Investing in the Future of Community Pharmacy Education

Community pharmacy remains one of the most accessible and trusted healthcare settings in the United States. It gives students meaningful opportunities to learn about medication management, preventive services, chronic disease support, immunizations, testing, and other services that contribute to community health.

Schools and colleges of pharmacy play a critical role in preparing the next generation of pharmacists. Through this grant opportunity, the NACDS Foundation is investing in creative, practical, and replicable educational approaches that strengthen student learning and prepare students to contribute to community health. Funds may be used to expand existing programs or build new ones.

Awards are designed to support educational programs that:

• Increase student awareness of community pharmacy practice and community health needs
• Inspire student interest in community pharmacy practice and pharmacy education opportunities
• Expand experiential and practice-based learning opportunities that connect students to community pharmacy settings
• Foster academic, community, and healthcare partnerships that enhance access, equity, and community wellness
• Develop adaptable models, tools, and lessons learned that can inform broader adoption across pharmacy education

Topic Areas

Proposals may address one or more of the following:

• Community Pharmacy Career Exploration: introducing students to the breadth and impact of community pharmacy practice
• Experiential Learning Innovation: hands-on approaches that strengthen student engagement with community pharmacy practice
• Didactic Curricular Innovation: new courses, certificates, curricular tracks, or modular learning activities
• Educational Innovation in Community Pharmacy Practice Research: engaging students with emerging community pharmacy practice research models
• Faculty and Preceptor Development: strengthening educational capacity and supporting high-quality community pharmacy learning environments
• Related Innovations: cross-cutting, multi-institution, or otherwise novel educational concepts

What We Look For

Strong proposals demonstrate meaningful student engagement, educational innovation, clear outcomes and evaluation methods, and are encouraged to build community-level partnerships. They produce models that other schools and colleges can adopt and adapt, and they are designed to continue beyond the grant period. Funded programs are expected to disseminate their findings, tools, and lessons learned so that successful approaches can inform pharmacy education nationwide.

Award Information

Awards of up to $100,000 are available for new programs and up to $50,000 for existing or continuing programs. The funding period is calendar year 2027.

How to Apply

The NACDS Foundation uses a two-stage application process. Round 1 is a brief concept proposal that describes the program, how it aligns with the Foundation’s Guiding Principles described in the guidance document, its innovation and anticipated impact, its potential for scalability and sustainability, key collaborators, and a draft budget. A select group of applicants will then be invited to an invitation-only Collaborative Refinement Phase to further develop their concepts before final funding decisions are made.

Eligibility:

Schools and colleges of pharmacy fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), academic departments or centers within them, and collaborative partnerships led by accredited schools or colleges are eligible to apply. Multi-institutional applications are encouraged. Proposals from organizations that have an advocacy focus to promote the industry of pharmacy or pharmacists, and for-profit educational organizations, will not be considered.