Song-Brown Registered Nurse
Song-Brown Registered Nurse supports California nursing education programs, funding existing slots, expanded capacity, and new programs to prepare nurses for service in underserved communities.
Funder: California Department of Health Care Access and Information
Due Dates: October 8, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. (Early Submission Review) | October 22, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. (Application close)
Funding Amounts: Up to $300,000 each for existing or expansion slots; up to $1,000,000 for new programs (two-year funding)
Summary: Supports California pre-licensure RN education programs preparing nurses to work in underserved communities.
Key Information: Only Program Directors may initiate and submit applications; each campus must apply separately.
Description
HCAI’s Song-Brown Registered Nurse program funds organizations educating and training registered nurses for service in underserved California communities. The 2026–27 opportunity supports existing slots, permanent expansion slots, and new pre-licensure programs offering Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), or Entry-Level Master’s (ELM) pathways. Funding supports nursing education and training rather than individual research projects.
Song-Brown’s statutory priorities are graduating nurses who practice in medically underserved areas, enrolling members of underrepresented groups, locating main training sites in underserved areas, and operating main training sites where most patients are Medi-Cal recipients. Funded programs must recruit trainees committed to areas of unmet need, provide counseling and placement support, and offer preceptorship experience in underserved areas.
