Hillman Emergent Innovation Program

The Hillman Emergent Innovation (HEI) program, administered by The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, is designed to stimulate the creation and growth of bold, early-stage, nursing-driven interventions aimed at transforming care for marginalized populations in the United States. This funding initiative reflects the Foundation’s commitment to improving the lives of patients, families, and communities through innovative, equity-centered approaches rooted in nursing. With a long-standing focus on elevating care for those experiencing inequity and discrimination, the Foundation invests in programs that challenge the status quo, build inclusive partnerships, and promise a more just and effective healthcare system. The 2026 HEI program seeks proposals for untested or minimally evidenced interventions that challenge conventional healthcare delivery and offer potential for best-in-class innovation. The Foundation is particularly interested in scalable projects that narrow health equity gaps and deliver measurable results. Additional consideration will be given to those proposals that build trust in systems of care, involve patients and communities, support multidisciplinary collaboration, and deliver care outside of hospital settings. Applicants are encouraged to articulate how their project aligns with the holistic and community-based strengths of nursing. This opportunity will award up to ten grants of $50,000 each for projects with a duration of 12 to 18 months. The grant period will begin on January 1, 2027, with full payment made by December 31, 2026. Funds may be used to support personnel, travel, consultants, supplies, equipment, research costs, sub-awards, and limited indirect costs up to 15% of direct expenses. Prohibited uses include support for white papers, capital projects, training programs, or stand-alone technology development not embedded in the overall program design. The Foundation explicitly excludes support for projects outside of the U.S. and its territories. The submission process begins with a required Letter of Intent (LOI) of up to 1,000 words, which should identify the health issue being addressed, the target population, the intervention, its alignment with nursing values, and potential impact. LOIs must also include a brief project budget overview. Additional supporting materials, such as short biographies of project team members and letters of support, may be submitted. If selected as a finalist, applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal; detailed guidelines for this stage will only be shared with those finalists. The application portal opens on January 6, 2026. An optional informational webinar will be held on January 21, 2026, and LOIs are due by February 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Finalists will be notified on May 11, 2026, and full proposals will be due by June 18, 2026. Award decisions will be announced on October 6, 2026. The Foundation reserves the right to adjust dates and will communicate any changes through email and its website. Applicants are advised to begin the process early due to high submission volume and limited staff availability. For questions regarding the grant opportunity or technical issues with the submission portal, applicants may contact the Foundation at [email protected]. A Frequently Asked Questions document is also available, and a recording of the informational webinar will be posted online. The Hillman Foundation emphasizes transparency, inclusion, and measurable outcomes and requires grantees to submit one written report during the grant term and participate in a brief evaluation survey up to two years after project completion.

Focus on nursing-driven design, measurable equity impact, community engagement, and non-hospital care delivery. Avoid basic research or unintegrated tech.