed on individual institutions with nursing programs in Maryland. This process also will provide uniformity in the amount and type of financial support provided to nursing students and faculty throughout the State. Funding is available for:

Graduate Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Living Expenses Grants for students to complete the graduate education necessary to become nursing faculty at Maryland institutions of higher education
Fellowships for new nursing faculty hired by Maryland institutions to expand enrollments in their nursing programs.

For more information about these initiatives, see:

RFA for Competitive Institutional Grants Phase 7 (DOC) Applications due April 9, 2012.
RFA for Competitive Institutional Grants Phase 7 (PDF)

2011 Reporting Forms for Competitive Institutional Grants Phase 6