Lawrence M. Brass, MD, Clinical Research Training Scholarship in Stroke

Funded by the American Heart Association and the American Brain Foundation in collaboration with the American Academy of Neurology, this award is intended to recognize the importance of high-quality clinical research and encourage early career investigators pursuing clinical studies related to stroke, vascular neurology, and neurocritical care. The American Academy of Neurology states that its research program is committed to embracing diversity among members, applicants, and reviewers and affirms the importance of equity and inclusiveness. The source material does not provide a formal award title, so no title is inferred or created. The award provides a commitment of $65,000 per year for two years, plus a $10,000 per year stipend for education and research-related costs. This produces total support of $150,000 over the two-year award period. Supplementation with other grants is permitted; however, an applicant is eligible to apply only when the other grant source or sources do not exceed $75,000 annually. No cost-share or matching contribution is stated as a requirement. Funding is scheduled to begin July 1, 2027. Eligible research includes patient-oriented research conducted with human participants and translational research specifically designed to develop treatments or enhance diagnosis of neurological disease. Examples include epidemiologic or behavioral studies, clinical trials, studies of disease mechanisms, development of new technologies, and health services and outcomes research. Disease-related studies that do not directly involve humans or human tissue are also encouraged when their primary goal is developing therapies, diagnostic tests, or other tools to prevent or mitigate neurological diseases. The recipient must be an American Academy of Neurology member interested in an academic career in neurological research and must hold an MD, PhD, or equivalent doctoral-level clinical degree. The applicant must have completed clinical residency or a PhD no more than five years before the award begins on July 1, 2027. For applicants who completed both residency and a PhD, eligibility is determined by the residency completion date. A fellowship completed after residency does not alter this calculation. Applicants must be at accredited United States institutions. The recipient's clinical service responsibilities must be restricted to no more than 30 percent of their time, and the institution must commit to 70 percent protected research time. Applications opened June 2, 2026, and the application deadline is September 10, 2026. All application elements, including those completed by the mentor and chair, must be received by that deadline. Required applicant materials include a PDF research plan of no more than three pages, excluding references, covering aims, background, contemplated methodological approaches, and any supporting preliminary data or figures; an NIH Biosketch; and a training plan of up to two pages describing previous relevant educational or training experiences, proposed training, and a brief timeline. After the applicant completes and submits the required information, the chair receives an email link to confirm the limit on clinical service responsibilities and provide a list of non-research-related service. The chair does not submit a letter. The mentor receives a link to provide a reference letter of no more than 1,000 words and must also upload an NIH Biosketch. Applications are evaluated for the quality and originality of the research plan; the applicant's ability and promise as a clinician-scientist; the quality and nature of the proposed training and the mentor-specific, departmental, and institutional training environment; innovation of the research approach; and the significance of the project to neurology. A successful application should present a clear, testable hypothesis, feasible and logical aims and primary outcomes, a well-defined training plan, strong mentorship, an original and innovative project concept that supports the applicant's long-term career goals, and a detailed, well-designed statistical plan. The mentor's letter should address how the research fits the mentor's program, the mentor's expertise and time commitment, prior mentoring experience, the applicant's future research potential and comparison with other researchers, and the institution's commitment to 70 percent protected research time. Recipients are expected to be notified in January 2027, with funding beginning July 1, 2027. The supplied material does not state that the competition recurs annually or on another regular schedule, so no future cycle is projected. Questions may be directed to Ashley Nielsen at research@aan.com or (612) 928-6378. The source also provides an American Academy of Neurology research program frequently asked questions PDF for additional information.

Present a clear and testable hypothesis; keep each aim feasible, focused, and logical; provide a well-defined training plan; demonstrate strong mentorship; emphasize an original and innovative concept that advances long-term career goals; provide a detailed and well-designed statistical plan; demonstrate how the project advances neurology or answers an important question.