American Society for Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery Research Grant
American Society for Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery Research Grant
Through a detailed strategic planning process, the American Society for Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery (ASSFN) clarified its mission to improve the lives of patients with nervous system disorders via the education, collaboration, innovation, and advocacy of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgeons. Ultimately, three primary pillars within the ASSFN were established to help achieve this goal: Education/Training, Research, and Clinical Practice/Advocacy
Within the Research Pillar, one identifiable unmet need was that of helping young members develop a successful research career as physician/scientists. The ASSFN sought to address this by establishing a grant entitled the ASSFN Research Grant. We have since collaborated with the Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation (NFREF) to combine our research award with the ASSFN Roy Bakay Honor Your Mentor Fund (HYMF) award, which is also dedicated to supporting the research career of a Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgeon.
The award recipient will be matched with a senior mentor and advisor from the ASSFN membership, whose research area of interest and expertise is aligned with that of the recipient. The recipient is encouraged to belong to a different institution from his/her ASSFN mentor to foster a partnership and collaboration that might not otherwise be feasible. The ASSFN Research Grant recipient will receive financial support from the ASSFN Bakay HYMF and the ASSFN to promote the development of invaluable skillsets and/or preliminary data that will serve the ASSFN Research Grant recipient’s investigative career in the future.
Project Scope
Eligibility: Candidates with an interest in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery and a research topic related to this field should apply. Preference will be given to early career Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgeons (within three years of completion of fellowship), yet surgeons currently in post-graduate fellowship may apply. Candidates belonging to institutions with limited resources and mentorship opportunities are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to domestic candidates, but international applications will be considered.
Funding & Grant Duration: The ASSFN Fellow will receive $100,000 over a 2-year period. Funding will be provided by the ASSFN Roy Bakay HYMF, the ASSFN, and industry support.
Mentorship Selection: Potential applicants will select a mentor from a list provided by the ASSFN, which will include the name, institutional affiliation, and research interests of mentors. Applicants will select a potential mentor from the list, contact the mentor, and submit a letter of support from the mentor along with their applications. Selected mentors are encouraged but not required to be from an institution outside of the applicant’s institution. Applicants may also select a mentor who is not on the ASSFN list. In the “Mentorship Letter of Support,” the mentor must agree to abide by the grant contract put forth by the ASSFN.
Required Application Documents: Applications must be submitted to the NREF grant application portal between September 15 and November 15. The application must include the following:
- Cover Letter
- Mentorship Letter of Support
- Applicant Curriculum Vitae
- 3-page Research Proposal:
- Candidate’s background, current position, mentor selection, and reason for applying (1 page)
- Research idea, significance, innovation (1 page)
- Project timeline and budget (1 page)
For applications with mentors not on ASSFN list, the following additional materials are also required:
- Mentorship Justification Letter
- Mentor-ASSFN Contract Agreement Letter
Application Proposals & Review Process
Grant proposals will be welcomed for submission from September 15 to November 15, 2024. Proposals should be submitted via the NREF grant application portal. Reviewers will work the ASSFN Research Committee to select an awardee. Grant proposals will be reviewed by seasoned researchers within the ASSFN membership. Potential mentors serving as reviewers will be required to recuse themselves from an application in which they are involved.
The research award recipient will be selected based on the merit and novelty of the research idea, the feasibility of the proposed research plan, as well as the applicant’s background and current practice and research environment.
Criteria for Accepting Award/Metrics for Success
The ASSFN Research Grant recipient will be expected to submit progress reports to the ASSFN Research Committee biennially, and to present his/her data at the ASSFN biennial meeting. Upon completion of the award, past ASSFN research grant recipients will still be expected to submit annual research progress reports, present at the ASSFN biennial meeting, and respond to ASSFN research surveys for up to five years. This information, as well as other measurable outcomes (i.e., posters, publications, grant funding) of former award recipients will be used by the ASSFN to help gauge the success of the program.