Penn Nursing releases open-source blueprint to help institutions worldwide launch nurse-led innovation accelerators

PHILADELPHIA (July 16, 2026) — Recognizing that nurses are an untapped resource for health care solutions, Penn Nursing has released a comprehensive guide for institutions to build their own nurse-led innovation accelerators. The model, supported by the Bedford Falls Foundation, provides a structured pathway to move nurse-led ideas from simple "one-offs" to scalable, commercialized solutions.

“Innovation does not happen in a vacuum; it requires a deliberate ecosystem of institutional support and expert mentorship,” said Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. “With the generous support of the Bedford Falls Foundation, we are proud to offer this guide to help our peers worldwide harness the ingenuity of their nursing faculty and students to meet the complex health needs of a global society.”

“Nurses are uniquely positioned to identify solutions that can transform care,” said Bill Conway, Jr., Co-Founder of the Bedford Falls Foundation. “We are proud to support Penn Nursing in this innovative program, which will help other institutions, strengthen nursing education and improve patient care.”

The Three Pillars of Nurse Innovation

The Penn Nursing model is built upon three essential components that ensure early-stage solutions can improve health care outcomes:

• Funding: Dedicated capital for both program administration and pilot funding for winning teams to develop and test their solutions.
• Mentorship: Access to expert coaches, including local and national entrepreneurs, who provide ongoing advice over a 12-month development period.
• Education: Curated sessions on essential business skills, including intellectual property, market strategy, and budget management.

A Proven Three-Round Process

The roadmap outlines a clear, competitive application process designed to maximize learning for all participants, whether or not they win:

• Round 1 (Online Application): Focuses on a well-defined problem statement, target population, and initial budget request.
• Round 2 (Interviews): Semi-finalists prepare a Business Model Canvas and a detailed budget justification for a 45-minute interview with the innovation team.
• Round 3 (The Pitch Event): Finalists receive 30-minute practice sessions with experts before pitching their ideas to a public audience and a panel of judges.

From Concept to Impact: Proven Accelerator Projects

With the backing of the Bedford Falls Foundation, these winning projects from the Penn Nursing program demonstrate the types of workforce and care solutions peer institutions can expect their participants to develop through their own accelerator framework:

• Inclusion Idea Inbox: An AI-augmented communication platform that creates psychologically safe, unit-level channels for frontline nurses to share concerns and collaborative solutions, specifically targeting burnout among underrepresented staff.
• Enhance Toolkit: An evidence-informed learning toolkit designed to improve nursing transition-to-practice and workforce readiness. Responsive to a neurodiverse workforce, it strengthens collaboration between academic and health system partners.
• Unit-Based Nurse Well-being Care Plans: A data-driven initiative that replaces "one-size-fits-all" wellness programs with customized, evidence-based care plans tailored directly to a specific unit’s unique workflow and culture.
• CorInsight: A predictive insights platform for nurse managers that uses existing clinical and operational data to identify early signs of workforce strain and burnout without adding any extra documentation burden.

Implementation and Partnerships

The guide emphasizes the importance of a "Program Lead"—a faculty member or director who oversees all logistics—and critical institutional partners like internal Information Technology, Innovation Hubs, Legal Affairs to manage patenting and intellectual property. By harnessing the strengths across an academic institution, nursing schools can best support aspiring nurse innovators efficiently and effectively. To build momentum, the model also suggests creating "Accelerator Tracks" (e.g., Global Women’s Health or LGBTQ Health) that allow for multiple winners and specialized industry sponsorships.

Institutions interested in launching their own program can access recruitment flyers, pitch deck templates, and detailed implementation timelines within the full guide.

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About Bedford Falls Boilerplate

The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation, and Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF, a donor advised fund advised by the foundation, were each established by Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway. The shared mission of their nursing philanthropy is to remove financial barriers to a high-quality nursing education and to support educational partners in addressing the critical nursing workforce shortage. In addition to nursing, the Foundation also supports health and human service initiatives in Washington, D.C. and Nashua, NH, which provides pathway opportunities aimed at strengthening community well-being and access to care for our most vulnerable populations.

To learn more about Bedford Falls and the areas that it supports, please visit www.bedfordfallsfoundation.org.

About the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) is a global leader in nursing education, research, and practice, and is ranked the #1 nursing school in the world by QS World University (2026), a distinction it has held nine prior times. Penn Nursing also consistently earns top national rankings from U.S. News & World Report for its BSN and graduate programs and is the top National Institutes of Health (NIH)–funded nursing research institution in the United States. By integrating innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and evidence-based practice, Penn Nursing prepares nurse scientists, clinicians, and leaders to meet the complex health needs of a global society. Follow Penn Nursing: Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram.