D'Youville University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Strengthen Nursing Education and Transition to Practice

D'Youville University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Strengthen Nursing Education and Transition to Practice

BUFFALO, NEW YORK – D'Youville University has been awarded a $3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to strengthen nursing education and help prepare the next generation of nurses to successfully transition from the classroom into professional practice. 

The award, made through HRSA’s Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention – Transition to Practice Program, will support D’Youville’s efforts to expand experiential learning opportunities for nursing students, including investments in simulation-based technology, equipment, personnel and student support.

“D’Youville’s nurse practitioner programs have more than doubled in size over the past four years, fueled by our investment in high-fidelity technology, nurse educators and expanded simulation training,” said D’Youville President Lorrie Clemo. “This grant will build on that momentum by connecting classroom learning even more closely with clinical practice and helping our students graduate with the skills, confidence and readiness to care for patients from day one.”

"This $3 million investment means more Western New York nursing students will get the hands-on, simulation-based training they need before they ever set foot in a hospital," said Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26), D'Youville Class of 1999. "This is personal for me: my mother spent her career as a nurse and taught at D'Youville, and I studied there myself to become an occupational therapist. I've seen firsthand, in my own family and in clinical settings, what it takes to prepare skilled, confident health care professionals. Investments like this one are exactly how we build the strong, growing nursing workforce Western New York needs."

For D’Youville’s School of Nursing, the investment provides an opportunity to further strengthen the preparation students receive before entering increasingly complex healthcare environments.

“Nursing education has to prepare students not simply to pass an examination, but to step confidently into clinical environments where they will be making important decisions and caring for patients with increasingly complex needs,” said Dr. Shannon McCrory-Churchill, Dean of D’Youville’s School of Nursing. “This funding will allow us to provide students with additional opportunities to learn through simulation and community engagement experiences, strengthening the bridge between what they learn in the classroom and what they will encounter as part of the nursing workforce.

The initial award includes more than $206,000 for equipment, $164,000 for supplies and $150,000 for trainee tuition and fees during the first budget year, in addition to funding for personnel and other project expenses. The grant begins September 1, 2026 and extends through August 31, 2030. 

The award comes as D’Youville rapidly expands its role in educating Western New York’s healthcare workforce. Through its nursing, medicine, and health professions programs, the University is focused on preparing graduates to meet workforce needs while improving access to high-quality care. 

D’Youville’s Patricia H. Garman School of Nursing has been preparing nurses to serve Western New York and beyond since 1942 and today remains one of D’Youville’s largest and most prominent academic programs. Enrollment in D’Youville’s nurse practitioner programs has more than doubled in just four years, growing from 305 students in fall 2022 to 788 students in fall 2026. That growth has continued, with enrollment increasing another 10.2 percent from fall 2025 to fall 2026. D’Youville nursing students benefit from extensive clinical experiences with healthcare organizations throughout Western New York, interprofessional education alongside students in more than 20 complementary health professions, and simulation-based learning designed to prepare graduates for increasingly complex healthcare environments.

For more information on D'Youville University, visit dyu.edu.

About D’Youville University  

D’Youville University is a nationally ranked private university founded in 1908 and headquartered in Buffalo, New York, which offers degrees in the health sciences, business and marketing. D’Youville University promotes a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Through transformational educational experiences, students are prepared for growth, career success, and upward mobility. For more information, visit dyu.edu.