2026 Emergency Nurses Association Foundation Forensic Nursing Research Grant
Application Eligibility and Submission Procedures
PURPOSE OF THE AWARD
The goals of the ENAF Forensic Nursing Research Grant are to 1) facilitate innovative, high-quality research that can advance forensic and emergency nursing; 2) foster development of novel methods that can advance the state of research in this area; and 3) support new partnerships between researchers in relevant disciplines.
One grant will be awarded for a maximum of $5,000. Funds are not to be used for capital equipment purchases, publication costs, travel, or institutional overhead.
Application Deadline: October 2, 2026
Maximum Amount Awarded: $5,000
Recipient Notification: Mid-December 2026
Final Report due: December 31, 2027
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Applications will be accepted from nurses who meet the following criteria:
- A nurse serving in a forensic or emergency department role
- A current Emergency Nurses Association member for at least one (1) year
- Submit a completed application with signed research agreement
- Be ready to or have already started the research project
- If submission is from a research group, at least one applicant should have previous research experience and knowledge of the research process
- Must NOT be a current member of the ENA Board of Directors, ENA Foundation Board of Trustees, ENA staff, or ENA Foundation staff, nor be an individual who has served in such a position in the immediate past three (3) years (the spouses and children* of all such individuals are ineligible to apply for a scholarship).
- Must NOT be a current member of the ENA Foundation Research Grant Selection Committee.
*For the purposes of eligibility, “children” are defined as natural, legally adopted, stepchildren or grandchildren.
RECOMMENDED TOPIC AREAS
Following the 2026 transition of the International Association of Forensic Nurses' membership, education and practice resources to ENA, the ENA Foundation established a new annual research grant to support the specialty's continued growth. Offering up to $5,000 in funding, this grant will advance research that strengthens forensic nursing practice and expands the evidence-based care provided by forensic and emergency nurses worldwide. The Foundation has identified the following research priorities:
- Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) practice
- Trauma-informed care
- Workplace violence prevention/intervention strategies
- Forensic evidence and nursing practice
- Nurse wellbeing (Burnout, healthy work environment, total worker health)
- Correctional/forensic nursing
- Forensic mental health care/behavioral health (adult and pediatric patients)
- Disaster training
- DEI – diversity, equity, inclusion/bias and discrimination
Preference will also be given to research topics relating to the above-listed research initiatives.
Application Procedure
Applications must be submitted through the online system at https://ena.smapply.io/ . An account must be created with SurveyMonkey Apply in order to submit an application. All accompanying materials must also be submitted via SurveyMonkey Apply as PDF documents.
Applications must include:
- Signed and dated application form
- Names and qualifications of co-investigators (if applicable)
- Biographical sketch
- Project narrative, study budget and budget justification
All questions must be answered. Incomplete applications cannot be submitted for review. It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit a completed application and all supporting materials by the posted deadline. Please submit only completed applications via the ENA Foundation SurveyMonkey Apply system by October 2, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. (central standard time). Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed.
Review Process
All completed applications will be submitted for review, by a designated review committee. Final approval of funding rests solely and exclusively with the ENA Foundation Board of Trustees, based on the recommendations of the review committee. Allocation of funds is based on the quality of the research proposal and researcher qualifications. Applicants will be notified of the board’s decision after the notification deadline. Re-submission of applications will be accepted upon receipt of a completed proposal including any revisions suggested by the review panel. Duplicate funding is not permissible. However, supplemental funding from other organizations is permissible, as long as funds are not used to pay for the same item twice. IRB approval must be on file with the ENA Foundation prior to the awarding of monies. If IRB does not exist at the institution, the ENA Foundation reserves the right to protect such interests. If an investigator leaves the institution, the ENA Foundation must be notified in writing. If the study is not completed, any unused funds must be returned to the ENA Foundation unless there is a clear plan to continue the study. This plan must be submitted in writing to ENA Foundation.
Reports and Publications
Mention of the funding source “ENA Foundation" is required in all publications and presentations. A copy of any publications based on this work must be submitted to the ENA Foundation. Please submit your report to ENA.Foundation@ena.org The investigator is required to give the right of first refusal to the Journal of Emergency Nursing for publication of the research. You can reach JEN at permissions@elsevier.com. Investigator is encouraged to submit for abstract poster presentations at the ENA Annual Meeting. Please forward a copy of any articles, presentations and published information regarding the study to the ENA Foundation at the ENA national office. All discoveries resulting from work supported in part by this award should be made available to the public and scientific community through approved scientific channels such as national meetings and peer reviewed publications. Publications will acknowledge the support of the ENA Foundation.
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
If a recipient changes affiliation, ceases research in the field for which the grant was made, or if the primary investigator changes, the remaining recipients must submit a report indicating a plan for continuation of the research. The ENA Foundation will then determine if funding will continue to be provided.
Progress and Final Reports: The Awardee is required to submit a 6-month narrative progress report and a final narrative report at the end of the performance period. Failure to provide the report may negatively impact your institution’s ability to apply for future awards. These reports will be submitted to the ENA Foundation. In the event that the Awardee’s project is not completed at the end of the designated performance period, and appropriate approvals to continue have been granted, the final report must still be submitted as an outline of work done and projections for work/expenditures remaining.
Proposal Narrative
- Specific aims/hypothesis/research questions
- Significance to nursing in forensic care areas
- Rationale supporting need for study
- Review of research literature
- Framework for the study methods (design, subjects, setting, instruments with validity and reliability, procedures, data analysis, time frame of project)
- Conclusions and Implications Appendices – including those applicable; if instruments are used, they must be included
- CV or NIH biosketch
- NIH Budget Form Instruments/questionnaires
- Institutional Review Board Approval (when available)
- Mentor, preceptor, consultant information
- Letters of support
Recommendations for Consultation: If you are not an experienced researcher, but you are interested in conducting nursing research in forensic care areas, it is strongly advised that you seek consultation from a nursing research expert in your local area. In addition, before completing an application, it is strongly suggested that all applicants review the ENA Research guide “Developing and Submitting a Research Grant Proposal" which provides guidelines on how to complete a qualified grant application.
Questions? Please direct any questions to the ENA Foundation at 847-460-4100 or ena.foundation@ena.org.
2026 ENA Foundation Forensic Nursing Research Grant
2026 Emergency Nurses Association Foundation Forensic Nursing Research Grant
Application Eligibility and Submission Procedures
PURPOSE OF THE AWARD
The goals of the ENAF Forensic Nursing Research Grant are to 1) facilitate innovative, high-quality research that can advance forensic and emergency nursing; 2) foster development of novel methods that can advance the state of research in this area; and 3) support new partnerships between researchers in relevant disciplines.
One grant will be awarded for a maximum of $5,000. Funds are not to be used for capital equipment purchases, publication costs, travel, or institutional overhead.
Application Deadline: October 2, 2026
Maximum Amount Awarded: $5,000
Recipient Notification: Mid-December 2026
Final Report due: December 31, 2027
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Applications will be accepted from nurses who meet the following criteria:
- A nurse serving in a forensic or emergency department role
- A current Emergency Nurses Association member for at least one (1) year
- Submit a completed application with signed research agreement
- Be ready to or have already started the research project
- If submission is from a research group, at least one applicant should have previous research experience and knowledge of the research process
- Must NOT be a current member of the ENA Board of Directors, ENA Foundation Board of Trustees, ENA staff, or ENA Foundation staff, nor be an individual who has served in such a position in the immediate past three (3) years (the spouses and children* of all such individuals are ineligible to apply for a scholarship).
- Must NOT be a current member of the ENA Foundation Research Grant Selection Committee.
*For the purposes of eligibility, “children” are defined as natural, legally adopted, stepchildren or grandchildren.
RECOMMENDED TOPIC AREAS
Following the 2026 transition of the International Association of Forensic Nurses' membership, education and practice resources to ENA, the ENA Foundation established a new annual research grant to support the specialty's continued growth. Offering up to $5,000 in funding, this grant will advance research that strengthens forensic nursing practice and expands the evidence-based care provided by forensic and emergency nurses worldwide. The Foundation has identified the following research priorities:
- Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) practice
- Trauma-informed care
- Workplace violence prevention/intervention strategies
- Forensic evidence and nursing practice
- Nurse wellbeing (Burnout, healthy work environment, total worker health)
- Correctional/forensic nursing
- Forensic mental health care/behavioral health (adult and pediatric patients)
- Disaster training
- DEI – diversity, equity, inclusion/bias and discrimination
Preference will also be given to research topics relating to the above-listed research initiatives.
Application Procedure
Applications must be submitted through the online system at https://ena.smapply.io/ . An account must be created with SurveyMonkey Apply in order to submit an application. All accompanying materials must also be submitted via SurveyMonkey Apply as PDF documents.
Applications must include:
- Signed and dated application form
- Names and qualifications of co-investigators (if applicable)
- Biographical sketch
- Project narrative, study budget and budget justification
All questions must be answered. Incomplete applications cannot be submitted for review. It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit a completed application and all supporting materials by the posted deadline. Please submit only completed applications via the ENA Foundation SurveyMonkey Apply system by October 2, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. (central standard time). Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed.
Review Process
All completed applications will be submitted for review, by a designated review committee. Final approval of funding rests solely and exclusively with the ENA Foundation Board of Trustees, based on the recommendations of the review committee. Allocation of funds is based on the quality of the research proposal and researcher qualifications. Applicants will be notified of the board’s decision after the notification deadline. Re-submission of applications will be accepted upon receipt of a completed proposal including any revisions suggested by the review panel. Duplicate funding is not permissible. However, supplemental funding from other organizations is permissible, as long as funds are not used to pay for the same item twice. IRB approval must be on file with the ENA Foundation prior to the awarding of monies. If IRB does not exist at the institution, the ENA Foundation reserves the right to protect such interests. If an investigator leaves the institution, the ENA Foundation must be notified in writing. If the study is not completed, any unused funds must be returned to the ENA Foundation unless there is a clear plan to continue the study. This plan must be submitted in writing to ENA Foundation.
Reports and Publications
Mention of the funding source “ENA Foundation" is required in all publications and presentations. A copy of any publications based on this work must be submitted to the ENA Foundation. Please submit your report to ENA.Foundation@ena.org The investigator is required to give the right of first refusal to the Journal of Emergency Nursing for publication of the research. You can reach JEN at permissions@elsevier.com. Investigator is encouraged to submit for abstract poster presentations at the ENA Annual Meeting. Please forward a copy of any articles, presentations and published information regarding the study to the ENA Foundation at the ENA national office. All discoveries resulting from work supported in part by this award should be made available to the public and scientific community through approved scientific channels such as national meetings and peer reviewed publications. Publications will acknowledge the support of the ENA Foundation.
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
If a recipient changes affiliation, ceases research in the field for which the grant was made, or if the primary investigator changes, the remaining recipients must submit a report indicating a plan for continuation of the research. The ENA Foundation will then determine if funding will continue to be provided.
Progress and Final Reports: The Awardee is required to submit a 6-month narrative progress report and a final narrative report at the end of the performance period. Failure to provide the report may negatively impact your institution’s ability to apply for future awards. These reports will be submitted to the ENA Foundation. In the event that the Awardee’s project is not completed at the end of the designated performance period, and appropriate approvals to continue have been granted, the final report must still be submitted as an outline of work done and projections for work/expenditures remaining.
Proposal Narrative
- Specific aims/hypothesis/research questions
- Significance to nursing in forensic care areas
- Rationale supporting need for study
- Review of research literature
- Framework for the study methods (design, subjects, setting, instruments with validity and reliability, procedures, data analysis, time frame of project)
- Conclusions and Implications Appendices – including those applicable; if instruments are used, they must be included
- CV or NIH biosketch
- NIH Budget Form Instruments/questionnaires
- Institutional Review Board Approval (when available)
- Mentor, preceptor, consultant information
- Letters of support
Recommendations for Consultation: If you are not an experienced researcher, but you are interested in conducting nursing research in forensic care areas, it is strongly advised that you seek consultation from a nursing research expert in your local area. In addition, before completing an application, it is strongly suggested that all applicants review the ENA Research guide “Developing and Submitting a Research Grant Proposal" which provides guidelines on how to complete a qualified grant application.
Questions? Please direct any questions to the ENA Foundation at 847-460-4100 or ena.foundation@ena.org.