EmpathEQ Trainer - Course Integration Grant
- Funding opportunity number
- EEQ-26-001
- Grantor
- EmpathEQ, Inc.
- Status
- OpenApplications open July 31, 2026
- Closing
- September 15, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET — applications reviewed on a rolling basis; awards made first-come, first-served while spots remain.
- Expected awards
- 5
- Award value
- $3,000–$5,000 per award (in-kind), depending on course enrollment
- Cost sharing / matching
- Not required
- Funding instrument type
- In-kind grant (product license + professional services)
- Posted
- July 31, 2026
- Period of performance
- Fall 2026 semester
Description
The EmpathEQ Trainer Course Integration Grant supports nursing faculty who want to bring measurable soft-skill practice into an existing course — without budget, procurement, or curriculum redesign standing in the way.
Communication, empathy, and clinical presence are among the strongest predictors of patient outcomes and workforce readiness, yet they remain the least practiced and least measured competencies in pre-licensure education. This grant removes the two barriers faculty cite most: cost and integration effort.
Each awardee receives a one-semester license to one EmpathEQ Trainer scenario from our existing library for every student in a single course, plus a structured curriculum mapping engagement in which EmpathEQ works directly with the course team to integrate the scenario into the course’s existing objectives, schedule, and assessment structure. Because a Trainer scenario deploys at any point in the semester, awardees choose their own deployment window. We absorb the work; the faculty teaches the course.
Award
| Expected number of awards | 5 (this cycle) |
|---|---|
| License component | One EmpathEQ Trainer scenario license for all students in a single course, for the Fall 2026 semester. |
| Services component | Curriculum mapping engagement with the course team — valued at $2,500. |
| Period of performance | Fall 2026 semester. |
Eligibility
Eligible applicants. Accredited pre-licensure nursing programs (ADN, BSN, or MSN) at U.S. institutions. The application must be submitted or sponsored by the faculty member responsible for the target course.
Additional information. One award per institution per cycle. Institutions with existing EmpathEQ pilots are eligible for courses not already using EmpathEQ Trainer.
Awardee obligations
- Designate a course lead and simulation faculty/staff who participate in two curriculum-mapping working sessions before deployment begins.
- Deploy the scenario as an assigned course activity (not optional extra credit).
- Share the course outline and learning objectives.
- Share alignment to AACN Essentials domains, competencies, and sub-competencies.
- Share alignment to NCLEX.
- Complete a brief post-deployment faculty feedback survey within one week after the due date of the relevant assignment.
- Permit EmpathEQ to use anonymized, aggregate performance data for product improvement and research.
- Optional: participate in a published case study.
Review criteria
Applications are evaluated on the following weighted criteria:
Key dates
| Applications open | July 31, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Applications close | September 15, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET |
| Award decisions | Rolling — within 10 business days of submission, while spots remain. |
| Implementation | Fall 2026 semester |
How to apply
Submit the application form on this page. The form takes about 15 minutes and asks for:
- Institution, program(s) in which the target course is taught, and program accreditation(s) (e.g., ACEN, CCNE, NLN CNEA).
- Target course name/number and enrolled cohort size.
- Key dates: semester start date, target deployment date, and planned due date of the associated assignment.
- Alignment to AACN Essentials domains, competencies, and sub-competencies.
- Alignment to NCLEX.
- A short statement (250 words max) on where soft-skill practice fits your course objectives.
If you have questions about scenario selection or fit, contact us before submitting — we will recommend a scenario during the curriculum-mapping session if you are unsure.
Contact
Apply to EEQ-26-001
Rolling review, awards first-come-first-served while spots remain. Applications close September 15, 2026.
This funding opportunity is issued by EmpathEQ, Inc. Terms of the grant, including in-kind valuations, deliverables, and data-use permissions, are memorialized in a separate award agreement executed after award decision. EmpathEQ reserves the right to modify or withdraw this opportunity at any time before award. Award is not contingent on any purchase or commitment beyond the obligations stated above.
Questions: contact us