Doctoral Scholarships

Selection Criteria:

• The applicant must be currently enrolled in, accepted to, or have applied to a PhD or DNP nursing degree program at an accredited institution in the 2026-2027 academic year (starting fall 2026).
• The candidate must be in good academic standing.
• The candidate must be a registered nurse.
• The candidate must have a commitment to oncology
• The candidate must provide a letter of reference from the current work supervisor or academic advisor on organizational letterhead, signed by the individual providing the recommendation.
• Agree to participate in a post-graduation survey.

Requirements:

A $5.00 non-refundable application processing fee is required prior to application submission. Once you make your payment, you will receive an email from ONS Customer Service. Please type the Order number in the Application Fee Payment Code box on your application.

Approved Expenses:

Scholarship can only be used for tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance at the educational institution, or for fees, books, supplies, lab fees, and equipment required for approved courses at the educational institution for the 2025-2026 academic year. Funds are not permitted for travel-related expenses or dissertation costs. Any funds not used for approved expenses must be returned to the Oncology Nursing Foundation.

Scoring:

Reviewers will score applications on several factors, including the applicant’s ability to:

• Clearly answers the essay question and addresses the Foundation’s mission pillars and diversity, equity, and inclusion statements (found in the application).
• Submit an application that is strong in terms of grammar, punctuation, syntax, and conciseness.
• Reflect on your role in oncology and how you’ve grown professionally, but also how you’ve contributed to the cancer care community through membership or volunteer positions.
• Include specific, measurable, actionable, and realistic goals related to the advancement of oncology nursing.

Points to Consider:

• Do not wait until the last day to start an application, as a quality and competitive application will take time to complete.
• We suggest that you use your time wisely by getting a head start and collecting any additional required items, such as the name and email address of someone writing your letter of recommendation, before you begin.
• Your essay responses should be of good quality, in terms of grammar, punctuation, syntax, conciseness, and ability to answer the question. Ensure you submit a detailed response and use the word count to your advantage. 
• To strengthen your application, use free online tools such as Grammarly and have someone read over your application to ensure accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Application Guidelines

• Email grants@onfgivesback.org with any questions. 
• All questions must be submitted to the Foundation prior to 4:30 pm Eastern Time on the day of the application due date in order to receive a response prior to the deadline.
• No late applications will be accepted, and all applications must be submitted through the application platform.
• You will need a Letter of Recommendation and Professional, Membership, and Volunteer experience.