The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation today announced a new grant opportunity to support community pharmacy education at schools and colleges of pharmacy. Awards of up to $100,000 for new programs and up to $50,000 for existing or continuing programs will fund educational programs, partnerships, and strategies that engage pharmacy students in community pharmacy education, experiential learning, curriculum innovation, and faculty and preceptor development. Round 1 concept proposals are due November 29, 2026.

Community pharmacy remains one of the most accessible and trusted healthcare settings in the United States, giving students meaningful opportunities to learn about medication management, preventive services, chronic disease support, immunizations, and testing. Schools and colleges of pharmacy play a critical role in preparing the next generation of pharmacists through experiences that reflect the breadth, value, and evolving role of community pharmacy practice.

“Growing the pipeline of pharmacists who choose to practice in the community setting is a central goal of the NACDS Foundation,” said NACDS Foundation President Christie Boutte, PharmD, RPh, IOM. “This grant opportunity, part of the three-year strategic plan we launched this year, is built around that goal. We’re proud to support schools and colleges of pharmacy that are boldly reimagining how students learn about community pharmacy.”

The Foundation is seeking programs that meaningfully engage students, demonstrate innovation, include clear outcomes and evaluation methods, and can be sustained and replicated at schools and colleges across the country. Funded programs are expected to disseminate their findings, tools, and lessons learned so that successful models can inform pharmacy education nationwide.

The NACDS Foundation is partnering with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) to promote this opportunity. Join the AACP webinar on November 5, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET where the NACDS Foundation team will review the grant program and answer questions.

Topic areas
Proposals may address one or more of the following:

• Community Pharmacy Career Exploration
• Experiential Learning Innovation
• Didactic Curricular Innovation
• Educational Innovation in Community Pharmacy Practice Research
• Faculty and Preceptor Development
• Related Innovations, including cross-cutting and multi-institution models

Who can apply
Funding for calendar year 2027 is available to 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. Multi-institutional and collaborative applications are encouraged.

How to apply
To encourage broad participation, the Foundation will use a two-stage process. Round 1 is a brief concept proposal. Selected applicants will then be invited to a Collaborative Refinement Phase, an opportunity for dialogue, feedback, and refinement before final funding decisions are made.

• October 2026: Grant opportunity announced and application portal opens
• November 5, 2026, 3 p.m. ET: AACP webinar to review the grant program and answer questions
• November 6, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET: Final day to submit questions
• November 29, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET: Round 1 concept proposals due
• Early January 2027: Finalists complete Phase 2
• Late January 2027: Award recipients announced