BALTIMORE — The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Secretary, Dr. James D. Fielder, announced that nearly $6.2 million was awarded for 17 Competitive Institutional Grant proposals at nine Maryland nursing programs by MHEC’s Nurse Support Program II (NSP II).

The FY 2020 Competitive Institutional Grant awards include one-year planning grants, three- year full implementation grants, continuation grants, and nursing resource grants. All recommended proposals were approved for funding by the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) at their May 8 meeting.

“Education continues to be my number one priority, whether it’s in the classroom or in the operating room,” Governor Larry Hogan said. “It is our responsibility to offer this type of ongoing education, critical to the ever-changing demands in the medical field.”

This joint effort between HSCRC, MHEC, and the higher education institutions in Maryland has been successful in meeting the needs of nursing professionals at hospitals as well as at nursing schools for more than 30 years, providing well-educated and qualified nurses to serve Maryland residents.

The nine-member review panel recommended funding for 17 of the 26 total proposals, at nine institutions of higher education with nursing programs in Maryland. Salisbury University was among the nine institutions awarded funds.

The most highly recommended institutional proposals awarded included:
Planning an advanced Faculty Academy and Mentoring Initiative at Salisbury University on the Eastern Shore.

The NSP II focuses on nurse faculty and increasing the educational capacity to prepare a strong nursing workforce for Maryland’s hospitals and health systems. Over the years, the Nurse Support Program, both NSP I and NSP II (originally Nurse Education Support Program) has been expanded to encourage new and innovative approaches to address the challenges and demands facing the nursing workforce.

The Nurse Support Program is funded by HSCRC and administered by MHEC. For more information, go to http://mhec.maryland.gov/institutions_training/Pages/grants/nspii.aspx.