Trainee Research Grant in Neuroradiology

Previous Recipients

We anticipate that four grants, in the amount of $5,000 each, will be funded in the coming year.

The Foundation of the ASNR offers four Trainee Research Grants in Neuroradiology annually to boost trainee engagement, encourage a broad range of applicants, and build a pipeline of future academic investigators. Funding multiple grants spreads resources across more institutions and lets applicants work with mentors outside their home institution. These grants supplement departmental support and can cover needs like biostatistics, software, cloud computing services, or physical lab support.

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The application cycle for this grant is now open! Applications due by October 30, 2026, at 9:00 am CT. Applications should be submitted via https://asnr.smapply.io/.

Download the full Grant Prospectus and Application Scoring Scale here

  1. Candidate must be a member of ASNR and have completed a residency in Diagnostic Radiology and/or be enrolled in, or have completed, an ACGME-approved fellowship in neuroradiology by the grant period.

  2. Senior residents enrolled in a dedicated 12-month neuroradiology training year may apply.

  3. Postdocs enrolled in a neuroimaging research program in a North American radiology department may also apply.

  4. The grant period is January 30, 2027, through June 30, 2027, and must be active during the applicant’s neuroradiology training year.

  5. An applicant may submit only one application per cycle. More than one applicant from the same institution may submit a separate application within the same grant cycle.

  6. Applicants who have held any of the Foundation of the ASNR Grants, the RSNA Research Scholar, GERRAF, or ARRS Grant Award in the past must declare their previous grants on the application. The applicant is considered ineligible if they are or will concurrently be holding any of the previously mentioned grants, while applying to or holding a grant from the Foundation of the ASNR. Concurrent Seed grants and prior Trainee (resident and fellow) grants do not disqualify an applicant.

The research proposal must include a clearly stated, testable hypothesis and well-developed specific aims.

Mentor: A Senior ASNR member must serve as mentor, taking responsibility for guiding the research, executing the budget, ensuring regulatory compliance, and overseeing completion of the proposed work. A letter of support from the mentor detailing the training and mentorship plan should be submitted with the application.

Research Environment: The parent institution must demonstrate adequate resources and facilities to conduct the project. Involvement of experts from outside Radiology or outside the medical school will be viewed favorably. A letter of support from the Department Chair or Program Director is required, confirming adequate institutional support for the trainee to complete the proposed work.

Application Schedule

  1. The deadline for application receipt is 9:00 AM CT, Friday, October 30, 2026. Applications should be submitted via https://asnr.smapply.io/. Applicants will need to create an account and log in to select the award for which you would like to apply. All formatting requirements outlined in this prospectus will be strictly enforced; applications that do not conform may be disqualified at the discretion of the Research Committee.

  2. Grant recipients will be selected in December 2026, with subsequent notification of the recipient and institution.

Formatting Requirements

  1. All application materials must use a minimum 11-point font (Arial or Times New Roman) and a minimum 0.5-inch margin. All sections must be double-spaced, except the References section, which may be single-spaced.

  2. Listed publications should be limited to those relevant to the proposed research from the past three years, plus up to two earlier representative publications. No appendix materials will be accepted.

  3. The complete application, including all components and letters of support, must not exceed eight pages in total.

  4. Applications that do not follow the page limits and formatting requirements will be disqualified or truncated, at the discretion of ASNR and the Foundation of the ASNR.

Application Components

All components must be combined into a single PDF document, in the order listed, and uploaded as one file via https://asnr.smapply.io/. Page limits are noted with each component and are enforced as described above.

Separately from this document, applicants will be required to upload a current CV for both themselves and their mentor and to respond to a set of demographic questions within the online application. These items are not counted toward the eight-page limit.

  1. Cover Page (1 page)
    Include the project title; applicant name, degrees, and training level; institution and department; the name and institution of the ASNR Senior Member mentor; and applicant contact information, including mailing address, telephone number, and email address. Date the page as of submission.

  2. Research Plan (2 pages)
    A description of the proposed research, including the hypothesis, methods, expected results, and significance.

  3. References (1 page)
    List publications relevant to the proposed research, following the formatting requirements above. References are not included in the Research Plan page limit.

  4. Budget and Budget Justification (1 page)
    List itemized expenses that will be incurred in this project. Group them into the main categories of Personnel, Equipment, and Other (including, for example, scanner time costs). Provide justification for all budget expenses. No indirect costs will be awarded.

  5. Goals Statement (1 page)
    Include a narrative of prior experience relevant to the proposed project, along with career goals.

  6. Mentor’s Letter of Support (1 page)
    A letter from the mentor detailing the training and mentorship plan and confirming responsibility for guiding the research, executing the budget, ensuring regulatory compliance, and overseeing completion of the proposed work.

  7. Chair or Program Director’s Letter of Support (1 page)
    A letter from the Department Chair or Program Director confirming adequate institutional support for the trainee to complete the proposed work.

All those with interest in the award, or employees of an institution that may be involved in the award, shall recuse themselves from voting on such applications. If applications are received from the institutions of the Foundation of the ASNR and Research Committee Co-Chair(s) will recuse themselves the responsibility of coordinating review of the applications from their home institution.

The ASNR Research Committee, or its delegate, reviews applications and provides recommendations to the Foundation of the ASNR for the grant recipients.

Grants will be designated and administered by the Foundation of the ASNR.

The Trainee Research Grant in Neuroradiology Review Scoring Scale can be found at the end of the downloadable prospectus.

Funding & Budget

  1. The total grant amount is up to $5,000 (direct costs only) for a six-month term, paid for in one installment at the start of the grant period. Any unused portion must be returned to the Foundation of the ASNR. The proposed allocation of funds (salary support and other research costs) should be specified in a detailed line-item budget submitted with the full proposal.

  2. The funding will go directly to the Institution or the department of Radiology as direct costs only. No overhead or indirect costs are provided. An itemized budget is required as part of the proposal. Funds (up to $5,000) may be allocated as the investigator sees fit but must be justified in the application. Appropriate uses include:
    • Salary support for associated staff, such as research assistants, clinical coordinators, statisticians, or PhD collaborators
    • Scanner time
    • Analysis or processing software
    • Costs of attending relevant conferences or training courses

  3. Salary support for the trainee, mentor, or collaborators, and all indirect costs cannot be included. Only direct costs are eligible.

Institutional Compliance

  1. Institutional IRB approval is not required at the time of proposal submission but either approval or a waiver must be submitted to ASNR before fund disbursement and grant announcement can be made.

  2. No grant will be made without prior confirmation from the Program Director or Department Chair that the applicant’s proposal will be supported in full by the host institution.

Transfer, Duration & Extensions

  1. Grants will be approved for six months. A No Cost Extension of the terms of the grant may be requested to extend the research period to 6 months beyond the original ending date. Approval of an extension does not include the awarding of additional funds. To request an extension, the grantee must complete a request form to be reviewed by the Co-Chairs of the Foundation of the ASNR and Research Committee. Requests must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the original ending date. Please note that only one No Cost Extension request will be considered per project.

  2. The grant is not transferable to another individual.

Recognition & Dissemination

  1. In May 2027, Trainee Research Grant in Neuroradiology recipients will be announced at the Foundation Awards Session during the ASHNR/ASNR 2027 Joint Annual Meeting (May 14–19), on the Foundation’s website, and via E-News to ASNR membership. Recipients will also receive an invitation to the 2027 President’s Gala.

  2. Recipients are encouraged to submit an abstract to the ASNR Annual Meeting upon completion of the work.

Publication Expectations

The American Journal of Neuroradiology (AJNR) welcomes the best science and encourages authors to submit publications to AJNR before considering other journals.

Publications and abstract presentations should acknowledge the support of the Foundation of the ASNR.

To ensure accountability and track the progress and outcomes of funded research, all recipients are required to submit a final report at the close of the grant period. This report allows the Foundation of the ASNR to monitor how funds are being used, understand the scientific and clinical impact of the research, and inform the continued development of the grant program.

The final report is due two weeks after project completion (June 30, 2027), and recipients will be provided with a template. It should note the clinical impact of the work, any resulting publications or patents, and feedback on the grant program. In addition, recipients will be asked to complete return-on-investment surveys 3 and 5 years after receiving the grant.