Section on Tumors/BrainLAB International Research Fellowship

The AANS/CNS Section on Tumors is pleased to announce the establishment of a new international research fellowship program called

Section on Tumors /BrainLAB International Research Fellowship.

This name recognizes the partnering of the Tumor Section with BrainLAB AG, who has generously provided the funding for this new fellowship program.

Purpose of Fellowship:  To provide a program for neurosurgeons from outside the United States or Canada to perform clinical, translational or basic research in the field of neurosurgical oncology in a clinical and/or laboratory setting within the United States.

Eligibility:  The fellowship is open to foreign neurosurgeons or graduating residents from outside the United States or Canada.

Stipend:  $50,000 salary support & travel expenses for a period of one year

Important Dates:

• Annual application submission is November 15th
• The fellowship will be awarded on January 15th
• Commencement of the fellowship is July 1 of each year.

Applications available NOW

Application:  The application includes a formal proposal (not to exceed 5 pages) that outlines the aims of the project, the background/rationale for the work, any preliminary results or supporting data for the project, and a detailed study design.  The applicant must also submit a personal biographical sketch, a description of future academic plans, and a statement of why studying in the U.S.A. will be important for the completion of the work. 

The Sponsoring Investigator of the accepting laboratory/program will be required to submit a letter in support of the applicant, verifying the investigator’s willingness to mentor the applicant and provide necessary space and supplies for the applicant during the project/study period.  Two letters of recommendation are also required.

Host institutions:  The Tumor Section has established a list of investigators in the U.S.A. who are interested in sponsoring a foreign neurosurgeon.  The investigators have provided a description of their respective facilities/programs and summaries of their areas of interest:

Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Cleveland Clinic/Brain Tumor Institute-Center for Translational Therapeutics
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Ohio State University
Penn State University
Stanford University Medical Center
UCLA Medical Center, David Gaffen School of Medicine
UCLA School of Medicine  
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Research Foundation 
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
University of Toronto

Review Process:  Fellows will be chosen through a competitive application process open to all foreign neurosurgeons or graduating residents from outside the United States or Canada.  A review committee, consisting of the chairman of the AANS/CNS Tumor Section and five others appointed by the chairman, will examine all submissions.  Applications will be judged based on the novelty and scientific merit of the proposed study, the credentials of the applicant, and the support provided by the accepting program/laboratory.

Investigative Categories:  Although the focus must be on neurosurgical oncology, all categories of investigative studies will be considered eligible for this fellowship, including (but not limited to) basic science, epidemiology, anatomic studies, preclinical or translational studies, and clinical trials.  Areas of study may be within any subspecialty of neurosurgical oncology, including (but not limited to) primary brain tumors, metastatic brain tumors, spine and spinal cord tumors, peripheral nerve tumors, and skull base tumors.  Preference will be given to proposals undertaking hypothesis-driven research.

Awarded Fellows:  The winning fellow will be required to submit a written Mid-Year Progress Report and, at the completion of the project, a written Summary Report describing the results of the study.  The applicant may also present an oral summary of the project at the AANS or CNS Annual Meeting upon completion of the fellowship.

It is hoped that this fellowship will become a source of education and collaboration between centers in the US and foreign countries.  The Section on Tumors thanks all those who have worked so hard to make this fellowship possible. The Section is particularly grateful to BrainLAB AG who have provide the financial support for this program through an educational grant.    

Please submit completed applications by November 17, 2008 to Tumorfellowship@aans.org
or by mail to Section on Tumors/BrainLAB International Fellowship Scientific Review Committee, c/o AANS, 5550 Meadowbrook Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008-3852 U.S.A.

For more information please contact the Development Department of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) at 847-378-0500 or jaq@aans.org.