NEF Scholarship winner, Derek Nickerson, is enrolled in the University of South Florida Nurse Anesthesia Program in Tampa, Florida. He practiced as a registered nurse at Tampa General Hospital in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit for three years before going back for his Masters degree. After completing his masters he intends to pursue his doctorate in nurse anesthesia and become involved in educating future students in this field.

(2025-2026 Winner)
Sora Gordon, BSN, RN, PMH-BC, is honored to be the 2025–2026 and first recipient of the Francine Bono-Neri Scholarship. She has worked in the field of mental health for the majority of her career, and spent the... read more.
NEF’s only purpose is to provide nursing scholarship assistance to make graduate level nursing education possible. NEF is one of the largest, national, private, professionally endorsed source of funds for advanced nursing study with over one hundred years of service to and for professional nursing.
NEF’s Board of Directors is comprised of leaders from nursing, education, technology, and business communities. Members donate their time and talent to the advancement of the nursing profession. NEF operates with exceptionally low overhead. NEF employs only one individual who serves in several capacities. NEF is a non-profit organization with 501(c) status; thus, your contributions are fully tax-deductible.