The Lisa Ross Memorial Scholarship

The Lisa Ross Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of Lisa Ross, an early pioneer in the development of birth centers, provides the registration fee for the AABC Birth Institute, the annual convention of the American Association of Birth Centers, as well as a $500 stipend for travel and lodging. In 2026, the Birth Institute will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Note: The Lisa Ross Memorial Scholarship award does not include registration to the How to Start a Birth Center Workshop.

Since 2004, the AABC Foundation has awarded the scholarship to midwives and administrators practicing in birth centers and full-time midwifery students with the desire to work in a birth center. Over the years, the scholarship has helped promising clinicians, administrators, and students find their place and grow in the world of birth centers.

  • To be eligible for the scholarship an individual must:

    • Fit into at least one of the following categories:

      • clinical or administrative staff member employed in a birth center

      • clinical or administrative staff of an AABC Developing Birth Center Member

      • full-time student midwife wanting to work in a birth center

    • Demonstrate financial need

    Note: Special consideration will be given to applicants attending the Birth Institute for the first time.

  • Only complete applications will be reviewed. Please follow these steps for your best scholarship application

    Step 1: Download the Lisa Ross Scholarship Application Overview

    Step 2: Review Tips for a Strong Application

    Step 3: Prepare your application answers

    Step 4: Complete and submit the online scholarship application

    All applications are blinded and assigned a number to reduce the chance of unconscious bias

  • The application period is now closed.

About Lisa Ross

A woman with curly red hair and glasses holding a newborn baby.

Lisa Dahin Ross was the Director of Midwifery Services at the Lisa Ross Birth & Women's Center (formerly the Maternity Center of East Tennessee) from 1994-1998.

A native of Clarksville, TN, Lisa was a nurse-practitioner and a nurse-midwife who helped establish the first freestanding birth center in Tennessee.

She was a huge proponent for licensure and accreditation for birth centers and worked to ensure quality services were delivered to patients. Lisa caught more than 1,000 babies in her career.

In 1998, she received the AABC Professional Achievement Award in recognition of her exemplary practice as a birth center midwife and her continuing contributions to the field.