The Tumor Section Awards Committee has a robust awards program for outstanding basic science and clinical research awards.

At each AANS and CNS meeting, up to 21 awards are given. Nineteen of these awards are the same at AANS and CNS. The award unique to the AANS is the Bittner award. The Award unique to the CNS is the Abhijit Guha Award. This is assigned on alternating years at the CNS and SNO. The Awards descriptions are detailed below.


AANS/CNS Section on Tumors Trainee Award

is given to a high-ranking brain tumor clinical or basic science abstract submitted by a resident or medical student from a rising program defined as an institution that has received two or less awards since 2015. The award is presented at the CNS and AANS annual meetings, and the senior author of the paper should be a member of the AANS/CNS Section on Tumors. A monetary component of $1,000 is included with an award certificate.
Previous Winners


American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) Young Investigator Award

Sponsored by the American Brain Tumor Association, the Young Investigator Award is given at the AANS and the CNS meetings to a junior faculty member involved in neuro-oncology research who has demonstrated outstanding potential for future basic science research. The applicant must have been out of training for less than 6 years. A $1,000 honorarium accompanies this award.
Previous Winners


Ronald L. Bittner Award

The Ronald Bittner Award is endowed by Mrs. E. Laurie Bittner in memory of her husband, Ronald L. Bittner. It is awarded to the high scoring abstract submitted to the AANS meeting on Brain Tumor Research by a resident or junior faculty member. This award includes a $1000 honorarium.

Previous Winners


Brainlab Neurosurgery Award 

The BrainLab Neurosurgery Award is awarded at the annual meetings of the AANS and CNS. This award is given to a neurosurgeon practicing in a nonacademic or international setting with a high scoring abstract related to central nervous system tumors. The award carries a $1,000 honorarium.
Previous Winners 


Columbia Softball Skull Base Surgery Award 

The Columbia Softball Skull Base Award is given to a high-ranking abstract related to skull base surgery by a resident or medical student. The award is presented at the CNS and AANS annual meetings and the senior author of the paper must be a member of the AANS/CNS Section on Tumors. This award carries a $1,000 honorarium.
Previous Winners


The Gladiator Project Award 

This award is given to a high scoring translational abstract on adult glioblastoma (GBM) by a medical student, resident, fellow, or attending physician. It will be presented at both the CNS and AANS and will be associated with a $1,000 honorarium afforded by the generosity of the Gladiator Project.

Previous Winners


Globus Spine Tumor Award 

Sponsored by Globus Spine, this award is given at each of the AANS and CNS meetings for a high-scoring abstract submitted investigating spine tumors. The award carries a monetary honorarium of $1,000.

Previous Winners


Abhijit Guha Award

This is a joint award granted by the Tumor Section and the Society of Neuro-Oncology (SNO). The award is granted on alternating years at the CNS or SNO Annual Meeting. The awardee is chosen by the AANS/CNS Joint Section officers (Chair and Secretary) and by the SNO Officers. A call for nominations to the EC members is sent by the Award Chair each Summer. The Ab Guha award is granted to an outstanding clinician with an active research laboratory and has an excellent track record of training and mentoring. The Award Chair tallies the nominations and provides them to the Joint Section Officers.

Previous Winners


Integra Award

Sponsored by the Integra Foundation, this award is given at each of the AANS and CNS meetings for a high-scoring abstract submitted investigating benign brain, spinal or peripheral nerve tumors. The award carries a monetary honorarium of $1,000.
Previous Winners


James Rutka Pediatric Brain Tumor Award

Supported by the Honor-Your-Mentor NREF Rutka fund, this award is given to a high scoring abstract on pediatric brain tumors. The award carries an honorarium of $1,000.

Previous Winners


Journal of Neuro-Oncology Award

The Journal of Neuro-Oncology Award is sponsored by Springer Publishers and is presented at both the annual AANS and CNS meetings to a highly ranked abstract in either clinical or basic science as related to neuro-oncology. The award carries a monetary honorarium of $1,000. This award is paid directly to the awardee by Springer.
Previous Winners


KLS Martin Tumor Award

This award is given to a high scoring abstract on brain tumors. The award carries an honorarium of $1,000.

Previous Winners


Leica Proficient Surgical Tumor Award

Supported by Leica Proficient Surgical, this award is given to a high scoring abstract using this technology for brain tumor surgery. The award carries an honorarium of $1,000.

Previous Winners


Lunsford and Leksell Radiosurgery Award

This award is given to a high scoring stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) abstract. The award is presented at the CNS and AANS annual meetings. The award comes with an honorarium of $1,000.
Previous Winners


Mizuho Minimally Invasive Brain Tumor Surgery Award

This award is given to a high scoring abstract focused on minimally invasive techniques for brain tumor surgery by a resident or neurosurgeon. The award will be presented at the CNS and AANS annual meetings and will be associated with a $1,000 honorarium.

Previous Winners


National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) Award

This award will be given to a high scoring abstract by a resident or attending physician presenting work on minority, underserved, and/or rural populations with brain tumors or doing innovative early phase clinical trials. The award will be presented at the CNS and AANS annual meetings and will be associated with a $1,000 honorarium.

Previous Winners


Rosenblum-Mahaley Clinical Research Award

This award is given at each of the AANS and CNS meetings to a neurosurgery resident, fellow, or attending physician with a high scoring clinical study in neuro-oncology. Special recognition is given to innovative approaches and those that lead to improved patient outcomes and quality of life. About twenty-five years ago just after founding the Section, Dr. Mark Rosenblum established the Mahaley Clinical Award in honor of his friend and colleague, Steve Mahaley, who was terminally ill at the time of the award's inception. While this award was not independently funded, it has been a hallmark of the Section. In 2019, Dr. Mark Rosenblum and his wife Pam pledged funds to continue this award in perpetuity. The Award was re-named the Rosenblum-Mahaley Clinical Research Award. The recipient is awarded a $1000 honorarium.
Previous Winners


Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation (SBTF)

This award is given to a high scoring translational abstract on adult or pediatric brain tumors by a medical student, resident, fellow, or attending physician. Two $1000 awards will be granted each year and will be presented at the AANS and CNS annual meetings. It is the HOPE of the SBTF, each award will serve as seed funds for research which may bring about the possibility of finding a cure for brain tumors and brain cancers.

Previous Winners


StacheStrong Award

This award is given to a high scoring translational abstract on adult glioblastoma (GBM) by a medical student, resident, fellow, or attending physician. Two $500 awards will be granted each year and will be presented at the AANS and CNS annual meetings.

Previous Winners


Stryker CNS Tumor Award

This award is given to a high scoring abstract on CNS tumors by a medical student, resident, or neurosurgeon. The award will be presented at the CNS and AANS annual meetings and will be associated with a $1,000 honorarium.

Previous Winners


Synaptive Preuss Award

The Synaptive Preuss Award, sponsored by Synaptive Medical, is given at each of the AANS and CNS meetings to a high scoring basic science research paper focused on brain tumors. This award has a $1,000 honorarium.
Previous Winners


Zeiss Brain Tumor Research Award

Supported by Zeiss Proficient Surgical, this award is given to a high scoring abstract using this technology for brain tumor surgery. The award carries an honorarium of $1,000.

Previous Winners