Scholarships & Awards

The Foundation’s mission is accomplished in many ways, including grants and projects that advance midwifery, but none is more important than that which we provide to individual midwives and student midwives. 

Our support to individuals has grown steadily since 2018, amounting to as much as $150,000 annually, with more than half supporting diversity in our workforce and our profession. 

Dorothea M. Lang Pioneer Award  

Honors exceptional CNMs/CMs with twenty or more years' experience who have exhibited vision, leadership, and innovation.  

Therese Dondero Memorial Lecture 

Annual lecture by a renowned speaker with deep commitment to excellence in clinical care and midwifery education, and advocacy for the rights of all childbearing women. 

Basic Midwifery Scholarships  

Awarded to student midwives enrolled in ACME accredited programs for the purpose of increasing the number, quality, and diversity of certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives. Criteria include academic performance, professional excellence, plans to promote health equity, leadership potential, and financial need. Several basic scholarships are given annually from restricted and endowed funds, including:  

• Midwives of Color – Watson Scholarship 
• GlaxoSmithKline Healthcare Consumer Scholarship 
• Edith B. Wonnell CNM Scholarship 
• Sandy Woods CNM Memorial Scholarship 
• Colorado Affiliate BIPOC Scholarship 
• Pennsylvania Health Equity Anti-Racism (HEAR) Scholarship 
• Memorial and Honorary Scholarships as funding allows. 

Texas Midwifery Creation Scholarship 

Awarded to student midwives enrolled in ACME accredited programs for the purpose of increasing the number of practicing certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) in Texas in honor of an individual or group who has contributed to midwifery through clinical practice, education, or advocacy. 

ACNM Foundation Varney Leadership Award 

Awarded to student midwives enrolled in ACME accredited programs for the purpose of developing appreciation of organizational leadership through participation in a mentored experience at a national midwifery conference. 

Carrington-Hsia-Nieves Doctoral Scholarship for Midwives of Color  

Awarded to CNM/CM midwives of color enrolled in practice- or research-oriented doctoral or post-doctoral education to prepare them for leadership roles in midwifery, clinical administration, and public health while also pursuing evidence-based scholarly work focused on innovative approaches to improve maternal and child health, reduce health disparities, and promote health equity. 

Fellowship for Graduate Education Scholarship 

Awarded to CNMs/CMs enrolled in practice-oriented doctoral or post-doctoral education (i.e., DM, DNP, DrPH, etc.) to prepare them for leadership roles in clinical/practice administration, education, diversity/equity, research, or policy/advocacy and plans to improve quality of care, reduce health disparities, and promote health equity. 

Dianne S. Moore Midwifery Research Scholarship 

Awarded to CNMs/CMs enrolled in research-oriented doctoral or post-doctoral education (i.e., PhD, ScD, DNSc, etc.) to prepare them for leadership roles in midwifery and public health and the pursuit of evidence-based research focused on innovative and unconventional approaches to improve maternal and child health, reduce health disparities, and promote health equity. 

Elizabeth Bear Education Leadership Fellowship 

Awarded to CNMs/CMs enrolled in a scientifically oriented doctoral or post-doctoral education program (i.e., PhD., ScD, DNSc, DrPH, etc.) to prepare them for future faculty and academic leadership roles in schools of nursing, midwifery, or public health and to advance their career goals for academic equity and diversification of the midwifery and nursing academic workforce. 

W. Newton Long Award for the Advancement of Midwifery 

Awarded to CNMs/CMs for the purpose of funding professional development activities that contribute to the advancement of midwifery. Examples include activities in enhancing clinical midwifery skills, research and research dissemination, establishing new practices or services, or studying domestic or global midwifery practice.  

Thacher Midwifery Leadership Fellowship 

Awarded to CNMs/CMs for the purpose of building leadership skills in business management and marketing midwifery practices.  The award supports attendance at the Midwifery Works Conference and engagement with mentors from the Midwifery Business Network caucus and other midwifery business leaders.  

Deanne R. Williams Public Policy Fellowship 

Supports projects and initiatives that advance public policy and advocacy to improve health outcomes for all people and communities through the support of midwifery. 

Jeanne Raisler International Award for Midwifery 

In keeping with Jeanne Raisler’s scholarly commitment to midwifery and global women’s health, the purpose of this award is to advance U.S. midwives’ knowledge of ways to improve women’s health globally. The purpose is achieved by supporting U.S. midwives in one or more of the following activities:

• Engagement with a self-identified midwifery scholar/mentor doing international research to build competency in global women’s health scholarship. 
• Scholarly presentation with a global women’s health or global midwifery focus at an international meeting or conference. 
• Participation in bilateral or multilateral international convenings related to the advancement of international midwifery scholarship and practice. 
• Other activities in keeping with award purposes. 

Bonnie Westenberg Pedersen International Midwife Award 

In keeping with Bonnie Pedersen’s leadership, vision, and significant contributions to midwifery and global reproductive health, the purpose of this award is to recognize emerging midwife leaders from low- to middle-income countries and provide a professional development experience with U.S. midwives in one or more of the following ways:

• Attendance at the ACNM Annual Meeting and Convention as a distinguished guest. 
• Engagement with US midwives at relevant ACNM or ICM organizational meetings. 
• Expansion of opportunities to develop international professional networks. 
• Other activities in keeping with award purposes. 

Thacher Community Grant 

Awarded to people from diverse backgrounds including midwives, students, retirees, community groups, advocates, and other health professionals who work with under-resourced communities. The grants support small yet high impact community-based projects that address community needs focusing on racial inequity and/or health disparities; care for people with physical or mental illness and disability; and/or care of populations in low-resource settings.   

Wayachi Seed Grant 

Awarded to midwives of color and student midwives of color, as well as organizations or groups led by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) for projects designed to:  

• improve recruitment, retention, and support of the advancement of persons of color and diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds into the profession of midwifery 
• initiate, support, and advance the educational success of students and midwives of color 
• create leadership development and mentorship opportunities for midwives of color 
• promote midwives of color efforts to advance health equity and eliminate disparities in maternal and child health in their communities 
• promoting anti-racism work within midwifery 
• advance other diversity, equity, and inclusion activities that support midwives and communities of color