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Canadian Nurses Foundation · National

Keith and Donna Brunskill Pain Management Scholarship

Reviewed by G Paul · verified April 23, 2026

$5,000

Total value

Dec 1

Deadline

About this award

Get up to $5,000 for your Masters level nursing studies focusing on pain management — applications open each December.

You can receive up to $5,000 for your studies. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. You may only receive this specific scholarship one time. This is for you if you are a nurse pursuing graduate education to improve how pain is managed through nursing or interdisciplinary practice. It is especially for those using participatory action research (a method where you work closely with the people you are studying to create social change). Applications open each December for the following academic year and typically close in late January. No specific date is posted publicly for the current cycle — before you start your application, check the Canadian Nurses Foundation (CNF — the national organization that supports nursing education) program page or call their office to confirm this year's exact deadlines. Winners are chosen based on merit by the CNF awards committee. They award over 135 scholarships per year across all their different funding tiers, but they do not publish the exact number of winners for this specific pain management award. Ask the CNF how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask the Canadian Nurses Foundation during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. Renewal conditions aren't listed because this award is for one time only. If you are looking for multi-year support, confirm with the Canadian Nurses Foundation if there are other grants you can apply for in future years.

Can you get it?

Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident — citizenship requirement
Graduate — study level
Studying nursing, pain management — field of study

How to apply

Review eligibility and gather your documents~1 hour
Read the official award page end-to-end. Confirm you meet every requirement before you start.
Collect reference letters2 weeks
Give your referees at least two weeks' notice and share your résumé.
Submit by December 1, 2026~1 hour
Double-check every field, save a copy, and submit at least 24 hours early.

More details

Research Statement

The biggest mistake is writing a generic goal statement.

Strategy

Winners instead explicitly describe how their work uses participatory action research to optimize pain management.

Strategy

Clearly define your research methodology in your application.

Support

Many applicants provide basic character references.

Strategy

Winners provide letters from clinical supervisors that prove their impact on patient pain management practices in a real-world setting.

Strategy

Since one single application covers every CNF scholarship you qualify for, do not treat this as a standalone form.

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